Ronnie O’Sullivan

It is 2012 German Masters snooker betting time this week, as the stars are out in Berlin, for the second edition of the tournament as a ranking event under its current guise as the German Masters. Last year’s winner Mark Williams, who beat Mark Selby in a great final 9-7 is among an evenly priced field at the head of 2012 German Masters Snooker betting. Wales’ Mark Williams will be a good bet to defend his title in Berlin, as he’ll want to pick himself up after a disappointing run in the masters where he lost to eventual winner Neil Robertson in the quarter finals. Williams will bring his long potting game to the event and with the man with the most at stake, he is being backed well to have a good run in Berlin. Williams is trading at 8/1 with Paddy Power to go on and win the German Masters again this year, and he is in the favourable top half of the draw. The bottom half of the draw is pretty tough, but Williams could have a comfortable run to the semi’s from the top half of the draw. The only dangerous floater we can see in the draw is Ding Junhui, who wasn’t at his best at the Masters. So Williams, with a good run could meet Masters winner Neil Robertson or Ronnie O’Sullivan in the semi final, so he at least makes a strong bet to get to that stage. With the Rocket not at his best, there is a good chance for Mark Williams here to have a real strong run at the title again and that is why he is trading well.

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But the main feature of snooker betting, highlighted by 2012 German Masters snooker betting odds, is that the field is so evenly matched in the world of snooker at the moment, that there is great value around if you can pick out a winner. With the demise of Ronnie O’Sullivan, there really isn’t a stand out, dominant figure in snooker at the moment, but there could be one firmly in the making. That is England’s Judd Trump who won the UK Championship and was favourite for the Masters after knocking out Ronnie O’Sullivan, but he couldn’t see of Neil Robertson either. Trump has really raised his stock over the past couple of months and looks set to have a fantastic year if he can build on his success. He is in the bottom half of the draw and could have a tough early meeting against John Higgins. Trump is full of confidence at the moment, and is rapidly becoming the main draw for snooker fans, but as highlighted at the Masters, he can blow just a little bit hot and cold. So with potentially John Higgins in the quarter finals and Mark Selby a semi final opponent, this is going to be a real test of Trump’s battling qualities.

John Higgins and Mark Selby, the number two and three seeds respectively are going to be no pushovers of course in the betting. Both came unstuck badly at the Masters, losing in the quarter finals, after attracting a lot of attention in pre tournament betting. Again, for 2012 German Masters snooker betting, things look so evenly matched, all the players mentioned here are trading around the same price. There is not a great deal of history in the tournament to look at either. Mark Selby did go well here last season, reaching the semi finals. None of the other top ranked players really showed up well at all, with Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins both withdrawing from the event and Neil Robertson crashing in the first round. So a wide open field in 2012 German Masters Snooker betting, which culminates in the final on February 5th.

2012 German Masters Snooker Betting Odds
Judd Trump: 7/1 at Paddy Power
Mark Selby: 8/1 at Bet Victor
Ronnie O’Sullivan: 8/1 at Bet365
Mark Williams: 8/1 at Paddy Power
Neil Robertson: 9/1 at Totesport
John Higgins: 10/1 at Bet Victor

Ronnie O’Sullivan v Judd Trump snooker betting is on the cards for the second round of The 2012 Masters and it is the one we have been looking forward too. This is a rematch of the second round clash at the recent UK Championships, which Judd Trump edged in a final frame decider, before moving on to win the title. Trump is now in the main draw of The Masters for the first time and after a tight match in his first round against Stuart Bingham, he sets up another clash against O’Sullivan for a place in the semi’s. Trump was playing catch up a little bit in the best of eleven frame first round match, but then found his groove and strung together a good run of form to put himself in the ascendancy. It was not the most convincing performance from Trump, who is on a good run of form at the moment, and definitely the new hot property of the game. If he gives up the chances he did against Bingham to O’Sullivan then trump will most likely be in for a reversal. The Bristolian recognised this himself, but the first round is out of the way and he will raise his game for Ronnie O’Sullivan v Judd Trump betting. Frankly he will have too, but the confidence from the first round should put him in good stead for the next battle with The Rocket.

