snooker

The Snooker World Championships are in full swing from Sheffield, with two prominent names heading up the betting. Depending on which camp you look at, the favourites to lift the coveted title are split between Scotland’s John Higgins and England’s mercurial Ronnie O’Sullivan. Both players are through to the second round after both having their struggles in their opening games. Defending Champion Higgins struggled to find his rhythm in his victory over qualifier Barry Hawkins, but prevailed in a drawn out match, ten frames to six. Promoter Barry Hearns is now at the head of Snooker and the World Championships are already taking on a new persona, with players walking out to flashing lights and loud music. This is a far cry from the stuffy atmosphere that the game has exuded in the past, and should do a lot to lift the profile of the game, even if the purists won’t be too happy about the new look.

But modern day snooker does have its modern stars with modern approaches to the game. None less so than “The Rocket” Ronnie O’Sullivan, who has again been causing controversy. O’Sullivan breezed out to a strong lead in his first round match against Liang Wenbo, but when he missed an easy red, he flipped the bird to the offending ball, exacting words of caution from the match referee. O’Sullivan survived a comeback from Wenbo to take the match 10 frames to seven. From a betting point of view, there is no question that O’Sullivan has the talent to sweep all before him, but the consistency is not there at the moment, and he is in danger of losing his World Number One ranking to John Higgins. His last victory at The Crucible came in 2008, his third World Championship title, and will be looking to redeem himself somewhat after a disappointing second round exit last year.

John Higgins now goes on to play crowd favourite, veteran Steve Davis in the second round. Davis won a nail biting match against Mark King, rolling back the years to take the last and deciding frame 10-9. O’Sullivan now plays Wales’ Mark Williams, who is always a threat when he is on top of his game. The Final of the World Championships is at the Crucible on May 3rd, and there is plenty of work to be done between now and then. In terms of consistency to win the enduring tournament, then John Higgins will be the man to lean towards, as other challengers such as Masters winner Mark Selby and Mark Allen can blow hot and cold. Mark Allen though got off to a great start for the tournament, winning in sparkling fashion and just missing out on a 147, and his speedy game should take him deep into the tournament, but he will still remain as one of the outsiders.

The triumvirate of Higgins, Selby and of course O’Sullivan, should dominate betting proceedings, and it would be something of a surprise to land a winner from outside of them. However, there are a good crop of players behind them, with the likes of Ding Junhui, Neil Robertson and Mark Williams. Williams will remain on the outside of the betting, simply because he has to play favourite O’Sullivan, while Mark Selby now plays against Stephen Hendry, who struggled to a 10-9 victory over the new Chinese maverick wonder kid, Zhang Anda. Selby, as proved in the Masters at the beginning of the year, also has all the tools to win major tournaments, but again, like Ronnie O’Sullivan, his own inconsistency could be his major downfall, but he is a serious threat in the snooker betting.

Snooker World Championships Second Round Outright Match Betting
John Higgins (1/16 at Bwin) v Steve Davis (10/1 at SportingBet)
Neil Robertson (1/6 at Bwin) v Martin Gould (9/2 at Stan James)
Ali Carter (2/5 at ExtraBet) v Joe Perry (12/5 at Ladbrokes)
Mark Allen (1/5 at SkyBet) v Mark Davis (5/1 at BetFred)
Mark Selby (2/7 at Victor Chandler) v Stephen Hendry (3/1 at Totesport)
Mark Williams (23/10 at Sporting Bet) v Ronnie O’Sullivan (4/11 at Bet365)
Ding Junhui v Shaun Murphy/Gerard Greene
Stephen Maguire/Stephen Lee v Peter Ebdon/Graeme Dott

Snooker World Championships Outright Winner Betting
Ronnie O’Sullivan: 7/2 at Boylesports
John Higgins: 4/1 at Bet365
Mark Selby: 6/1 at SportingBet
Ding Junhui: 15/2 at Boylesports
Neil Robertson: 9/1 at SkyBet
Mark Allen: 12/1 at BetFred
Mark Williams: 12/1 at Paddy Power
Shaun Murphy: 16/1 at Paddy Power
Stephen Maguire: 18/1 at BetFred
Allister Carter: 22/1 at SkyBet
Stephen Hendry: 33/1 at 888Sport

Incredibly Ali Carter is back again. He has made it through to the final of the Welsh Open, ready to defend his title. Carter beat Stephen Maguire, who managed to fail again with a prize in sight. Carter raced out to a storming 3-0 lead, to which Scot Maguire simply could not reel in. Although he comfortably saw off a mini-comeback by Maguire, Carter will need to get up to another gear to beat finalist John Higgins, who in turn beat Ronnie O’Sullivan. It looks as if Carter will need to get himself out in front in the final, as he seems to relish being ahead, garnering confidence from leading the way. But he is looking good to retain his title, it has to be said. Whether it is the Welsh Open which brings out the best in him, but it remains his only ranking title.

