A Beginner’s Guide to Snooker Betting Online

The Game

Snooker involves one player trying to outscore their opponent during each frame of a match. Each contest involves a ‘best of’ a certain number of frames (depending on the stage of the competition the match-up is in). The further a player goes in a tournament, the higher the number of frames is required to win the match.

The maximum score a player can achieve in one frame is 147. This means potting all 15 red balls along with 15 black balls and then all of the colours. A 147 is a highly coveted score line for all snooker players, and this is shown by the number of incentives for players competing in tournaments if they achieve the maximum. For example, a player could win £50,000 for recording a 147 in a major tournement.

Snooker Competitions

The snooker calendar consists of many ranked and non-ranked events across the year. Following a ranked tournament, a player will receive a number of points depending on where they finish, which could help them break into the top 10 of the world’s best snooker players or establish themselves as the number 1 player. Unranked tournaments do not affect a player’s overall rank, but players take part in them for either practice or a chance to win some prize money.

The most notable ranked tournaments are listed below:

• World Snooker Championship – this is the number 1 competition in the snooker calendar and takes place at the world famous Crucible Theatre in the United Kingdom. The 16 top ranked players go straight into the first round and the remaining spots are filled by lesser ranked players progressing through qualifiers.
• European Masters – this tournament is held in a different country throughout Europe each year.
• Players Championship – the top 16 ranked players go head-to-head in this competition.
• Tour Championship – this tournament takes places once a year involving the top 8 ranked players.
• World Cup – the snooker world cup is held in China and consists of teams from around the world representing their country.

Snooker Betting Markets

The popularity of snooker betting has risen sharply in recent years, and the sportsbooks have taken notice. They are now starting to offer more and more markets for us to take advantage of. The most popular betting markets are highlighted below.

1. To Win Match – who will come out on top in the upcoming match-up. Will Judd Trump knock out John Higgins in the quarter final of the Masters.
2. Match Handicap – this is where you decide on how many frames a player is going to win by, or potentially lose by. See below for an example.

Player A (-1.5) v Player B (+1.5) – best of 5 frames.

In this example, player A would need to win the match by 2 or more frames for your bet to win.

Player B has the opportunity to either lose the game by 1 frame or win the match outright for your bet to be successful. Keep an eye out for closely fought contests or matchups with a clear difference in skill level between the two competitors to utilise this market effectively.

3. Total Frames – sportsbooks will set a total number of frames (for example 3.5 for a best of 5 match), and you will decide whether there will be more or less frames played.
4. Parlays – this is a great way of grouping together a number of players to win their matchups who are heavily favoured. The odds of backing a heavy favourite are very low and not worthwhile placing a single bet on them. Grouping them together with 2 or more others will help increase the odds and provide a decent pay-out if successful. Please be aware that all of your selections in parlay must win for your bet to be a winner.

We recommend reading our ‘snooker bet types’ article to learn about a whole array of other markets for you to bet on.

General Betting Advice

You must always spend time researching each individual player and their opponent. You should always look at their current form and how well they have competed against a similar rival before.

Be careful when betting on heavy favourites. To win a decent amount of money betting on a favourite, you will have to put down a large amount of cash. If they have an off game, then you will end up losing a lot of money. There are always value bets in certain matchups, and this is what you need to look out for.

What’s Next

Once you have decided to start betting on snooker online, it is time to find the right sportsbook for you. We have an in-depth list detailing the top sportsbooks for American bettors and the benefits that each one will provide to you.

Once you have opened an account, it is time to start placing your wagers. Please start off small until you gain a better understanding of betting on snooker and which markets are working best for you, then you can start to raise your bet amount.

Follow this in-depth beginner guide to snooker betting online to help you on your winning journey. Good luck!