Ronnie O’Sullivan saw off defending Champion Ding Junhui in the first round, taking the match 6-4 after holding off a comeback from the Chinese star. O’Sullivan has dropped down the world rankings because he has been opting out of tournaments in order to spend time with his children. He is ready to play snooker but on his terms apparently and there has been talk of him retiring from the game. But he showed a pretty good amount of fight in the first round match up against Ding, and he has won this tournament four times before so he knows his way around of course. There are hesitations about his frame of mind at times and his commitment to the game, but he is still the most naturally talented player on the Tour. There is the revenge factor as well now in O’Sullivan v Trump Masters snooker betting, as O’Sullivan was smarting a bit after the UK Championship loss to Trump, which prompted talk of the Rocket retirement. Still, this is a great match to look forward too. Trump has to improve from his first round match, while O’Sullivan looked pretty comfortable with his action and not crumbling under Ding’s comeback pressure is probably something big to take note of. Trump actually holds a 3-2 head to head record over O’Sullivan, with a 60% strike rate. The winner will play the winner of the Mark Williams v Neil Robertson/Mark Allen in the semi’s.

Ronnie O’Sullivan v Judd Trump Betting Odds
O’Sullivan to win 5/6 at SkyBet, Trump to win 23/20 at Boylesports

Ronnie O’Sullivan v Judd Trump Who Will Make The Highest Break?
O’Sullivan 5/6 at Bet365, Trump 6/5 at Boylesports

2012 Masters Snooker Outright Winner Betting Odds
Ronnie O’Sullivan: 7/2 at BetFred
Judd Trump: 9/2 at SkyBet
Mark Selby: 6/1 at SkyBet
John Higgins: 7/1 at BetFred
Mark Williams: 8/1 at Coral
Neil Robertson: 10/1 at Boylesports

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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

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There was a big shake up in the UK Championship Snooker betting on Tuesday, as two of the favourites crashed out in the second round. The defending Champion John Higgins crashed out in a tight match against fellow Scotsman Stephen Maguire. But the biggest shock was Ronnie O’Sullivan crashing out against Judd Trump. Even youngster Trump was surprised at beating the Rocket who has been playing pretty well lately. So the exit of Higgins and O’Sullivan have blown the top half of the draw wide open, and the huge potential of Judd Trump, who reached the final of last season’s World Championship, continues to impress. He didn’t have a clear run at the victory against O’Sullivan, as the Rocket had his chances to win the match. However, Trump capitalised on the chances that came his way, and now we have more announcements from Ronnie O’Sullivan that he is going to retire from the game. So Now Stephen Maguire will face off against Trump in the quarter finals, while Ding Junhui and Neil Robertson kept up their quarter of the top half of the draw, by moving through to meet each other in quarter finals. So what does this mean for your 2011 UK Championship snooker betting?

Well it pretty much has made pre-tournament favourite Mark Selby a stronger favourite. Selby was in the easier half of the draw and if things are still going to go to plan, he will come up against Mark Williams in the semi final. Selby, the Jester from Leicester as he is known, is firm favourite to pick up his first major title, and he is ranked number one in the world. Selby faces Marco Fu in the second round today and is facing some strong opposition now from Judd Trump in the outright winner market for the UK Championship, as the odds have been slashed on the youngster after his triumph over O’Sullivan. At the moment, the big match experience of Mark Selby is going to be the leader on the snooker betting options here, but are there more surprises to come? Are we going to see the rise of Judd Trump fully hit its pinnacle at the Barbican Centre in York??

