Just like me, I’m sure you’ve played your fair share of pool over the years or at least tried it. Perhaps you have played it over a few too many beers at a noisy bar or you may have friends with a pool table at home. Even Mr Top Gun Maverick himself Tom Cruise contributed heavily to the marketing as a pool hustler in the popular movie The Color of Money.
While pretty much everyone knows pool, most (myself included) tend to get confused when it comes to 9-Ball, Billiards and/or Snooker.
A Newfound Path to Success
I won’t even try to begin and explain the differences between them all but I want to bring the spotlight onto one of the more interesting areas of sports betting which happens to be Snooker.
Unlike football, tennis, ice hockey etc, snooker betting is an unfamiliar area for me but a lot bigger and more popular than you may think so let’s see what we can find out about it and who knows, maybe this will be your newfound path to success.
Let’s rack up the balls!
A Brief History of Snooker
Before we dive into the details around the actual betting, I’ll give you a brief history on the game itself and how it got its name. Snooker goes all the way back to the late 1800’s when the game Billiards was a popular game among the British Army stationed in India.
In 1875, there was a similar game played that combined the rules of two pool games: Pyramid Pool and Black Pool. However, it wasn’t until 1882 when the first set of official rules was finalized.
I think we all wonder how and why it got the name Snooker and the reason was that at the time, “Snooker” was a slang term used in the British Army to describe new recruits and inexperienced military personnel. In this particular case, it was often used to ridicule bad performances of young officers at the table.
How Snooker Works – Basic Rules
Even if your only interest in Snooker is the betting itself, you should probably know the very basics of the game at least. Snooker is a two-player sport where the aim is to use the white cue ball to knock the colored balls into the pockets.
At the start of the match, there are 15 reds on the table and just one of each of the other colors. Players have to pocket a red before you can go for a colored ball. When you’ve scored a colored ball, you will go back to a red again. This continues until you miss and your opponent takes over.
How to Win a Frame
All the balls have different values and the player who earns the most points during a round wins the “frame”. A Snooker match has a predetermined number of frames, depending on the tournament. Best of 5 is often used but in the World Snooker Championship Final, a much tougher best of 35 frames is used.
How to Pull off a Snooker Shot
As you probably know, you’re not always able to pocket a ball because of its positioning. If it’s too complicated, a player can try to place the cue ball behind another ball to make it harder for the opponent’s next shot. This is how you “snooker” the other player.
If your opponent misses and accidentally hits the wrong colored ball, he will be punished and you will earn points.
How Snooker Betting Works
Just like in most other sports, Snooker betting involves looking into the crystal ball and trying to predict the outcome of a match. You can choose between pre-match or live bets.
Some of the biggest and most popular tournaments to bet on are:
- World Snooker Championships – Takes place in April/May every year
- The UK Championship – November/December
- The China Open – Early AprilThe Invitational Masters – January
As always when it comes to betting, the more you know the bigger chance you have of winning. In other words, research pays off.
Popular Snooker Bets
Betting on the world’s greatest green baize action isn’t that much different from betting on other sports in terms of the kinds of bets available. Your options are many but I have narrowed it down to the most popular ones.
- Outright (Winner) – Betting on who will win the match is probably the most common bet of all. It doesn’t get any more straightforward than this and it doesn’t take a lot to find out who’s the favorite.
- Handicap Betting – This is a way of evening out the odds when there’s a clear favorite. Let’s say number 1 ranked Ronnie O’Sullivan is playing a lower ranked player like Mark Davis. If you bet on a -3.5 handicap, O’Sullivan would have to win by 4 frames or more for you to win. It’s a tougher bet than the outright but the odds will also pay you more when you win.
- Over/Under – Another popular bet and instead of betting on the exact outcome of a match, you are looking at the bigger picture. With the Over/Under bet you need to predict the number of frames and if it’ll be more or less than a given number. If the number says 7.5 frames, you should bet on Over if you think the match will finish in 8 frames or more. Under means 7 frames or less.
- Frame Betting – Betting on the frames can be a fun type of bet if you are looking for something a little bit different. You are often able to bet on
- Total Frames
- Frame Winner
Tips on Snooker Betting
When it comes to betting it’s always good to pick up a few tips along the way that will help you improve your skills. Here are some suggestions of what you should try and do as well as some things you want to try NOT to do.
1) Compare Odds
Different sites will offer different odds and if you are going to bet, you might as well take advantage of the best available odds.
For example in one of the images above, you can see the odds at Stake.com for the World Championship. Ronnie O’Sullivan is the favorite (5.00). If this is something you want to bet on or Judd Trump (5.25), let’s see what some of the other sites are saying about good old Ronnie.
- Cloudbet – Ronnie O’Sullivan 4.98, Judd Trump 5.20
- Sportsbet.io – Ronnie O’Sullivan 5.00, Judd Trump 5.00
- Fortune Jack – Ronnie O’Sullivan 4.99, Judd Trump 5.00
2) Gather Information From Experts
Just like in other sports there are a lot of experts available online that you can look up and listen to. These “Snooker Tipsters” know their stuff and it’s especially useful if you’re not exactly up to date on the world of Snooker.
3) Small Wins Add Up
I know it sounds boring and everyone wants that huge win but in the end, smaller wins add up in the long run. The only way to win a lot of money is to bet a lot of it, which is also very risky unless you have deep pockets.
To avoid putting yourself in a bad situation you can bet lower and safer and your account balance will slowly but surely increase.
Common Mistakes to Stay Away From
1) Not Knowing Your Sport
If you anyway are going to bet on something, you should at least know the basics and a little bit about the sport. Ignorance might work here and there but it’s not going to do you any favors.
Take some time and study up on the game and you will see that the way you bet and the results will change for the better.
2) Stupid Betting
Being dumb and placing stupid bets is a sure way of mismanaging your bankroll. It doesn’t take long to think twice before placing your hard earned money on something. Try and be smart about your bets and you will feel a lot better about it and so will your wallet.
3) Bet With Your Heart Instead of Your Mind
We’ve all been there and it’s so easy to bet on your favorite team or favorite player. However, the truth is that it’s not always the smartest bet. Don’t ignore reality just because you want your personal favorite to win even if everything is telling you the complete opposite.
The golden rule of betting – leave your emotions out of it.
You Are Now a Certified Snooker Betting Expert
Unfortunately that’s an incorrect statement but I hope I have at least managed to open up your eyes to Snooker betting and what to think about if you are doing it. I have mentioned some of the sites where you can bet on Snooker and you can find more of them by clicking here.
Good luck!
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