Snooker Betting

Snooker is a sport that has a long history, but it is only recently that we have seen it boom with more and more tournaments being added into the calendar year. 

As a result, bookmakers now offer various betting opportunities for snooker fans, which just adds to the popularity of the sport.

As you may imagine, there are big differences between betting on snooker and other popular sports like basketball and soccer. If you are new to the sports betting world, you will be forgiven for feeling overwhelmed a bit with all the snooker betting information.

That is where we come in. Here, you will find all the relevant information that will help you have a smooth transition towards betting on snooker. 

Brief History of Snooker

As mentioned above, snooker has a very long history. It dates back to 1875, when Lieutenant Neville Francis Fitzgerald Chamberlain created snooker in India.

At first, he experimented with 15 red and one black ball, but eventually, Chamberlain added multi-colored balls, and snooker was born. 

The name “snooker” also has an interesting background. Chamberlain noted that new cadets in the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich were called “Snookers”. He started calling new players in his game snookers, so it was a name that immediately stuck.

Ten years after Chamberlain invented snooker, John Roberts, the British Billiards Champion, visited him in India. After learning the rules of snooker, Roberts decided to take the game back to England, and by the 19th century, manufacturers of billiards equipment saw the potential of snooker. 

In 1916, the first official snooker competition took place, and by 1930, it had overtaken billiards as the most popular cue sport in the UK.

After years of mixed popularity, a ban on tobacco advertising in the early 2000s saw a reduction in the number of snooker events. However, the World Snooker Tour bounced back in 2010, when Barry Hear bought the biggest commercial company, World Snooker Limited.

Snooker Rules and Gameplay

Thankfully, snooker has very straightforward rules that newbies shouldn’t have a problem learning. The following types of balls are present in the game:

  • 15 red balls
  • 6 colored balls
  • 1 cue ball

Your goal is to pot balls in the next sequence: red-colored-red-colored, and so on. You will continue with this sequence until you get all the balls pocketed. If you don’t succeed in following this sequence, then it will be your opponent’s turn to try. 

As for the winner, there is a point distribution that determines it. The values go as follows:

  • Red ball gets you 1 point.
  • Yellow ball gets you 2 points.
  • Green ball gets you 3 points.
  • Brown ball gets you 4 points.
  • Blue ball gets you 5 points.
  • Pink ball gets you 6 points.
  • Black ball gets you 7 points.

Keep in mind that jump shots are illegal in snooker. Finally, “snooker” is a term that describes a certain scenario in the game. It happens when there is no direct path between your cue and the ball you try to hit, so you need to make a kick shot where the cue ball bounces off the rails.

Difference Between Snooker, Pool, and Billiards

Many people confuse snooker, pool, and billiards, but they are completely different games. Some of their main distinctive characteristics include:

  • Billiards – played on a table without pockets. You only have three balls – red, a white one with a spot, and a white one without a spot;
  • Pool – there are six pockets in a pool table. Here, you have 15 balls, including the cue ball;
  • Snooker – just like pool, there are six pockets in snooker, but the table is larger. However, even though the table is bigger, the pockets are smaller. Here, you also have 15 balls.

Popular Snooker Betting Markets

Due to the increase in popularity of snooker, we now see sports betting sites offering various betting opportunities for all registered punters. 

Betting on snooker is a good way for you to get accustomed to the sport and hopefully take some profit from it. With that in mind, let’s check out the most common snooker betting types you can find at bookmakers.

Outright Bets

We begin with the simplest one of them all – the outright market. Here, you need to predict the winner of a certain match or tournament. As you could imagine, outright markets are very popular as they are straightforward and also suitable for newbies in the betting world.

Handicap Bets

As is the case with other sports out there, handicap bets are available in snooker as well. They are a bit more complex than the outright market but can generate better returns. 

With a snooker handicap bet, you will see that a favorite will start the game with a certain point disadvantage. So, it won’t be enough for the snooker player to just beat his opponent; instead, they need to do so with a certain margin.

Over/Under Bets

Moving on, we have over/under markets that are very straightforward as well. With this betting market, you need to predict whether the number of frames will be over or under a given number. 

Session Bets

A very popular market in snooker is the session bet. Here, you can predict the session winner of a certain game. In any snooker game you decide to wager on, you can back a certain player to beat their opponent in a particular session.

Totals Bets

Similar to over/under bets, totals in snooker allow you to wager on a number of frames in the game before it eventually ends.

Match Bets

Different snooker betting sites will provide different match bets that you can utilize. Your choice here is rich, but some of the most common match bets you can encounter include:

  • Match winner
  • Correct score
  • Winning margin

Frame Bets

A frame bet is another interesting snooker market that you can play. If you seek to place a frame bet, you have a couple of options at your disposal:

  • Total frames
  • Frame winners

Futures and Special Bets

Some would argue that there is nothing better than placing a correct futures bet in snooker. These long-term bets allow you to test your prediction skills, and you usually get great odds with these bets.