UK Championship Snooker Betting Odds
Mark Selby: 4/1 at VC Bet
Judd Trump: 4/1 at SportingBet
Neil Robertson: 6/1 at BetFred
Ding Junhui: 8/1 at Boylesports
Mark Williams: 8/1 at SkyBet
Stephen Maguire: 10/1 at Totesport

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The big clash in the Last 16 of the 2011 UK Championship snooker, lets us take a look at Ronnie O’Sullivan v Judd Trump betting. Trump, who reached the final of last season’s World Championship where he lost out to John Higgins, was a bit slow out of the starting blocks against Dominic Dale in the first round, but settled into his groove to finally edge his way through with a 6-4 win. No such problems for Ronnie O’Sullivan who smashed legend Steve Davis 6-1 in their first round match. Now we get to see just the fourth meeting between these players, and in the head to head, it is O’Sullivan who leads by 2-1. They have met only once this year, with a 3-2 win for The Rocket in the Premier League at the start of November. They have produced tight matches between them before and with O’Sullivan coming in off the back of some good form in winning the Premier League title at the end of last month, he will be favourite to edge Trump. The youngster Trump did make it to the semi final’s of the Premier League recently, so he is in a decent bit of form and needs to start strongly against O’Sullivan to get his opponent on the back foot a bit. There should be more to come from Trump in his second round match, as his encounter with Dale was a pretty scrappy affair and we didn’t see the best of him. So Ronnie O’Sullivan v Judd Trump betting at the 2011 UK Championship is definitely the highlight of the day and the winner will move through to the quarter finals to face the winner of defending Champion John Higgins and fellow Scot Stephen Maguire.

Ronnie O’Sullivan v Judd Trump betting odds
O’Sullivan 4/9, Trump 7/4 at Bet365

John Higgins had a big scare in his first round match, only just edging past Rory McLeod 6-5 by taking the deciding frame. Most players seems to be disliking the new format of the tournament, in which the length of match cut from 17 to 11 frames. Higgins has been one of those complaining and he looked a bit out of sorts with his usual confident self as he struggled to get the best of McLeod. Higgins has also been complaining about his back which is giving him discomfort and certainly didn’t look at his best in the first round. However, the Scot is still one of the best on the circuit and is always threatening when he is backed into a corner so don’t write him off just yet. The two Scotsmen have come into contact five times before and Higgins edges the head to head by 3 matches to two. They have played just once this year at the Welsh Open, which Higgins won 9-6 in the final. John Higgins v Stephen Maguire is a repeat of last year’s quarter final match at the UK Championship, which Higgins won 9-7. Would expect to see Higgins progress through, but while the O’Sullivan v Trump match should be open and free flowing, John Higgins v Stephen Maguire betting is likely to be a long, grinding match.

John Higgins v Stephen Maguire betting odds
Higgins ½, Maguire 13/8 at SkyBet

2011 UK Championship Outright Winner Odds
Ronnie O’Sullivan: 9/2 at Boylesports
Mark Selby: 5/1 at SportingBet
Mark Williams: 8/1 at SkyBet
John Higgins: 17/2 at Ladbrokes
Neil Robertson: 9/1 at SportingBet
Ding Junhui: 11/1 at SkyBet
Judd Trump: 12/1 at SkyBet