O’Sullivan looked fairly comfortable and in control during the early exchanges of their semi final match, but seemed to run out of steam when it mattered most. O’Sullivan has been in blistering form, appearing to be ready to make amends for his loss to Mark Selby in the Masters Final. Unfortunately he couldn’t get to the finish line, letting John Higgins stroll across. It didn’t seem a case of Higgins being better or beating O’Sullivan, it was more a case of O’Sullivan shooting himself in the foot through lack of concentration. Not that the manner of the 6-4 victory will bother Higgins too much, as now he will be much fancied to lift the Totesport Welsh Open Title. While Higgins isn’t the dominant force he was in his heyday, he is still a force to be reckoned with. Carter simply needs to be brave and not get bogged down in a tactical safety game to put the pressure on the Scot.

Totesport Welsh Open Snooker Final
John Higgins to win: 5/6 at Coral
Ali Carter to win: 11/4 at Coral

Once again the Masters Snooker tournament will get to see Jimmy White in action at the pinnacle of the game. Jimmy White is one of the legendary figures of sport, a maverick with an edge that captured the hearts of the public. He has battled with his problems, but his most recent scrutiny under the public spotlight came in the shape of appearance in TV’s “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here”. White belies that that experience has put him in good stead to make some progress at the Masters, snooker’s most prestigious event, and new season opener. He has been given a Wild Card into the Masters, and will take his snooker seriously despite being down in the 50’s in the World Rankings.

White will compete in one of two first round fixtures at the Masters, as he takes on Mark King. A match in the second round against Stephen Maguire will be awaiting the winner. There is no doubt that White will draw in the crowds, in the hope that he can make waves in the tournament. Much in the vein of Ronnie O’Sullivan, White was known in his heyday for brave and sometimes outrageous shots that most other competitors would never think of. He was a breath of fresh air against the rigid, perfectionist monotony of Steve Davis.

While he will court some money on him at the bookmakers, the real likelihood of him of him winning is far out there. He has won the Masters once in his career, back in 1984, and made many semi final appearances. His last appearance in the First Round of the Masters was in 2006 where he lost, and since then has been a loser in the qualifying draw. The 47-year old is still an icon of his sport, and still a fan favourite, but he will face more than an uphill battle to overcome the new breed of snooker player. Often an inspiration for a faster paced version of the game, White will, in all likelihood, ironically struggle to keep pace with the modern game.

But, there is no better stage than the Masters to showcase what natural talents “The Whirlwind” still has up his sleeve. The Masters brings together the Top 16 players in the world, with the addition of two Wild Card entrants, this year being Jimmy White and Rory McLeod. The top 14 are already sitting in the second round draw, with Mark King and Mark Williams having to fight their way through first round matches. The matches are the best of 11 frames, and all the action takes place at the Wembley Arena in London and starts on January 10th.

Defending champion Rocket Ronnie O’Sullivan, four times Masters Winner, opens his campaign on Tuesday against Australia’s Neil Robertson, while recent UK Championship winner Ding Junhui starts against Mark Selby. So where is the likely winner coming from this year? There is not much of a break between the UK Championships and The Masters, and so some from should be carried over from that. There is also the matter of experience and dealing with pressure at the highest level, and that helps lean favourably towards past winners. Here we cast an eye of the favourites as well as assess the chances of the outsiders.

Ronnie O’Sullivan
Of course he will be the one to beat. The world number one has all the qualities that makes a popular champion. He is down to earth and honest about his game, and his interest in the game. The rise and rise of Ronnie O’Sullivan has taken snooker to a new level, and helped maintain its popularity. Enigmatic and passionate, his emotions do sometimes get the better of him, and if he gets in a moody slump he can look disinterested. Such is the class of the man though, that even on his bad days he can beat anyone in the World. He has never won the Masters back to back, and that would be an achievement he would surely like under his belt. He has reached five of the last six finals, winning three of them in alternating years. An each way bet at the very worst, even when playing with a purple coloured cue (which apparently he has been practicing with).