Long-term bets in snooker mean that you will need to bet on a certain tournament or competition before it starts. Of course, you can wager when the tournament is already in motion, but usually, you get the best odds if you bet well in advance.

As for special snooker bets, you can place your money on events that don’t necessarily affect the result of the match. As an example, you can bet on the highest break, the number of century breaks, and many more.

Live Betting Experience

Top-class snooker betting sites are determined to ensure you have a thrilling betting experience. One of the factors that adds to that is live betting. 

Operators will often offer live-stream snooker services for most of the big tournaments, alongside various in-play betting markets.

Therefore, you won’t miss any action by simply watching and betting on snooker. You can see how games pan out thanks to the live streaming services, and you can make much more informed bets. 

Top Snooker Tournaments

Snooker is a well-known sport in the world, so there are multiple tournaments you can look forward to in a calendar year—both domestic and international. There are quite a few that get a lot of attention, as you can see below.

World Championships

We start with one of the oldest snooker competitions, which dates back to 1927. The Crucible Theater in Sheffield is home to the World Championships, which has been held there for over 40 years. Winners get the world championship title, 500 ranking points, as well as a hefty prize.

UK Championship

Usually, the UK Championship takes place at the Barbican Centre in York, which has been active since 1977. Winners in this tournament get 200 ranking points.

China Open

The China Open started in 1997, and it hasn’t looked back since. It usually takes place in Beijing, and the Snooker Association and World Professional Billiards are the organizers. 

Masters

The Masters launched in 1965, and it is a non-ranking event. The tournament runs annually, and even though there are no ranking points, it is still a competitive one, and punters still love to place various wagers on it.

Players Championship

Finally, we have the Players Championships, which is a relatively new one, having been established in 2011. It had various names and numbers of players over the years, but now it has 32 participants.

Snooker Betting Tips and Tricks

Betting on snooker is a nice pastime activity, and it surely becomes even more enjoyable if you have a clear plan in mind. Of course, there are some universal betting strategies you can apply.

However, for you to make much more informed bets on snooker, we can recommend some valuable tips that will help you shift the odds a bit in your favor.

Compare Odds

Opting to place bets on a site that has the best odds is a very important strategy. This is essential, especially if you are a regular bettor. So, don’t rush, and take your time to compare odds from several sportsbooks before deciding to place a bet.

Study the Game

It is very important that you have decent knowledge about snooker before staking on it. You cannot just dive straight into betting without knowing what you actually bet on. Take note of the rules and the competitions. Learn exactly how ranking and non-ranking tournaments work and how they can influence the results. 

Look at the Form of the Players

As is the case with all sports out there, form plays an important part in snooker. You need to check out players’ rankings and previous match results and stats before placing a bet. 

The more research you do about players, the more you will know, and you will make much more reasonable bets. Some players are better in the first few frames but lose their grip as the game goes on. This is just one piece of information that you can obtain by doing thorough research.

Don’t Always Back Your Favorite

We all want our favorite player to win all the time, but that is not possible. Therefore, no matter how much you love a particular player, don’t always unconditionally back them. 

Manage Your Bankroll

Finally, we have the golden rule of sports betting – control your gambling activities. It is a good idea to set a daily/weekly/monthly betting budget and never step out of it.

How to Bet on Snooker

Now that you are armed with all the information you need to wager on snooker, we have a very important part to go through. You can start your snooker betting adventure by following the next few simple steps.

Choose a Reputable Snooker Bookmaker

Your first step would be to find a licensed and reliable bookmaker for your snooker betting adventure. Look for sites that have a valid license from a respected regulator, as that is the only way you can be sure your data is completely safe.

Register and Make a Deposit

Now, you need to complete the registration process, which usually takes no more than a couple of minutes. Then, to start wagering on snooker games, you need to top-up your account. Remember that different betting sites have different payment methods and deposit limits.

Claim Your Welcome Bonus

It is not uncommon to see bookies offering a welcome bonus that you can use on snooker games. So, see whether you are okay with the terms and conditions of the bonus, claim it, and feel free to use it on your bets. However, note that the type of bonus you get depends on the platform.

Start Betting

Your online betting adventure can now begin. Scroll through sports on the site, find snooker, and see which games you can wager on. When you find your preferred match, choose a betting market and place your first bet!

Is Snooker Betting Safe and Legal?

This question has a very simple answer. As long as you choose a reputable and licensed sports betting site, you have nothing to worry about in terms of safety. As for the legal aspect, this depends on where you live. Certain countries have a friendly attitude towards online sports betting, while others are on the opposite end of the scale.

FAQ

Can I bet live on snooker?

Yes, snooker betting sites offer you the chance to place various in-live bets. Some platforms also offer live-streaming snooker services, so you can follow the games much more closely.

Which snooker betting market is best for new players?

If you are completely new to snooker betting, we advise you to start with the simplest bet type of them all – outright bets.

How do I win my snooker bets?

There is no winning strategy that will guarantee you profits whenever you bet on snooker. However, doing research and managing your bankroll will ensure you shift the odds at least a bit in your favor.