Compare the 2017 World Snooker Championship odds from the top betting firms plus grab some top bookies’ free bets.
World Championship Snooker Odds 2017 – Outright Winner Betting
Snooker World Championship Winner Betting; Best odds bold; Each-Way Place Terms: Win Only.
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Selby | 1/8 | 1/9 | 1/14 | 1/10 | 1/11 | 1/8 | 1/12 | ||
| John Higgins | 5/1 | 9/2 | 13/2 | 6/1 | 24/5 | 5/1 | 11/2 |
Pocket some value with Snooker Odds
It is not just the World Snooker Championship held at the Crucible in Sheffield in April each year that attracts interest in the snooker odds.
The world snooker tournament calendar includes the Masters, held in January at Wembley, the German Masters and the Welsh Open in February, the China Open in March, the Shanghai Masters and World Open in September, the World Seniors Championship in November and the UK Championship in December. Then of course there is the pinnacle, the World Championships in April.
There are plenty of other tournaments in between those times so there is nothing to stop you having a punt on the snooker betting all year round.
The growing appeal of snooker has led the BBC to secure long term coverage rights of not just the World Championships and the Masters but the UK Championship too. The Welsh Open has also been secured for BBC Wales.
There is nothing like terrestrial TV coverage to ensure big audiences for a sport. It has helped make snooker betting big business and thousands of punters now enjoy a bet while watching one of their favourite sports. When the cigarette companies were banned from sponsoring snooker tournaments it was no surprise when bookmakers chose to invest in attaching their names to them.
For punters who do not enjoy doing research, snooker is a great sport to target. The longevity of players means that a typical protagonist on the world snooker stage will remain in the spotlight for well over a decade. Realistic challengers to the accepted order do not emerge every five minutes.
The Masters is one of the favourite tournaments for punters, providing a great opportunity to make snooker betting profits. Wembley has a unique atmosphere that makes for great viewing, both live at the venue and at home on the television. Some players thrive on it whilst others struggle to produce their best form under the gaze of so many spectators.
Since the qualifying completion was axed for the tournament you no longer have to factor in the chances of the wild cards. In 2011, just the sixteen top players in the world were invited. The guest list had not been so exclusive since 1989.
Even though the Masters is not an event that features in the world ranking system, it is one of the most highly regarded professional snooker tournaments. The prize money on offer is second only to the amount available at the World Snooker Championships. It has delivered some memorable entertainment through the years.
Few will forget Stephen Hendry’s dramatic victory in the 1991 final. After trailing 7-0 to Mike Hallett, he staged a superlative comeback to defeat Hallett 9-8. Hallett was irretrievably damaged by the experience and was never the same again.
In 1997 the Masters provided another show-stopping performance. Not only did Steve Davis manage to overcome a four frame deficit against the brilliant, relatively new boy on the block, Ronnie O’Sullivan, but both players had to maintain their concentration after the disruption caused by a streaker. Having found himself at the wrong end of a 8-4 score board, Davis somehow gained the assurance of a ball potting automaton to win the next six frames and the contest.
The defeat did not have the same effect on O’Sullivan as Hendry’s on Hallett. He made it to the final again in 2004 and for the next three years.
The 2007 Masters final was not the most closely contested but provided an interesting indicator of what was to come in the future. For the very first time a player of oriental origin made it to the final. Ding Junhui from China was just nineteen years old at the time and understandably the wide outsider in the snooker betting. O’Sullivan duly dispatched him 10-3, and was shown on screen trying to comfort the distraught youngster who burst into tears after the match.
By time of the 2011 Masters, the impetus of players from the east had gathered considerable momentum producing an unprecedented totally oriental final. While O’Sullivan was the pre-tournament favourite at 7/2, Ding Junhui was offered at the middle of the snooker betting market at 16/1 and Marco Fu of Hong Kong was largely ignored at 33/1.
By the eve of the Ding Junhui v Marco Fu final, Junhui was the 4/9 favourite. He rewarded his tardy supporters by winning 10-4. For once, Ronnie O’Sullivan disappointed his followers at Wembley with an extremely uncharacteristic departure in the first round.
Snooker betting tips
If you would like to get a good price in the snooker odds for your selection, as the Ding Junhui 2011 Masters demonstrates, placing your bet before the tournament starts is definitely the way to make the most money.
One word of warning here though, you may want to wait until the draw for the tournament has been finalised before placing your bet. Common sense tells you that a player’s chances of winning (or getting through to the final if you are looking to have an each way bet) will be hugely affected by the quality of opposition they encounter en route.
As well as assessing the recent form of players, do not forget to look at their record in the tournament you are considering. Certain players seem to thrive at some venues but are consistently disappointing at others.
There are many different ways to make money on snooker betting other than picking the winner of a game or a tournament. If the prices offered in the win market do not appeal to you, you can bet on a wide variety of other options which do not relate to the outcome of the match. Frame betting or betting on the total number of century breaks can make a match more interesting and make you plenty of money too. Whatever type of bet you choose, there is no shortage of opportunities to beat the online bookmakers if you pay close attention to the snooker odds.
What do you think?