Stephen Maguire:
Looked in really good shape in the UK Championships until he ran into eventual winner Ding Junhui, losing 9-5 in the semi finals. He has a good game, and decent focus, and has climbed his way up to number two in the rankings, and will be a force to be reckoned with. Have a bitter rivalry with Shaun Murphy. His best appearance in the Masters was a semi final appearance three years ago. Subsequently he has been knocked out of the last two tournaments at the Quarter Final stages.

Shaun Murphy.
Another one who fell to Ding Junhui in the UK Championships, but he was below par with the flu, and it showed in his game. He lost that match 9-3, which in normal terms probably would not happen. Murphy is a class act, but has failed to live up to his own standards when it has come to the Masters. Out of four appearances, he has made three Quarter Final exits and one second round exit. On his day he can easily challenge Ronnie O’Sullivan, and the draw for the Masters look favourable for him. He won the 2009/10 Snooker Premier League, beating out O’Sullivan, reached the final of the World Championships, and if he gets back into the swing of things, as snooker is all about momentum, then he is a great bet for the title. He would make a popular winner, though not with Stephen Maguire presumably (the story goes that Murphy made Maguire have a frame scratched because the Scot had forgotten his chalk and had to leave the arena to fetch it. The match didn’t start on time, Murphy was aggrieved and asked for Maguire to be punished. Maguire had the last laugh though as he won that match). Murphy can exude strength and has a lot of character. It could come down to a meeting of Murphy and O’Sullivan in the semi finals. Opens his account against Stephen Hendry, whose form at the UK Championship didn’t look great.

John Higgins:
The Scot has seen something of a resurgence in form as he is back in the top four. He made the final of the UK Championships, where he couldn’t get the better of Ding Junhui either. Has lost some of his edge from when he was dominating things, but on his day he can compete well. Probably more of an outsider than the others above, but is capable of causing an upset.

Ding Junhui.
He could be classed as the form player after winning the UK Championships. Quite an exciting player in a strangely understated and methodical way. Has an all round game and always looks composed under pressure. Still looks at times as if he as a little more to learn, but there is little doubt that he will get better and better, and he can be a world champion and dominate for a long time. Will be in the mix of things, as he won the UK Championships against the odds in many ways as he was fighting jet lag for his opening match.

Mark Selby.
Drifting out there in the odds, but has the repertoire of shots to pull through. If he can beat Ding Junhui in the second round, than that should do his confidence a whole world of good, and with that behind him he could very well make inroads into the opposition. An excellent choice for an outside bet, could be one to watch if he can navigate the somewhat daunting first hurdle which he faces. If you’re looking for Experience, then Selby won the Master two years ago, with an emphatic performance against Stephen Lee.

Snooker Masters 2010 Draw:
First Round
Mark King (Eng) v Jimmy White (Eng)
Mark Williams (Wal) v Rory McLeod (Eng)

Second Round:
Mark Selby (Eng) v Ding Junhui (Chn)
Marco Fu (HK) v Peter Ebdon (Eng)
Shaun Murphy (Eng) v Stephen Hendry (Sco)
Stephen Maguire (Sco) v King/White
Ronnie O’Sullivan (Eng) v Neil Robertson (Aus)
Allister Carter (Eng) v Williams/McLeod
John Higgins (Sco) v Mark Allen (NI)
Ryan Day (Wal) v Joe Perry (Eng)

Masters Outright Winner Odds
Ronnie O’Sullivan – 11/4 at BetFred
John Higgins – 11/2 at Totesport
Stephen Maguire – 10/1 at Expekt
Shaun Murphy – 10/1 at Bet365
Ding Junhio – 11/1 at ExtraBet
Mark Selby – 11/1 at ExtraBet
Neil Robertson – 14/1 at William Hill
Ali Carter – 18/1 at SkyBet
Ryan Day – 22/1 at Ladbrokes
Mark Allen – 25/1 at SkyBet
Mark Williams – 40/1 at Ladbrokes
Peter Ebdon – 30/1 at Bet365
Joe Perry – 40/1 at SportingBet
Marco Fu – 50/1 at Totesport
Stephen Hendry – 50/1 at William Hill
Mark King – 125/1 at BetFred
Rory McLeod – 150/1 at Boylesports
Jimmy White – 250/1 at SportingBet

If you are looking for more bets on the Masters snooker, then there are plenty of other markets  to keep you interested. How about these options to boost your interests:

