An Ultimate Guide on How to Bet on Snooker
Snooker’s popularity in Europe seems to be on the back foot, but the game has now gone global, with high-profile tournaments more exciting than ever. Snooker also provides a wealth of betting markets, and punters can place wagers almost all year round.
Nonetheless, the game comes with unique rules and regulations that can overwhelm novice punters. To help you overcome those challenges, we created a comprehensive guide on how to bet on snooker.
By covering the essential aspects of snooker, this overview will point you in the right direction and help with betting on the best UK betting sites. To waste no more time, here’s what you need to know about the prestigious and elegant game of snooker.
Six Quick Facts About Betting on Snooker
- Snooker acts as a two-way market because there is no draw in the game.
- The three major tournaments in snooker are the Masters, the UK Championship, and the World Championship.
- Different tournaments can have specific formats that affect the duration of a match.
- Handicap betting on snooker can equalise the playing field and improve betting odds.
- The top-rated betting sites provide pre-match and in-play odds on snooker.
- Snooker’s slow-paced gameplay makes the game ideal for live betting enthusiasts.
Initially a gentlemanly sport practised by the British forces in India, snooker grew into a modern and attention-grabbing game. Despite modernisation, snooker remains a complex sport, especially to the uninitiated. For that reason, our snooker beginner’s guide will first revisit the basics and explain the fundamentals of the game.
Since the days of Sir Neville Chamberlain, the “inventor” of the game, snooker changed some elements, but the basics remained the same. A successful snooker player must combine skill and technique with a balanced mental state. The same goes for betting on the game, an activity that can be easy to learn but hard to master.
Snooker Rules and Regulations
In essence, snooker is a close cousin to pool, your favourite pub game. They both fall under the category of billiards, i.e., a tabletop game where players move balls around with a cue stick and place them into pockets. The similarities pretty much end there because snooker features different-shaped pockets and more balls than the 8-ball pool we all know and love.
Precisely, the snooker features 15 red balls and 6 coloured ones. Of course, the goal is to clear the table, but that’s also where snooker rules and regulations get a bit complex. In other words, coloured balls have numerical values, and players must follow a specific order to send the balls into the pockets.
For instance, the 7-point black offers the highest value, while the yellow-coloured ball adds only two points to the score. We should also mention that the red ball has a value of 1.
Like in most sporting activities, the goal in snooker is to have more points than the opponent. With that said, snooker offers various ways to score, including forcing the opposition to make a mistake. For that reason, success depends on applying a suitable strategy alongside the mastery of the cue stick.
How to Start Betting on Snooker
Strategic thinking plays a crucial role in the betting process. Once you familiarise yourself with the basics of the game, you’ll be ready to wager on a wealth of snooker markets.
Nevertheless, the first step is to find a reliable bookmaker. Betting on unregulated websites significantly increases the risks, and your hard-earned money could vanish if you make the wrong call. Thus, only sign up with licensed websites, like those on our list of the best UK betting sites.
In the UK, snooker betting odds might come in fractional format, but you can easily change this on most platforms if needed. After registering, it’s time to look for favourable prices and potentially profitable odds on snooker.
In a way, the opportunities are on the table throughout the year. Starting with the Masters in January and ending with the UK Championship, the season offers a wealth of exciting matches. Of course, the World Championship in April and May crowns the selection.
For the UK snooker Championship, betting odds will vary from one bet type to another. Therefore, we should look at the typical offering on both old and new betting sites.
Types of Bets on Snooker
The primary wagering option for snooker betting enthusiasts would be to back a winner outright. Snooker matches cannot end in a draw, so the sport offers only two-way markets. For instance, when Johnny O’Sullivan meets Mark Selby, there can be only one winner. Yet, the odds on straight win bets on most snooker matches are not inviting, and they provide little value to most punters.
For that reason, our snooker beginner’s guide should mention other bet types, such as score betting. In essence, this over/under market deals with the number of frames per match. Depending on the tournament, snooker contests can have 6, 11, 13, 19, or 35 frames. Thus, punters can bet on the winning margin or the total number at the end of the game.
Also, the best UK betting sites will let you predict the number of centuries per match. A century in snooker is a break with 100 points or more achieved in a single visit to the table.
Snooker Handicap Betting
Since snooker champions rarely make mistakes in the early stages of tournaments, the prices on those matches are of low value. That’s why bookmakers use handicapping to reduce the perceived advantage and allocate a frame or two to the underdog. In some cases, bookies give points as a handicap, equalising the playing field.
As such, handicap betting can be an excellent option for punters hunting for profitable opportunities in snooker.
Live Snooker Betting: Odds and Markets
Despite its appealing characteristics, the game of snooker is relatively slow-paced. At the top level, the frames can last for a few minutes, allowing punters to place bets.
Likewise, mistakes in snooker can be costly, and they quickly change the complexion of a match. For that reason, in-play odds can fluctuate and provide value to snooker betting enthusiasts.
Best Snooker Betting Systems
The outcome of a snooker match depends on many variables, including the player’s skill and experience. Luck is also an essential factor, but the current player’s form might have the most significant impact.
That’s why the best snooker strategies focus on researching specific players’ previous performances. The player’s form is essential for betting on the snooker UK Championship because matches last for hours.
Also, the big-time names in the snooker world have unique playing styles, offering punters a chance to capitalise on these aspects. For example, some players opt for an aggressive style, while others keep it safe and wait for the opponent’s mistake. Of course, these elements affect the scoring, playing a role in over/under markets.
Another option for a profitable snooker betting system would be to combine snooker matches in an accumulator bet. In other words, you can select four or more favourites and put them together on a bet slip. Since snooker rarely provides upsets, the winning chances should be favourable. Yet, such a situation could require a hefty stake if you are after massive returns.
Further Reading
Final Thoughts
Regardless of your betting preferences, snooker is one of the most exciting categories in the libraries of UK betting sites. No matter if you opt for pre-match odds or in-play betting, snooker matches can yield substantial profits.
Thus, aspiring punters should go above and beyond to learn how to bet on snooker correctly. Proper knowledge of rules and regulations can be the starting point, but you should also analyse players’ characteristics and specifics of play. In any case, the best UK betting sites go to great lengths to provide information, so perform the research before betting.