Former World Number One Ronnie O’Sullivan has confirmed that he will be playing at the World Championships which start on Saturday at Sheffield’s Crucible. The three times world champion has become almost an anonymous figure in the season, with his last victory coming in the Premier League back in November. O’Sullivan has withdrawn already from two major ranking events this year, and has missed most of the Players Tour Championships. This is the not the same Rocket which thrilled fans for so many years, the interest in the competition is not there, and he has pretty much came out and said so. Were this to be his last appearance at The Crucible, right now in his career it would not be any big surprise at all. Interestingly, the bookies have finally recognised this, as O’Sullivan has fallen into the realms of the chasing pack, instead of being outright favourite. Ronnie O’Sullivan World Championship Snooker Betting Odds and Tips have to reflect the current state of his game, although he is apparently seeking help at a sports psychologist. His non favourite status is understandable, as there is no real way that you can back him confidently at the moment. He just has not been at the races even when he has turned up to play, and with his interest visibly waning in the game, punters who do back him will be doing so on reputation and past glories as opposed to seeing him stand a valuable chance of winning the World Championships again this year. Is he worth an each way bet though? What is the value of Ronnie O’Sullivan World Championship Snooker Betting Odds and Tips? Well, Boylesports are paying out 1/2 odds on each way placing 1st or 2nd or you can opt for 1/5 odds for four places. An each way punt will likely be the best option here. O’Sullivan’s last triumph was in 2008 and frankly, he looks a long way short of being able to cope with the pressure on such a big stage again at the moment. He is fully beatable and going as tenth seed for this year’s tournament, he would run into favourite John Higgins as soon as the quarter finals. O’Sullivan starts his campaign against Dominic Dale, who himself is really all fired up for the contest, and will see this as a big opportunity to claim a major scalp. Dale has never beaten O’Sullivan competitively.

World Championship First Round:
Ronnie O’Sullivan: 2/9 at Boylesports
Dominic Dale: 7/2 at Bet365

Ronnie O’Sullivan is priced 8/1 at BetFred to win the 2011 World Snooker Championship

Snooker is back on the betting calendar this week, as the top stars turn out for the Welsh Open, which runs from February 14th to 20th. It’s been a busy year for the sport this year, with the new attractions coming into place in order to make the sport more popular to viewers. The Masters was its usual elegant affair, in stark contrast to the Snooker Shoot Out, and now the Welsh Open early rounds have had an overhaul, as it is played over the best of seven frames, but with no interval. The players just go straight through. There have been a couple of squeezers through the first round, with Masters champion Ding Junhui eking out a 4-3 win after being 2-0 down in the short format of the round, and making his first appearance since the death of his father, John Higgins also nailed a victory by the narrowest of margins. Allister Carter also progressed through the first round, along with Ryan Day, who put a rapid end to the appearance by Jimmy White, as Day ran out a 4-0 winner. The snooker season really is wide open this year, with any number of players having the potential to win these top tier tournaments. We’ve just had Mark Williams recapture some of his past glory in Germany, while Marco Fu and Ding Junhui battled out the Masters final (with the latter winning). John Higgins returned to the game with a bang at the UK Open, so winners really can come from anywhere. While Higgins remains the one man to beat really, the rest of the chasing pack are so tightly bunched, it is getting a tough call. However, we will cast an eye over form and history as the Welsh Open ensues, as well as taking a look at that all important draw.

John Higgins: 6/1 at Paddy Power

John Higgins, the UK Open Champion will be the favourite to take the first quarter, even though Ronnie O’Sullivan is in there. Yes, you read that right. John Higgins, even though he must be emotionally drained, is a better player than O’Sullivan right now. Higgins looks hungrier and determined, and probably the most focused he has even been in his successful career. The thing about Higgins is that he has been told to show up at the Welsh Open and make his father proud. What more of an emotional story could you want to pick a winner? Higgins will face Dave Harold in the last sixteen of the tournament, and it is a little hard to judge just what type of mindset he will be in for the tournament really after his period of grieving. He is still the best player at the table at the moment, but was clearly tearful and emotional after winning his first round match. Maybe this is just too much on his plate? But his top quality, has been through it all, and that has to count for something when it comes to be able to defend his title at the Welsh Open.
Potential ¼ Final Opponent: Ronnie O’Sullivan

Ronnie O’Sullivan: 6/1 at BetFair

There has been a bit of a shift in betting towards O’Sullivan on this one. He hasn’t looked at his best for some time now, and has failed to pick up tournament victories, even when expected. He faces Ryan Day in the last 32 and while he will be expected to win that, it is hard to see him going all of the way here. The quicker format of the early rounds may just suit him, and after pulling out of the German Masters, it is hard to assess just where he is at. He won’t really care too much about the critics admonishing him for leaving the German Masters, but still, that same old hunger and desire which saw him race around the table, just doesn’t appear to be there any more. He is a rocket not firing on all burners at the moment is O’Sullivan. Is he worth a bet though, that’s the question. He is reasonably priced, and therefore he will. Because of his slip down the rankings, he could meet John Higgins in the Quarter Finals but his career seems to be going backwards, and unless he picks up, it is only going to get tougher. Worth a flutter though, simply because of the price and the fact that John Higgins may stutter.
Potential ¼ Final Opponent: John Higgins

