Fast and Furious Action Is Guaranteed at Snooker’s Shootout
The 2022 BetVictor Snooker Shootout gets underway this week. Staged at Morningside Arena in Leicester, the action begins on Thursday and will conclude on Sunday evening. The unique 128-player competition will be broadcast live in its entirety on Eurosport.
Michael Holt won the Snooker Shootout in 2020. Runner-up in 2019, he is the most successful player in the competition’s history. ©GettyImages
Unique because games are timed and last no more than ten minutes, the competition is also distinctive due to matches consisting of a single frame. Furthermore, the format allows players just 15 seconds to take their shot during the first five minutes of play. In the final five minutes of a match, an even more stringent 10 seconds ‘shot clock’ comes into effect.
Additionally, players must hit a cushion with a ball or pot a ball every shot. Failure to do so will result in a ‘ball in hand’ (the ability to move the white ball anywhere). All fouls also result in a ‘ball in hand’. The final twist is an FA Cup style random draw after every round.
A Fan Favorite
This fast and furious snooker format has become a real fan favorite in recent years. World Snooker gave the competition ranking status in 2017 and the 2022 prize-pool is £171,000. £50,000 will go to the eventual winner.
Given this novel criteria, it could be foolish to simply back the current stars of the game. Mark Selby, Mark Allen, Mark Williams, Yan Bingtao, Shaun Murphy, Kyren Wilson and Stuart Bingham are amongst the better-known players contesting the Snooker Shootout. They are all situated within the top-10 of the outright competition betting found at the best snooker betting sites.
However, recent Snooker Shootout winners have been: Ryan Day, Michael Holt, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, Michael Georgiou, Anthony McGill, Robin Hull and Michael White. With respect, fine players but not household names. This list demonstrates the randomness of the event.
Age Is No Handicap
Interestingly Michael White was 23 when he won the Shootout, Anthony McGill was 26 and Michael Georgiou was 30. 2020 runner-up Zhou Yuelong was 21, similarly 2016 runner-up Luca Brecel was 20. Xiao Guodong has been runner-up twice, aged 26 and 28.
Possibly the impulsiveness and nimbleness associated with youth is an asset in this snooker discipline where players often need to dash around the table and make quick decisions. But only with a crystal ball could you be content making just one selection in this enormous field.
At double-digit prices, punters can back a handful of players and still receive a ten-fold return on their investment – if finding the outright winner. Naturally, a lot of guesswork is involved. Below we have listed a few contenders to consider at inviting odds.
Five To Follow
Michael Holt won this event in 2020. 12 months earlier he had finished runner-up. With a Shootout record that reads 23 frames won and nine lost, he has the best record of any player in the competition. Holt’s recent form is poor, but it was no better before his 2020 success. Ultimately, the 100/1 offered by sponsor’s BetVictor about the world ranked number 35 winning the Shootout again is a great price.
Scott Donaldson looked to have a huge future ahead of him when winning the 2019-2020 Championship League. The Scotsman is still only 27 but the last two years have been barren. He is still ranked in the top-40 and on his day, he can go toe-to-toe with anyone.
Tian Pengfei reached the fourth round of the 2019 Snooker Shootout and third-round in 2018. During much of last season he was badly affected by Covid-19. He still managed to win his way into the World Championship and, in the first round, led John Higgins by seven-frames-to-four before losing 10-7. Proven at this format, if Pengfei is back to form he might make a big statement at a big price.
Jamie Clarke, 27 from Wales, has had two deep runs in this tournament in the past. 2019 saw him win five successive matches in a march to the semi-finals. A year later he made his exit at the fourth round. In 2022 his campaign gets underway in a match against 39-year-old former amateur Ben Hancorn. Success in that pipe-opener – he is 4/6 to prevail – will make his 80/1 odds a very fair price given only 64 players will remain.
Liang Wenbo had an exceptional 2016/17 season. He won the English Open, made the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix and quarter-finals of the Scottish Open. At one stage the Chinese player was world ranked number 11.
Not the player he once was, the 34-year-old is still very capable especially in a quirky format – he also has a fine record in the World Six Red Championship. Wenbo has made the third round of the Shootout for the past two seasons and there are three 147 breaks on his CV. Collectively, that makes his 40/1 odds available at bet365 very attractive.
