The World Snooker Championship is an annual ranking snooker competition and the third of the events of the season after the the Masters. It is organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), which has been in charge of the professional game since 1968, and has been held in Sheffield since 1977. This tournament is the biggest, oldest, and most prestigious event in World Snooker, drawing attention from both fans and punters.
Structure of the World Snooker Championship Tournament
The tournament structure for the World Snooker Championship is a knock-out format tournament featuring 32 players. Play takes place over 17 days and typically ends on the first Monday in May, which is known in the United Kingdom as May Day. Matches in the first round are all played in two sessions and contested over a best-of-19-frames format. By the second round and quarter-finals, matches have been lengthened to best-of-25 frames and three sessions per game. When we get to the last four players, we have reached the semi-finals which are played over four sessions and best-of-33 frames, while the final is played over 35 frames. This essentially means that the winner is the player who wins 18 frames.
The contestants will be battling it out for a slice of almost $2.4 million, with $500,000 of that going straight into the pocket of the tournament winner. The runner-up will receive $200,000, while semi-finalists each pick up $100,000.
Snooker World Championship 2023 betting odds and tips
The 2023 Snooker World Championship will be held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, and will run from the 15th of April until the 1st of May. As ever, the event will draw a star-studded field, and the following section will list some useful tips and predictions for betting on the event.
When it comes to snooker betting odds Ronnie O’Sullivan, who swept aside Judd Trump 18-13 in the final 12 months ago, remains the man to beat. He will be looking to be crowned world champion for the eighth time, and is the clear favourite at 4/1 with most bookmakers. O’Sullivan is always a threat among the balls, and if he can maintain his focus, then he could well take some stopping.
Mark Selby, known as the ‘Jester’, will be eager to add another title to his collection. The four-time world champion ended a 19-month barren run by lifting the English Open last year. In terms of season stats, Selby has won over 50% of frames played (314), but he would like to add a few more century breaks (28). The latest sports betting odds is trading around the 8/1 mark, and he will see a quarter-final spot as the minimum target.
Mark Williams, a three-time world champion, is among those lurking, with an affinity with the Crucible. He has been a consistent performer, and it would be amiss to rule out the Welshman, who is equally adept with his safety play as he is at compiling big breaks. Although he’s available at 16/1 with most bookmakers, he would no doubt be happy to get through the first few rounds.
John Higgins, known as the ‘Wizard of Wishaw’, is a four-time world champion and has triumphed in all the Triple Crown events. Given he reached the semi-final last year, perhaps he should be shorter than his current 20/1 price. If you are looking for value, then he might be worth considering.
In addition to these key players, the tournament is packed with champions, and there will be plenty of nail-biting matches to watch and bet on. Here are five reasons why you should bet on the Snooker World Championship:
- It is the biggest event in snooker.
- The winner will walk away with a cheque for §500,000.
- It is one of the longest running tournaments in snooker.
- The biggest names in snooker will be there.
- It never fails to deliver nail-biting matches.
Most popular snooker betting markets
There are several popular World Snooker Championship betting markets. Outright betting is a super simple form of wagering, and it is one of the most popular wagers in snooker betting. In order for this bet to win, there is nothing more required than your chosen selection winning outright on whichever market you have backed them in. If you have picked a player to win a match in the outright market, then all they need to do is win that match. To learn more about the benefits of betting on the winner check out our moneyline betting guide to maximize your winnings right now.
Another popular betting strategy is player to pot first red betting. The first and only way to get the scores up and running in a game of snooker is to pot a red ball, which most professionals will do with their first break. This then, is essentially a First Player To Score bet, and will more than likely be the same player who breaks first. The best snooker world championship betting site for first red potted is Paddy Power.
Century breaks betting is another popular betting market. Here, you are required to place a bet on a match in which you think one of the two players competing will make a century break at any point during the match. This can either be hit by a nominated player or, like the prop bet above, has just to occur during the match, in which case it is irrelevant as to which of the two players hits the ton plus break. The best snooker world championship betting site for highest break is William Hill.
The highest break betting market is one of those specials that can be quite lucrative if placed smartly. Usually, you will be offered odds for a player to score the highest break in a match. As the World Championship consists of games that are contested over a longer format, you can expect to see some significant breaks compiled, allowing you to locate some juicy prices, it is worth to regularly check promotions and bonuses, and get the highest betting odds and payouts with the best bookmaker iBet.
Key Stats
Some key stats of the World Snooker Championship are as follows: Joe Davis, who won 15 consecutive titles between 1927 and 1946 under a challenge format, is the most successful player at the World Snooker Championship. Ray Reardon won the championship for the sixth time at 45 years of age, making him the oldest ever World Champion. Stephen Hendry became the youngest World Snooker Champion when he won the event for the first time in 1990 aged just 21. Stephen Hendry’s 16 centuries during the 2002 championships remains a record for the most tons by one player in a tournament. With seven titles in 27 appearances, the most successful player in the modern era is also Stephen Hendry.
Similar tournaments to the World Snooker Championship include the UK Championship, the Cazoo Masters, the World Grand Prix, and the Players Championship. Do not miss the next UK Championship is the first of snooker’s three Triple Crown events of the season and always a massive occasion by regularly checking our sports news section and discover special offers from iBet that can bring you enormous benefits and winnings. The Cazoo Masters is an invitational snooker tournament that takes place each year at the Alexandra Palace in North London. The World Grand Prix sees the top 32 snooker players in the world face off in the Centaur Cheltenham Racecourse in a week-long event. The Players Championship, featuring 128 players, is the second ranking event of the season and the middle leg of snooker’s Triple Crown.