Ding Junhui: 15/2 at Boylesports

Forget about his struggle in the first round, Junhui is a player in decent form at the moment. There is the exciting prospect of him meeting Mark Allen in the Last 16, which should be an interesting one to watch. After winning the Masters in consummate fashion, Junhui really looked the complete player. Still doesn’t have the consistency of a John Higgins, but nonetheless, the Chinaman is a major threat. He may have just got his tricky tournament match out of the way, and will go from strength to strength here. Well worth a punt at the moment, especially because he is in the same half as Higgins and O’Sullivan, and there are question marks hanging over both of them at the moment. Could be in with a good chance at picking up the Welsh Open here, as the draw could really be blown wide open for him to have easier passage than expected to the final. With the form he is, you wouldn’t bet against him from there really. Strong presence and it really should be felt.
Potential ¼ Final Opponent: Ali Carter

Mark Williams: 6/1 at Paddy Power

It is hard to argue about the talk of him being back to his old World Championship winning best. The Welshman is going very well at the moment, reaching the final of the UK Championship, and then winning the German Masters in Berlin recently against Mark Selby. It is worth having a punt on him, even though Williams really hasn’t had a great record in his home tournament. He is in good form though, and showing consistency to go deep into competitions. Has landed in a quarter of the tournament which has a great chance at winning, and would be well worth a wager on him winning just the quarter at the very least. Stephen Hendry and Stephen Maguire are in there, but he’s in much better form than either of those are at the moment. If you are betting with form, then Williams will be your man to get behind.
Potential ¼ Final Opponent: Stephen Maguire

Mark Selby: 8/1 at Paddy Power

Reached the final of the German Masters and will be looking for another strong performance from the Jester from Leicester. Great competitor and great player, and you have to fancy his chances for winning the quarter. Has a great game, showing plenty of patience when it is necessary, as well as stepping up the pace in building big breaks. Should be in good confidence following his run in Germany, and the defeat in the final to Mark Williams is just the kind of thing which will spur him on. The two times Masters winner is worth considering in your snooker betting really, even though he is not in a particularly easy section of the draw. Has proven time and time again he can rise to the occasion, and could really bounce back from the blow in Germany with aplomb. There is the big potential of a semi final appearance against Mark Williams who beat him in Berlin. Selby is the Incentive and motivated snooker bet and has won this before, back in 2008.
Potential ¼ Final Opponent: Neil Robertson

Neil Robertson: 9/1 at Boylesports

Will really be looking to get a good win under his belt, but in a tough draw, so will have to be on top of his game. Has Graeme Dott (who is the best outside bet of the tournament at 25/1 with BetFair) and Mark Selby in the same quarter, but for the World Champion  you expect progress. Great on his day, but beatable by the opposition in his quarter of the draw. Strong chaser in the pack for the title, as things stand though, if he meets Selby in the quarter finals then you would probably edge Selby to nick it. Quality performer, maybe not quite on top of his game at the moment. Won the Welsh Open in 2007.
Potential ¼ Final Opponent: Mark Selby

