Snooker was long seen as a game of the elites, but in recent years, the allure of the green baize has become more universal. The game is also incredibly well-suited for sports betting, which is one of the factors contributing to its rising popularity.
So, why miss out on the vast betting potential of this beautiful game? We are here today to break down all the strategies, markets, and tips you need to become a pro snooker tipster from a novice punter.
As always, let’s go over the markets first, before rolling out our snooker betting tips.
Match Winner
The match winner is a common betting market seen across all sports betting disciplines. Who will win the match? Just answer this question correctly and bag the cash. It’s as simple as that. You can bet for one player to win or the other. Unlike other sports, however, you will not get to bet on a draw in snooker matches.
Example
Here is a screenshot from Pinnacle that shows the match winner odds for the German Masters 2024 encounter between Ishpreet Chada and Liam Davies.
Ishpreet Chada’s odds are 1.418. This means that for every pound you bet on Ishpreet Chada to win, you would win £1.418 if he is successful. This represents a potential profit of £0.418 per pound staked.
On the other hand, Liam Davies’ odds to win are 2.750. By placing a £1 bet on Liam Davies to win, you stand to gain £2.75 if he beats Chada. This delivers a profit of £1.75 for every pound wagered.
Total Frames
The Total frames market requires you to predict how many frames will be played throughout the match. Bookmakers will offer options like “over/under” a certain number of frames. For example, you might see “over 21.5 frames” or “under 18.5 frames”.
Example
Let’s revisit the German Masters match between Ishpreet Chada and Liam Davies on Pinnacle. These are the odds they are offering for the total frames market.
In this example, to win an “over 7.5” bet, the total number of frames played must be eight or more. To win an “under 7.5” bet, on the contrary the total number of frames played must be seven or fewer. Since snooker frames are whole units (you can’t have half a frame), the “.5” in 7.5 acts as a rounding point.
X Frame Winner
The “X frame winner” market in snooker betting offers a more targeted approach, where you can bet on which player will secure a specific frame during the match. For example, you could wager on who will win the first frame, the second frame, or any other individual frame throughout the contest.
Example
The screenshot shared above has been sourced from bet365, and as you can see, offers odds on who will win the first frame in the German Masters match between Amir Sarkosh and Reanne Evans.
Sarkosh is the favourite to win the first frame since he has been assigned incredibly short odds of 1.33. Reanne Evans is the underdog, who is at 3.25 to beat her Iranian opponent in the opening frame of the match.
Handicap
Handicap betting is another sports betting favourite that is not exclusive to snooker.
The idea is quite simple: assign a points or frame advantage (or disadvantage) to each player to level the playing field and create more balanced odds. Handicaps are available for all matches but are especially favoured by punters for contests expected to be one-sided.
Example
We return to Amir Sarkosh vs. Reanne Evans betting odds from bet365 once again. Let’s breakdown the handicap or spread seen on the screenshot above:
Amir Sarkosh (-3.5) 1.80: This means Sarkosh is starting the match with a -3.5 frame handicap.
To win the bet, Sarkosh needs to win the match by at least four frames more than Evans. For example, if the final score is 10-6, Sarkosh wins the bet because the difference is four frames. However, if the score is 10-7, the bet loses because the difference is only three frames.
Reanne Evans (+3.5) 1.90: This means Evans is given a +3.5 frame advantage before the match begins.
To win this bet, Evans can either win the match outright or lose by a margin of three frames or fewer. For instance, if the final score is 10-8 in Sarkosh’s favour, the bet on Evans still wins because her adjusted score with the handicap is 11.5-10.
Correct Score
The correct score is another universal sports betting market. You will have to predict the outcome of a match to win this bet, but simple win or lose won’t do. To cash out, you need to predict the exact score. Since this is more difficult to predict, you can expect longer odds in the correct score market than the standard match winner market.
Example
We will return to bet365 and pull up the odds for the correct score market for the Sarkosh-Evans match. You can notice that the odds for Sarkosh continue to get longer as the scoreline gets closer. This implies that he is the overwhelming favourite to win this tie.
The odds for Evans, on the flipside, get shorter as the scoreline in favour of her win gets closer. This indicates that she is the underdog in this matchup.
Tournament Outright Winner
To win this bet, you must successfully predict the player who lifts the trophy at the end of the tournament. This falls on the riskier side, so you can expect high odds in this market, unless the event has a pretty obvious favourite.
But in big tournaments, like the UK Championship or the Masters, there are many top contenders. So, even if you make the safest prediction, you might be looking at a four-fold return on your investment or even more.
Example
In the screenshot taken from Pinnacle above, you can see the odds for potential The Masters 2025 champions. Even the top dogs, like Judd Trump and Ronnie O’Sullivan offer hefty returns. If you can successfully predict a long-shot champion, you can hit the jackpot for real.
Prop Bets
Snooker prop bets are bets that don’t rely on the final result of a match or competition. We have already covered a prop bet (X frame winner) since it’s quite popular. Here are some other prop bets that you would commonly see across bookmakers.
- Nationality of winner: You can see an example of this in the screenshot shared above from William Hill. It asks punters to predict the nationality of the winner of a competition.
- Highest break: Predict which player will score the highest break in a match.
- Number of frames won: Successfully predict how many frames a specific player will win. This is quite similar to the correct score market.
- Colour ball props: Bet on which colour ball will be potted first during a match or specific frame.
How to Bet on Snooker: Special Tips
Focus on Break-Building Abilities
Look into players with a track record of high-break consistency. Players who are known for their ability to compile high breaks are more likely to win frames quickly. So they can be great choices for highest break or total frames over/under markets.
Fast-paced players, who often target high breaks, might be more likely to win frames early in a match, potentially impacting the total frames market. If you’re betting on a frame winner in the early stages, a fast-paced player might be a good choice.
Tactical players, however, prefer to take a slower approach and wait for their opponent to make a mistake. Matches involving two tactical players may have longer frames and a higher total frame count. In frame winner betting, you might favor a tactical player in later frames, as they might be more likely to capitalise on their opponent’s fatigue or frustration.
Consider Table Conditions
Table conditions profoundly influence a snooker player’s success. Fast cloth favours aggressive play, while slow cloth demands precision. Tight pockets increase difficulty, while loose pockets offer more margin for error. Lighting affects visibility and impacts shot selection and accuracy. Experienced players adapt better to these variables, but even some of them might show weakness in certain conditions.
Bet on the Deciding Frame in Close Matches
Evenly matched players often produce close contests. This increases the likelihood of a deciding frame, making it an attractive betting proposition. The odds for a deciding frame might be higher than the individual player odds. So, this could be an excellent pick when players of similar profiles are about to clash.
Consider Player Fatigue
Snooker tournaments can take a significant mental and physical toll on players, and not all professionals handle fatigue equally well. It’s crucial to assess how a player performs over prolonged periods. Some players improve as the tournament progresses, while others may falter. These factors are especially important when betting on outright winners or late-stage matches.
