Guest post written by Paul Micelli
Last week we began to look at which bets were available for those of you who wanted to bet on snooker. We continue this week by looking at the remaining types of bets.
Highest Break Betting
One of the real joys of watching snooker is seeing players building massive breaks. Sports betting enthusiasts can choose an individual player to back for the highest score from a single visit to the table or they can bet on the total points scored for the highest break of the tournament.
There is usually a market available for betting on any player reaching the magical 147 figure. Although these types of wagers should be considered little more than fun bets, there are still significant profits to be earned by backing players who regularly hit the big breaks during televised tournaments.
In-Running Betting
Online bookmaking has made in-running betting a particularly popular attraction in the world of snooker. You have the chance to view games on television and observe any changes in the form or temperament of individual matches. If a blip appears imminent, the conscientious gambler will have the opportunity to place bets while the game is in play and those with an eye for any changes in the direction of a match should be able to seize excellent prices before a bookmaker makes their adjustments.
On many occasions, some players simply start slowly. An early afternoon start doesn’t suit all players (Ray Reardon was lovingly referred to as ‘Dracula’ by his fans because he always played better at night) and some find that their form improves as the day wears on. In-running betting can present some fantastic opportunities of seizing great prices on players who might be lagging behind in the early stages of a match, but who obviously have the capability of producing a strong comeback as the game progresses.
In the same way as you can bet on the final score of a match in terms of frames prior to a game starting, it is also possible to bet on frames on a progressive basis while the match is still in play. As well as picking out the individual winner of each frame, bettors can also make selections based on the score of each frame and the size of the highest break scored while the frame is still in play.
Understanding Trends
The world of snooker has changed significantly over the last ten years and it has become increasingly difficult to pick out a single dominant force. Throughout the 1980’s, Steve Davis consistently won major ranking tournaments and Stephen Hendry was equally as impressive during the 1990’s. Although players like Ronnie O Sullivan stand out in terms of natural ability, the playing field has become much tighter in recent times and young players come into the game armed with expansive knowledge, superb temperaments and the overwhelming desire to win events.
Forms can be incredibly temporary when it comes to snooker. In 2007, the first nine invitational events of the year saw eight different winners. Although this particular trend can change very quickly, sports betting enthusiasts are best advised to look beyond the finals of major ranking tournaments to see which players are making the quarter-finals and semi-finals on a more consistent basis. Those who continually find themselves in the last eight will ultimately be the ones who are challenging for honours on a regular basis throughout the course of a full season. Studying the daw for major tournaments allows for a certain amount of mapping and players who come up against inferior competition more regularly should be seriously regarded in terms of betting opportunities.