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The Snooker season trundles on, and it is back to a full ranking event after the excitement of the Snooker Shoot-Out, which was won by Nigel Bond who rolled back the years. The world’s best are out in Berlin for the 5th German Masters, with one notable name missing from the list. Ronnie O’Sullivan has withdrawn from the event. World Champions Neil Robertson is also gone from the competition, but at least he took part. The Aussie star suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of Scotland’s Andy Hamilton in the first round. Hamilton was sluggish from the start really, and had to fight his way back to level the match at 4-4, but Hamilton produced a fine 116 break in the deciding frame to move ahead. The upset here, was that Hamilton was not in any great form himself, failing to event make it to the main draws of any of the three preceding ranking events this year. So that is O’Sullivan and Hamilton out, so the door should be wide open for anyone to step up and take this title with a strong run in the tournament. Topping the list will be John Higgins now, who picked up the UK Championship on his return to the game after his six month ban. He has looked far more determined and focused than before, and doesn’t seem to be taking things for granted anymore. He seems to have a lot more respect for his peers and the tournaments he is playing in, not taking wins for granted before the match even starts, and that makes him a dangerous threat. He has a good draw for the tournament, and should expect to see him in the semi finals really. Higgins also won the tournament twice when it was in its prior ranking status as the German Open from 1995 to 1997. Now it is back at the German Masters, he makes for a strong bet. Update: Higgins has withdrawn from the tournament to be with his dying father.

Stephen Hendry looked as if he could go well in this one, as his place in the world’s top sixteen is in doubt. He really needs pick up the pace with his play, the level of which has dropped over the past twelve months, in order to remain in the rankings. Hendry beat Judd Trump 5-2 in the first round, and the Scot was mightily relieved, knowing what a big win that was under pressure. Can he pull out the stops and help himself out here? Well, when players have their backs against the wall, that is when they usually perform their best. Not so, as Hendry lost out to Mark Selby. You can’t ignore the presence of Ding Junhui, recent winner of The Masters and who Selby meets next. The Chinaman is in great form, and didn’t hand around as he thrashed Matthew Stevens 5-1. Ding Junhui is such a cool and collected talent, and it looks as if he is in for a major season. He moves on to play Peter Ebdon, who, like usual, took his fair old time to progress to the second round. Have a lot of respect for Ebdon as a player, but his tactical thinking can slow a game down a bit. Still, it works for him and he ground out a victory over Andrew Higginson. You just never know with Ebdon. He is still so capable of taking titles, but by the same taken, hasn’t quite got that cutting edge.

The only other big upset from the first round, was Joe Swail taking out Mark Allen in the battle of the two Northern Irishmen. Swail actually looks in decent shape after winning his wildcard round match 5-0. Two times Masters winner Mark Selby fired in a very confident performance in the first two rounds, as he thumped Snooker Shoot Out winner Nigel Bond 5-1 and then Hendry. Selby is a good tip to go all the way here, never short on confidence, and the new experience of the ranking event in Germany will suit him. Also winning by that score line was Graeme Dott, who could make for the best outside bet here in Germany. Would have avoided Higgins in the draw until the final, and Dott beat his fellow countryman in the first round of the 2011 masters. Dott deals well with pressure and could make a good run here in a field which looks pretty evenly matched. Ali Carter, who was playing some great snooker last year, but has had a dip in form lately, and he got thumped by Joe Perry in the second round. Overall the field is evenly matched, and the ranking events this year are going to be tough to call out a winner from the start. If Higgins is in the field, then that really should be the starting point, but behind him, including Ronnie O’Sullivan who is not as focused as he once was, the chasing pack is evenly matched. There is no real stand out talent from between the likes of Robertson, Selby and Junhui and anybody can take titles right now. There is a big opportunity for someone to really step up and claim a lot in snooker right now. Go with form, and that has to be Ding Junhui, if not, Mark Selby. Best outside shot is Graeme Dott.

