Betting Markets
Whether you’re snooker loopy or just a casual fan of the sport, you’re sure to enjoy the sheer range of betting markets available for the baize. Here are just some of the popular ways to bet at the UK’s best betting sites.
Match/Tournament Winner
Predicting the winner is the obvious market most punters gravitate towards. As well as betting on who’ll triumph in a particular match, you’ll also be able to go further and take a punt on which player will nab the overall tournament title. A living legend, or a plucky upstart?
First Frame Winner
Edging out your opponent in the first frame can really set the momentum for how the match will go. Who do you think will manage it?
Match Centuries
Will either of the players prove themselves to be a proper potting machine? You can bet on how many century breaks–if any–you expect them to achieve.
Highest Break in Match
This is precisely what it sounds like – you’ll bet on which player will achieve the highest break in the match. Even an underdog player may prove to be a bigger breakbuilder than the favourite.
First Colour
From yellow through to black, which will be the first colour to be potted in a particular frame?
Correct Score
Another pleasingly self-explanatory betting market, but a difficult one to win. If you do manage to guess the final score, the long odds are bound to bring a good return.
In-Play Betting
These days, you don’t have to place all your bets before the first frame begins. By signing up to a top UK bookie, you can go ahead and bet at pretty much any point in the match — a surefire way to build some intensity. It also means you can exploit better odds as they come up during play. Let’s say, for example, a powerhouse player like Ronnie O’Sullivan seems a bit off in the first few frames. The odds on him winning may start to get longer. If you bet on him now, and he lives up to his winning reputation, you’ll get a fatter profit than if you’d bet on him as the odds-on favourite before the match.
Cash Out
The cash out option offered by top UK bookies is understandably popular. How does it work? Simple. If you feel a bet isn’t going to come good—let’s say you predicted a certain final score and it’s now looking like you were way off—you can cut your losses by hitting cash out. This will bring you an amount of money based on both the odds as they stand and your initial wager. While it’s not a win, it certainly beats feeling the sting of an outright loss.
Accumulators
Like the thought of multiplying the odds on several bets to get a bigger payout if they all win? Then you’ll want to look at accumulators. Also known as acca bets, these involve bundling multiple selections on the same slip, and they’re increasingly popular with punters. Bear in mind, however, that all your picks have to come in for the acca to win. The good news is that many bookies offer acca insurance which will return your wager in the form of free bet credits if your acca falls short by one selection.
Bonuses
Welcome bonuses have serious pulling power, and betting sites know it. That’s why you can often find some very generous bonuses on offer, including:
- Matched deposit bonuses, where you’ll be given a percentage match of your first deposit up to a certain cap (e.g. ‘100% up to £200’)
- Free bets, where you’ll be given a certain amount in free bet credits if you make a first bet with qualifying odds (e.g. ‘£10 in free bets if you bet £10’)
Remember, welcome bonuses almost always come with certain stipulations. These can include wagering requirements which must be fulfilled by a certain deadline in order to make withdrawals against your deposit, as well as minimum odds requirements. Be sure to check the small print so you know what’s what.
Promotions
Once the welcome bonuses are done and dusted, what’s next? The top UK bookies will continue to offer special promotions as a thank you for your loyalty. These can include:
- Money back offers, where you’ll get a proportion of your wager back as free bets if you lose a wager
- Enhanced odds, where the bookmaker will make certain markets far more appealing by boosting the odds on favourites.
Payment Methods
Depositing and withdrawing money shouldn’t be a hassle. The top-rated UK betting sites make the whole process as convenient as possible with a range of banking methods to choose from, including:
Mobile Betting
Want to have a punt on the snooker while you’re away from your computer? Not a problem. The UK’s top mobile betting sites let you place bets on your phone or tablet, wherever you happen to be. There are a couple of ways it’s done:
- By logging onto the betting site using your phone or tablet’s web browser — this method doesn’t require any software downloads
- By downloading the betting site’s native app, if it has one. This is a convenient method as you won’t have to bother accessing the web browser, and you’ll also get push notifications alerting you to promotions as they happen.
Snooker Betting Tips
While it can be tempting to simply log on and start placing wagers at your preferred UK betting site, it’s always a good idea to put in some research beforehand. Player rankings won’t necessarily have much of a bearing on a player’s chances — in the past, we’ve seen the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan slip way down the rankings before storming to championship victory. You’ll also want to pay attention to various players’ styles, particularly when it comes to prop bets. Sure, one player may have a legendary reputation and look certain to win, but his opponent may be the better breakbuilder, the natural choice when you’re betting on who’ll bag the highest break.
Similarly, prop bets may be wide open if the favourite is known to be a scrappy player rather than the type to dominate proceedings throughout. Check the head to to head statistics to see how the two opponents have fared against each other in previous skirmishes — not just in terms of who’s won the most, but how the frames played out and how they dealt with losing frames or sudden shifts in momentum. The latter will be particularly useful if you’re going to be placing live bets.
Major Snooker Tournaments
There’s an array of snooker tournaments that catch the attention of fans and punters throughout the year. The most important include:
- The World Snooker Championship (April, The Crucible)
- The Masters (January, Alexandra Palace)
- The UK Championship (November, York Barbican)
- Shanghai Masters (various dates and venues)
- The Champion of Champions (November, various venues)
Ready to Bet on Snooker?
We’ve covered the basics when it comes to betting on snooker. Now all that’s left for you to do is read through our list of the top UK bookmakers, compare welcome bonuses and other factors, sign up to your ideal fit and start betting today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes it is, as long as you restrict yourself to betting sites that are licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. At Compare.bet, we only ever consider sites with the Gambling Commission’s seal of approval, which means the sites abide by fair play rules, take responsible gambling seriously, and use industry-standard encryption protocols to keep your details safe.
These days, the top snooker betting sites in the UK make it their priority to ensure you can bank in whatever way suits you. Just head over to the cashier page of the betting site to check out the options, which will range from debit cards through to e-wallets and prepaid cards.
There’s absolutely no harm in checking out the wealth of snooker betting tips online. Just be vigilant against hype and bluster. No matter how certain tipsters may sound, there is no way to guarantee success with any bet. Doing your own research can give you a solid foundation when it comes to betting on any sport, including snooker.
The odds on offer on particular markets tend to be similar across operators — after all, bookies love competition as much as punters. That being said, enhanced odds and boosts are offered by particular betting sites, offering bigger potential returns on winning bets. If you’re not already set on a particular betting site, it’s worth shopping around on the day you’re looking to place your bet.
