2012 Masters Snooker Betting Odds, Tips and Preview

The 2012 Snooker Masters betting gets underway at the Alexandra Palace in London on Sunday, with Mark Selby looking a good bet to go all of the way. Selby is a two times Masters champion and always puts up a good challenge at the event. Selby has won it twice in the last four years, beating Stephen Lee in 2008 and then Ronnie O’Sullivan in a thriller back in 2009. Selby slipped up in the UK Championship, the last major snooker championship to be played, losing out to Marco Fu in the second round. However, he has a great proven track record here at the event, even though it has moved out of Wembley. He will be one of the strong players to back in 2012 Masters snooker betting, and Selby starts off with a first round match against Stephen Lee. Selby has been in pretty good nick in the early part of the season in the Championship League. Selby goes as third seed for the event and will be pretty happy with the draw laid out ahead of him. His biggest challenge would likely come in the semi finals, where a meeting with John Higgins would be on the cards. It is likely that Selby will have to go through Shaun Murphy in the second round to set up a clash with Higgins.

Scot Higgins was another one who failed badly at the UK Championship, but he is also a two times winner of the Masters. He has not won it since 2006 though, and after four first round exits in the last four years, Higgins has not really impressed at the event. He has the composure and potting power of course to cake walk this if he in the right frame of mind, but right now would back Selby in a clash against him for your 2012 Masters Snooker betting. Should some attention should turned to the UK Championship winner Judd Trump. The young Englishman is the rising star of the game and fully lived up to his potential with a great display at Sheffield, beating Ronnie O’Sullivan, Neil Robertson and Mark Allen as he lifted the title. That was a big and very important step forward for Trump and his rise in the game. The young Bristolian now gets a crack at his first Masters tournament in the main part of the draw. He qualified for the Masters once before, winning the qualifying event in the 2007/08 season but lost in the wild card round. So now he heads to the Ally Pally and 2012 Masters snooker betting as one the hot properties in the game. Can he pull off a remarkable victory in his first crack at the Masters. Simply playing well and full of confidence but he is in the tough top part of the draw.

The highlight match of the first round is unquestionably Ding Junhui v Ronnie O’Sullivan. Chinese star Ding Junhui is the defending champion and top seed of the event, beating out Marco Fu easily in last year’s event. He now gets a crack at Ronnie O’Sullivan, which will either be a tough or easy first match to start with. But with Judd Trump, Neil Robertson and Mark Williams all in the top half of the draw, the road back to the final is going to be a tough one for all contenders there. That is really why Mark Selby really looks a good bet, because of being in the easier half of the draw. If O’Sullivan can get through against Ding Junhui, then it could set up a rematch against Judd Trump, a repeat of the UK Championship second round. What of Ronnie O’Sullivan, four times Masters winner? It is no secret that he really hasn’t focused and determined in the past couple of years in the game and with talk of retirement to pursue other interests keeping cropping up. Although The Rocket is the favourite to win with the bookies in the short tournament, it is hard to back him with too much confidence here. We have seen glimpses of his best in the 2011/12 season, but he is not the formidable opponent which he once was. For all his talent, being placed in the top half of the draw looks a tough challenge for him to go all of the way.

2012 Masters Snooker Betting Odds
Ronnie O’Sullivan: 13/2 at SportingBet
Mark Selby: 13/2 at SkyBet
Judd Trump: 13/2 at Totesport
John Higgins: 7/1 at Bet365
Neil Robertson: 10/1 at VC Bet
Mark Williams: 12/1 at Ladbrokes
Ding Junhui: 12/1 at SkyBet
Shaun Murphy: 14/1 at Bet365
Mark Allen: 18/1 at Boylesports
Stephen Maguire: 25/1 at Coral
Graeme Dott: 25/1 at Bet365
Ali Carter: 25/1 at SkyBet
Matthew Stevens: 28/1 at SkyBet
Martin Gould: 40/1 at Stan James
Stephen Lee: 30/1 at BetFred
Stuart Bingham: 50/1 at Boylesports

Online bookmaker William Hill offer a free £25 bet for new customers registering an account with them. The familiar household name in UK Betting will match the value of your first stake on a new account, with a free bet up to the maximum value of £25. This is a great way to get started with the popular bookie, where their great live in play betting service will provide great opportunities for your 2012 Masters snooker betting. Get closer to the action at the event, which concludes on January 22nd with the final.