German Snooker Masters Open Winner

Ding Junhui: 4/1 at Boylesports
Mark Williams: 4/1 at BetFred
Mark Selby: 9/2 at Extrabet
Marco Fu: 15/2 at Unibet
Stephen Maguire: 8/1 at Bet365
Graeme Dott: 8/1 at Paddy Power

The Snooker Shootout, part of the new revolution of the snooker world, heads to its final day on Sunday. The final sixteen are ready to go, in this very odd, but thrilling format. There is a ten minute time limit on each match, and each match lasts just one frame, so there really is no room for errors. There is also a shot clock in play, meaning that players have 20 seconds to make a shot within the first five minutes of the match, and just 15 seconds in the last five. A player must also hit a cushion, or pot a ball with every shot, so snookering is made just that little bit more difficult. Caution pretty much has to be thrown out the window, and half chances really need to be played for. World Champion Neil Robertson pushed the time limit to the very edge in beating Alan McManus. The Aussie star sunk the final black, which went in after the time was up on the match, but because he had just got the shot away with a second remaining, his result stood. Robertson has that little bit of speed and flair to take this tournament.

But so does Ronnie O’Sullivan. We haven’t seen the great master on top of his game really for some time, but if there was a tournament built for him, then this will have been it. O’Sullivan cruised through his match against Rod Lawler, but there was not so much luck for UK Champion John Higgins, as he was sunk in one of the shocks of the tournament against Peter Lines. They join Robertson in the last sixteen, along with Mark Selby who moved past Stuart Pettman in dominating fashion with an 89-6 score. The draw for the last sixteen is completely open, the players all wear their names and numbers on the back of their shirts, and the draw will be made at random, with the winners of the round moving through to the quarter finals, then the semi and eventual final of course. A couple of names which will be worth looking at as outside chances here, are Judd Trump, who has the confidence to storm through this, and Mark King looks in very good shape. You just never know with this inaugural tournament. The action is quick and thrilling, perhaps not something usually associated with snooker, but these are modern times.

With the open draw, the odds at your online bookmaker will be pretty generous. Ronnie O’Sulllivan, who has the tournament’s highest break so far, is outright favourite at 7/2 with SportingBet. He has to be worth a punt really, and it would kind of be fitting if he won this first version of power snooker. But World Champ Neil Robertson has to be a worth a look, as he is relaxed and confident. Robertson is priced 7/1 at William Hill, the same price which Stan James are offering for Mark Selby. Judd Trump makes for the best outside shot really, priced at 11/1 at Bet365, while Mark King, who is surprising a lot of people at the tournament, is out at 16/1 with Totesport. Watch out for the draw tomorrow, the final day of this exciting snooker tournament and go from there.

The new snooker season heads towards The Masters on January 9th, heaving been treated to a new sponsorship deal by Ladbrokes. The famous Wembley event, which gathers together the best snooker players in the world, will have a prize pot of half a million for the 16 invited players. Heading the bill really will be Mark Selby, who has won The Masters twice in the past three years. Selby, otherwise known at the Jester from Leicester got his revenge over Ronnie O’Sullivan in last year’s final, when he lifted the title with a 10-9 victory. O’Sullivan had downed Selby 10-8 in the 2009 final. Three straight finals though for Selby now, is a pretty impressive run in the tournament, and it is why he is pencilled in as one of the favourites again to go all of the way and lift it for the third time. It is hard to judge players form at this stage of the year, and you need to really look back to the UK Championship in December, where Mark Selby exited at the second round stage. Selby though has just progressed through to the final group of the 2011 Championship League Snooker after coming from behind to beat Ali Carter. It was more of a grinding effort than anything substantial and now Selby looks ahead to his tournament. Other than The Masters, the only other ranking tournament that Selby has won in his career has been the Welsh Open. Still, he looks in good spirits, and well worth a bet, even though he is back in the betting. Here we take a look over Selby and the other front runners for the 2011 Masters.