Will there be a 147 at the Masters 2010? Boylesports says Yes at 9/4 and No at 1/3

Who will make the Highest Break? This is in an interesting field, as everyone really is in with an equal shout at winning this. O’Sullivan (9/2 at SportingBet) is favourite, and he posts a lot of quick rapid scores, but is not necessarily one to follow in the highest break. More methodical break builders like John Higgins (8/1 at SportingBet) and Shaun Murphy (9/1 at Boylesports) could be. Remember Stephen Hendry (28/1 at SportingBet) who holds the joint record for the most professional 147’s with O’Sullivan, is in the competition too, if you’re looking for accomplished break builders, but everything comes down to the rub of the green on the night.

UK Championships Semi Final
Friday: Ding Junhui v Stephen Maguire
Saturday: Ronnie O’Sullivan v John Higgins

The Pukka Pies UK Championship enters into the semi final stage on Friday and Saturday. Friday sees Ding Junhui v Stephen Maguire taking to the table, and over two sessions will play to a conclusion. The two semi finals are separated over two days, allowing for a little rest for the players. Ding Junhui and Stephen Magquire came through the top half of the Championship draw, and concluded their matches earlier than the participants in the other semi final. So they are up in the first semi final on Friday.

It is the bottom half of the draw which has produced the most excitement, and as expected, the two favourites to reach the semi final, have. On Saturday, the Sheffield Arena will see Ronnie O’Sullivan vs. John Higgins for a place in Sunday’s final. Both of the combatants cruised with relative ease in their semi finals, with Higgins winning 9-2 over Liang Wenbo, and O’Sullivan beating Mark Selby 9-3. Rocket Ronnie O’Sullivan was not overly impressed with his performance, and for a man on top of his sport, he is his own worst critic, demanding perfection when he reaches the green baize. It is true though, that his quarter final match could have been a lot closer, but Mark Selby, a young pretender to O’Sullivan’s crowd, was guilty of unexpectedly missing some chances.

John Higgins, the current World Champion, did not have any problems, looking smooth and slick as he blitzed his way past Liang Wenbo. But still, even the Scot insisted that he will need to be better to get the better of Ronnie O’Sullivan on Saturday. In Friday’s other semi final, Stephen Maguire will start as favourite against China’s Ding Junhui, as he is looking in great form. Magquire saw off the challenge of qualifier Peter Lines in the quarter finals, 9 frames to 5, while his opponent, Ding Junhui staged something of a resilient comeback to snatch victory from Alistair Carter. There was doubts over how well Ding would perform, as he only jetted into the UK from his home nation on the eve of the tournament. But he has shown glimpses of producing the level of game which saw him first burst onto the scene.

Stephen Maguire to win: 10/11 at SportingBet
Ding Junhui to win: 10/11 at SkyBet

These genuinely have the potential of being two classic Pukka Pies UK Championship semi finals, with the spotlight for snooker fans, being firmly on the Ronnie O’Sullivan vs. John Higgins clash on Friday. Sessions for both days begin at 1pm and 7pm.

Pukka Pies UK Championship Outright
Ronnie O’Sullivan – 5/4 at ExtraBet
John Higgins – 7/2 at Totesport
Stephen Maguire – 9/2 at Bet365
Ding Junhui – 5/1 at Totesport

The bottom half of the draw for the Pukka Pies UK Championship of Snooker enters the quarter final stage on Thursday, with two of the strongest players looking to come together in the semi finals. World number one Ronnie O’Sullivan plays Mark Selby, while Liang Wenbo squares off against John Higgins. With defending champion Shaun Murphy now out of the running, losing heavily to Ding Junhui, O’Sullivan and Higgins are the two favourites to lift the title on Sunday. Ronnie O’Sullivan cruised past Peter Ebdon 8-3 in the second round, whilst John Higgins had a tougher time on his hands, seeing off Australian Neil Robertson in a final frame shoot-out.

The two quarter finals from the top half of the draw have already been settled, with Ali Carter blowing a 7-5 lead against Ding Junhui to lose 9-8, while a confident Stephen Maguire triumped over Peter Lines. England’s Peter Lines, (ranked 64th in the year) was one of the success stories of the tournament, having come through a couple of rounds of qualifying to get to the quarter final. On his quest, Lines had knocked out Marko Fu and Mark Williams, and if he could have dumped Scot Stephen Maguire out of the competition, that would have been his major scalp. But Stephen Maguire, who is ranked number two behind Ronnie O’Sullivan, is looking in fine shape, despite suffering some personal grief due to a family tragedy on the eve of the tournament. He represents a great bet to take the title, as he remains focused, and saw off the challenge of qualifier Lines 9-5. He will also avoid O’Sullivan until the final.

