For the 50th time in a row, Crucible Theatre in Sheffield will host the best international snooker players for the Halo World Snooker Championship as the perfect closure of another season.
Held from 18 April to 4 May, it is the 18th and final ranking event. What can fans expect from 17 days of world-class snooker, where to watch, and what betting offers are there? Let’s dive in!
O’Sullivan Going for A Record Win
This year, the prize pool is well above £2 million, with the winner of the tournament set to take a neat £500,000 prize. Naturally, we’re expecting to see quite a show in probably the most unpredictable snooker competition in years.
Zhao Xintong is defending his title, having defeated Mark Williams in the finals of last year’s Championship. He’s also favoured by the bookies, with 3.25 odds of taking this year’s trophy and that mouthwatering prize.
But one man may very well sweep the tourney once again. We’re, of course, talking about legendary Ronnie O’Sullivan, one of the most successful snooker players of all time. O'Sullivan has participated in the previous 33 editions of the Championship, winning seven of them.
Surprisingly, bookies don’t really fancy O’Sullivan, but instead give him a 6.0 price of outright winning the tournament. In front of him, odds-wise, is Judd Trump, the current #1 snooker player in the world with five Triple Crowns under his belt. He’s priced at 5.50 even with a so-so recent track record, especially against Xintong.
World Snooker Championship Schedule
If you’re not able to attend the Championship in person, don’t fret, as many TV stations have signed broadcast rights. In the UK, the BBC and TNT Sports will provide the coverage, while HBO Max will cover it for Ireland.
Folks in mainland Europe can rely on Eurosport to follow along all the snooker action during the World Championship. Depending on your territory, you’ll also be able to watch via HBO Max or discovery+, as well as replay the most exciting moments of the tournament.
As we’ve previously mentioned, the tournament starts on 18 April, following a qualifier round. Matches will typically start at 11:00 CET. Round 2 starts on 23 April, Quarterfinals and Semifinals run from 28 through 30 April, while the Grand Finals match is scheduled for 3 May at 14:00 CET.
Here’s how the prize pool is broken down:
- Winner: £500,000
- Runner-up: £200,000
- Semi-finals: £100,000
- Quarter-finals: £50,000
- Last 16: £30,000
- Last 32: £20,000
- Last 48: £15,000
- Last 80: £10,000
- Last 112: £5,000
- High break: £15,000