2011 Masters Snookers Draw
Mark King v Mark Selby
Ali Carter v Peter Ebdon
Mark Williams v Ding Junhui
John Higgins v Graeme Dott
Ronnie O’Sullivan v Mark Allen
Stephen Maguire v Marco Fu
Neil Robertson v Stephen Hendry
Shaun Murphy v Jamie Cope

Ronnie O’Sullivan: 4/1 at SkyBet

Not so much of a rocket over the last season, but more of a steady transatlantic flight where you can sit back and relax. Ronnie O’Sullivan has changed the priorities in his life to parenthood. He has missed ranking tournaments and has therefore slid down the World Rankings. He is no longer number one in the world, but that does not mean that the genius is dead and buried yet. There is almost a sedate and more mature presence about Ronnie O’Sullivan lately, and he didn’t get going in the recent UK Championships at all, losing to Stuart Bingham in the first round. In his affable way, O’Sullivan is completely unperturbed about all of this. It is remarkable that he is still the front runner with the bookies, but maybe those fires have dimmed just a little bit too much for the four time Masters winner.

John Higgins: 13/2 at Bet365

Completely has to be in the frame to win this one. After a six month ban, Higgins strolls back in to town and wins the UK Championship. It took a lot to, for the Scot was 9-5 down in the final against Mark Williams, who needed just one more frame to wrap things up. Higgins looks to be the best bet here, certainly the strongest anyway, as not only has he blitzed his way back onto the scene, he is currently top of the world rankings as well, knocking of World Champion Neil Robertson. Not bad going for someone who had been away from the game. Like him or not, he is a talent, and he looks stronger than ever. There’s no reason why he couldn’t carry this momentum forward now, and Higgins in the fourth on the list of most tournament wins among active snooker players. Has won the Masters twice, once in 1999 and again in 2006 when he beat Ronnie O’Sullivan in a classic.

Neil Robertson: 7/1 at Stan James

Australian Neil Robertson is the only Australian to win a ranking, and if he gets to the final, then you would back him heavily, and this is because he has never lost in the final of a ranking tournament. The 2009/10 season was particular good for Robertson, winning the World Open and the World Championships. That World Championships victory sealed his position as world number one in the ranking, and although he slipped at the start of the 2010/11 season by crashing out of the Shanghai Masters in the first round, he followed up by successfully defending his World Open title against Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final. A run to the quarter finals of the UK Championship saw him in decent form, and should be watched out for here. It is fair to say that he is probably at the peak of his career, and although he hasn’t shown at the Masters too much (two quarter final places behind his best finishes), this year represents his big chance of making an impact.

Mark Selby: 15/2 at Totesport

The Jester from Leicester is out in the betting, but he is still worth a bet. Enjoys this tournament so much, and he always looks more relaxed here, and really on top of his game. After reaching the last three consecutive finals, he has set the bench pretty high for himself, and has a lot to live up to. He is keen, he is confident as he always is, and he will need to be on top of his game this year to get back there. Should still be one of the front runners, and his form is ok, but not being as hotly tipped as he has been in previous years.

Shaun Murphy: 10/1 at SkyBet

Had been hanging around at a ranking of 3rd in the world for some time, but has slipped down the order for the new season to seventh. A great player to watch, nonetheless, and went the semi finals of the UK Championship (beating world number one Neil Robertson along the way) where he was edged out by Mark Williams. Very solid break builder and a superb cuing action. Really has everything needed to win The Masters for the first time. Makes for a great outside bet.

Mark Williams: 14/1 at William Hill

Enjoyed something or a resurgence to the good old days, when he reached the final of the UK Championship. Leading 9-5 though, he threw it away to John Higgins. Williams is a two times winner of The Masters, the final time coming back in 2003 when he beat Stephen Hendry. Found himself a bit of form, but still you would expect him to get outgunned somewhere along the line.

Others:
Stephen Maguire: 14/1 at SkyBet
Ding Junhui: 16/1 at BetFred
Ali Carter: 19/1 at Unibet
Mark Allen: 20/1 at SportingBet
Graeme Dott: 28/1 at Bet365
Marco Fu: 33/1 at Boylesports
Jamie Cope: 45/1 at Victor Chandler
Peter Ebdon: 50/1 at SportingBet
Stephen Hendry: 50/1 at 888Sport
Mark King: 125/1 at SportingBet