Ronnie O’Sullivan looked accomplished with glimpses of him stepping up to top gear in beating Peter Ebdon comprehensively, although and out of form Ebdon was the orchestrator of his own downfall a lot of the time. So the draw could be waiting for the big Ronnie O’Sullivan vs. John Higgins clash in the semi finals. But Mark Selby above others will be one of the young guns who can threaten Rocket Ronnie O’Sullivan’s end of year title hopes. Selby is one of the brave and fearless players who can challenge the World Number One. The match promises to hold some good attacking snooker and is the pick of the quarter finals.

Ronnie O’Sullivan to win: 1/2 at SkyBet
Mark Selby to win: 15/8 at Boylesports

Liang Wenbo to win: 15/8 at Stan James
John Higgins to win: 10/21 at Expekt

Pukka Pies UK Championship Winner
Ronnie O’Sullivan – 2/1 at SportingBet
Stephen Maguire – 4/1 at BetFred
Ding Junhui – 9/2 at Boylesports
John Higgins – 9/2 at Bet365
Mark Selby – 15/1 at ExtraBet
Liang Wenbo - 14/1 at Stan James

Rocket Ronnie O’Sullivan looked in relatively sharp form after beating one time UK Championship winner Matthew Stevens 9-3 in their first round match at the Pukka Pies UK Championship. The victory sets up a meeting with the popular figure of Peter Ebdon in the second round. Ebdon simply cruised his way to a 9-4 victory over Judd Trump, and should be a tougher test for tournament favourite O’Sullivan. Not always fluent during the encounter, O’Sullivan was still streaks ahead of Stevens, although the latter can be feeling a little hard done by with the run of some of the balls throughout the match.

There are a some second round matches already underway, one notable one involving Stephen Hendry who beat legend Steve Davis in the first round. The coming together of two great former champions was the mouth-watering clash of the first round of the Pukka Pies UK Championship, and it produced a feast of great snooker. Scot Hendry, who has always had the upper hand over Davis, won in a tight and hotly contested match, 9 frames to 6. The match was a somewhat scrappy affair, with missed chances and unforced errors from both players, which suggests again that their former glories are well and truly behind them. From the fragmented match, Stephen Hendry was desperately unhappy with his game, despite hitting three centuries in the match.

Also in the second round, Liang Wenbo leads Mark King 7-1, and John Higgins leads Neil Robertson 5-3. Defending Pukka Pies UK Championship title holder Shaun Murphy is awaiting the winner of jet-lagged Ding Junhui who is trailing Mike Dunn 3-5. Ronnie O’Sullivan though will want the chance to enact some revenge on Shaun Murphy, who beat him in the final of the Premier League recently. The UK Championships is the important end of calendar year tournament, where one and half times the normal World Ranking points are up for grabs. World Number One O’Sullivan remains favourite, and the rest of the chasing pack will be out to shoot him down in the Pukka Pies UK Championships.

Pukka Pies UK Champions Outright Winner
Ronnie O’Sullivan – 5/2 at Totesport
John Higgins – 11/2 at Bet365
Shaun Murphy – 6/1 at Stan James
Mark Selby – 6/1 at Totesport

Pukka Pies UK Championship
Telford
December 5 – 13

Shaun Murphy, Mark Williams, Stephen Maguire and Mark King have all safely made their way through the second round of the UK Snooker Championships in Telford. The tournament, otherwise less-glamorously known at the Pukka Pies UK Championship, brings together the best in the world to try and claim this coveted title. The tournament is regarded as snooker’s second most important ranking event, as it rewards players with extra ranking points to that of other tournaments. The UK Championships is a long tournament, with all matches being the best of 17 frames. When it comes to the final on December 13th, it will be contested over the best of 19 frames.

Shaun Murphy began the defence of his title after beating Gerard Greene 9-5 in his opening match. One of the most interesting games of the first round however, is the meeting between the veteran Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry. The two have come together many times over the years, with Hendy largely having the upper hand. Davis is there at the televised event, courtesy of coming through final qualifying round, and now the popular 52-year old will relish the chance to pit his wits against another of snooker’s great legends. The legend that is Steve Davis will no doubt draw a lot of UK Championship betting behind his appearance, and it will be good for the game to see him back on TV in a major tournament.

