Snooker Betting and Odds
Snooker betting may not be as famous as horse racing, UFC, or even the rugby league in sports betting, but it’s a fantastic sport to gamble on, with big chances of winning a huge payout!
But that will only happen if you know which betting markets have good potential, and understand how snooker betting odds work.
If you aren’t familiar with snooker betting and snooker odds yet, we’re here to help!
HOW TO BET ON SNOOKER
Snooker betting has never been easier, thanks to online sports betting sites.
Punters must simply place bets on the snooker odds that they think will bring a favorable payout.
If you have free bets and want to try them on this sport, then you’re in luck.
Snooker has a wide variety of betting markets and unpredictable players, making it a popular sports betting product.
Remember to always read the T&Cs first, before placing wagers on the betslip. Once you start, it’ll only be a matter of time before you start winning big payouts!
How to Read Snooker Betting Odds
The first step to betting on snooker is to understand how betting odds work.
Sports betting sites present betting odds in either the American odds, fractional, or decimal format.
For snooker, bookmakers always list the latest snooker odds in the fractional format.
| Winner | Handicap | Total | |
| Ronnie o’Sullivan | 1/14 | -6.5 5/6 | O 27.5 5/6 |
| Liang Wenbo | 9/1 | +6.5 5/6 | U 27.5 5/6 |
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Winner, Handicap, and Total are the different kinds of snooker bets.
As you can see, fractional odds use fractions to represent the bet’s odds or probability from happening.
You can see how much you can win versus how much money you need to bet in the fractional odds format.
The denominator (figure to the right or under the / bar), shows your total stake or how much money you need to bet.
The numerator (figure to the left or above the / bar), on the other hand, shows how much your profit will be if you win the bet.
How to Calculate Snooker Betting Odds
In this example, if you want to wager that Ronnie O’Sullivan will be the winner, you have to stake $14 to win $1. Your total payout will be $15 ($14 bet, $1 profit).
Likewise, betting $1 on Liang Wenbo can get you a profit of $9, with a total $10 payout ($1 bet amount, $9 profit).
If you want to wager a different amount, simply follow this formula:
Bet amount x (fractional odds) = profit
If I bet $20 on Wenbo, I can get $200 in total payout ($20 bet, $180 profit).
$20 x 9/1 = $180
Remember that the figure you get will always be the profit or your winnings, and does not include your initial bet.
Also, note that 1/5 odds have an 83% chance of happening, 1/1 has 50%, while 9/1 only has a 10% chance of occurring.
The wager you put on Wenbo winning gave you a substantial profit of $180 because the odds were so low. It was a high risk, high reward type of gamble.
Do note that you won’t need to do any manual calculation when sports betting on snooker. There will always be odds calculators on every sportsbook site. However, it’s essential to know how snooker odds work so you can make the best wagers.
SNOOKER TOURNAMENTS AND FORMATS
You can’t gamble on snooker if you don’t know which games to place bets on.
Bettors should also be aware of the different snooker tournaments and formats as it is part of the whole betting process.
It’s vital to know snooker’s major events since bookmakers offer different snooker odds and betting markets depending on the tournament or the format.
Some snooker odds change, depending on how far off the tournament is. Some bets and odds will only appear once tournament finalists have emerged.
Among the most significant formats are the ranking tournaments:
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The UK Championship
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World Snooker or Snooker World Championship
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World Open
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China Open
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Welsh Open
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Shanghai Masters
Although non-ranking, the following are also considered major events:
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The Masters
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Champion of Champions
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Championship League
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Premier League Snooker
These are the most significant competitions in the snooker calendar.
The Triple Crown Series or the snooker’s majors is won if a player secures the three most prestigious snooker tournaments in the world. These include the UK Championship, the World Championship, and the invitational Masters.
The biggest names always face each other off at the World Championship, a major tournament held at the Sheffield’s Crucible. Living legends like Mark Selby, Judd Trump, Ding Junhui, John Higgins, and Ronnie O’Sullivan are among the most exciting snooker players to bet on.
SNOOKER BETTING MARKETS
Betting markets, on the other hand, are simply the types of bets you can make when wagering on snooker.
These betting markets can range from gambling on who wins the match or tournament, to betting on the possible number of frames in a game.
Match Bet or 1×2 Market
Match betting is the most common of all market bets. It involves wagering on which player will win the match.
Unlike match betting in other sports, there is no “draw” in snooker. So the only two options for players are always whether Player A or Player B wins.
Handicap or Frame Handicap
Like all sports games, there are snooker matches that feature players with unequal skills. One player will be favored to win, while the other is the underdog.
Handicap betting levels out the playing field by putting a handicap score on players.
For example:
| Handicap | |
| Mark Selby | -5.5 1/2 |
| Joe Johnson | +5.5 9/1 |
In handicap betting, the player with the (-) negative sign is favored to win. In contrast, the player with the (+) positive sign is the underdog in the match.
The favored player will be at a disadvantage because of his negative handicap score. At the same time, the underdog will be at an advantage because of his positive handicap score.
In this example, Selby has a handicap of -5.5. This means that he starts the game with a negative score. To win the game, he must win by more than 6 frames.
Johnson, on the other hand, starts the game with +5.5. This figure will be added to his actual final score by the end of the match. To win the bet, he must either win the game totally or lose by less than 6 frames.
With handicap betting, bookmakers allow bettors to pick whether the underdog will win, given the advantage of a lead, or the favored player will triumph despite the handicap.
Outright
Outright betting allows bettors to wager on the outright winner of a tournament. Once the draw has been made, punters will now gamble on a player’s possible course throughout the competition.
In this bet, it’s essential to look at player stats throughout the tournament duration to gauge the player’s value before making wagers.
To Win the Quarter
Bettors can wager on a player they think will win the quarter of the tournament and eventually advance to the semi-finals.
To Reach the Final
Punters can simply gamble on whether a player will reach the tournament’s finals.
Total Frames (Match or Tournament)
In this bet, punters will gamble on the possible total number of frames in the entire match or event.
This bet may be presented in an Over/Under.
| Total | |
| Judd Trump | O 15.5 1/4 |
| John Higgins | U 15.5 1/2 |
Bookmakers will list a figure they think will be the possible total number of frames in the match. If you feel that the actual number of frames will be more than 15.5, bet O 15.5 or over. Likewise, if you think that it will be less than 15.5, bet U 15.5 or under.
Highest Break (Match or Tournament)
The highest break market bet can be made in either a match or a tournament.
In this wager, bettors will simply gamble on which player they think will make the highest break in a match or in the tournament.
You can also bet on the highest break score, or what the highest break score will be in the competition.
Correct Score
Correct score or correct frame score is gaining popularity among snooker betting markets.
In this bet, gamblers must wager on what the match’s correct score will be.
This market can be challenging to predict, which entices players who like high risk, high reward kinds of wagers.
Total Points
Punters must bet on how many total points will be scored in a frame between two players.
A minimum of 42 points can be won when playing snooker, with 15 points for each red ball, 27 points for all the colored balls.
Session Betting
In snooker, the bigger tournaments like the World Snooker Championship or the Masters are usually broken into mini-sessions. There will be 4 frames in each mini-session.
In session betting, gamblers wager on the possible outcome of the first or second session.
The number of possible outcomes for each frame can be restrictive. Hence, this type of bet requires research on snooker players and their way of playing.
Maximum Break or 147
Punters will gamble on whether there will be a maximum break or 147 break record in a tournament. There are only two options in this break: yes or no.
The maximum break is the highest possible feat a player can do within a frame of snooker. Achieving this involves great skill, and so only the best snooker players ever have managed a maximum break.