Steve Davis won the UK Championship four times in a row in the eighties between 1984 and 1987, with a total of 6 victories in the decade. His last win in 1987 being the final time that he achieved glory at the prestigious event. But now the Romford Slim, as he was famously dubbed by vociferous Geordie commentator Sid Waddell, is back and looking in good shape. The Steve Davis vs. Stephen Hendy match takes place on Sunday with sessions at 1pm and 7pm. Hendy won the UK Championships five times himself, twice against Davis, and the last time he claimed the title was in 1996.

Ronnie O’Sullivan, always in the snooker headlines for one reason or another, will start his campaign against Welshman Matthew Stevens. Stevens won the UK Championship in 2003, and had to come through qualifying to set up his first round clash with four times winner O’Sullivan. Rocket Ronnie O’Sullivan is still ranked as the World’s Number One, and the main threat to him in this tournament should be the defending champion Shaun Murphy. The draw however, looks to have favoured O’Sullivan in his quest to win back the title of the UK Championships, after he lost the title to Murphy last year. O’Sullivan’s opponent Stevens also had to come through qualifying to get to the televised stage of the tournament, and he did so with a 9-1 thrashing of Adrian Gunnell 9-1.

Current World Snooker Rankings
1. Ronnie O’Sullivan
2. Stephen Maguire
3. Shaun Murphy
4. John Higgins
5. Allister Carter
6. Ryan Day
7. Mark Selby
8. Marco Fu
9. Neil Robertson
10. Stephen Hendry
11. Mark Allen
12. Joe Perry
13. Ding Junhui
14. Peter Ebdon
15. Mark Williams
16. Mark King

Steve Davis v Stephen Hendry
Even though Steve Davis has seemed to have gained more popularity since he become a TV pundit on the game and the pool circuit, it is great to see him back at the table in the UK Championships. His personality during his reign was of a boring machine, but his witty demeanour in his commentating and pundit roles has made people see him in new light. It would be nice to see him progress and make his mark in the tournament again, but Hendy is still in the World Top 10 for a reason. His is still a phenomenal and dangerous player, even though his is not the force he once was.
Davis to win: 9/4 at SkyBet
Hendry to win: 2/5 at Boylesports

Ronnie O’Sullivan vs. Matthew Stevens
The ambidextrous mercurial snooker talent that is Ronnie O’Sullivan can be a frustration and a joy to watch. When he is on top of his game he is untouchable, when he is not, he can still destroy opponents, even if his head may not be entirely in the game. Matthew Stevens has dropped a long way from his glory days, and while this could prove to be a great first round clash, O’Sullivan, as long as he is fresh, should still have enough form and quality to progress.
O’Sullivan to win: 1/3 at SkyBet
Stevens to win: 3/1 at Stan James

UK Championship Betting: Outright Winner Odds
Ronnie O’Sullivan – 4/1 at Bet365
Shaun Murphy – 6/1 at SkyBet
John Higgins – 7/1 at Totesport
Stephen Maguire – 9/1 at Totesport
Ding Junhui – 12/1 at 888Sport
Mark Selby – 14/1 at Ladbrokes

UK Championship first-round draw: (results in brackets)
Shaun Murphy (9) v Gerard Greene (5)
Ding Junhui v Mike Dunn
Mark Allen v Stephen Lee
Ali Carter v Rory McLeod
Marco Fu v Peter Lines
Mark Williams (9) v Graeme Dott (2)
Joe Perry v Stuart Bingham
Stephen Maguire (9) v Michael Holt (6)
Ronnie O’Sullivan v Matthew Stevens
Peter Ebdon v Judd Trump
Stephen Hendry v Steve Davis
Mark Selby v Jamie Cope
Ryan Day v Liang Wenbo
Mark King (9) v Anthony Hamilton (2)
Neil Robertson v Tom Ford
John Higgins v Ricky Walden

Ronnie O’Sullivan will make a bid for the Shanghai Masters, as he goes against first time Masters finalist Liang Wenbo. The Chinese national will be playing in front of his home crowd after edging out Shaun Murphy 6-5 in a below par semi final match up. Murphy, who had cruised through the rounds having only lost one game, had plenty of opportunities to take down the Chinaman, but some unfamiliar unforced errors saw him fail to sink some relatively easy shots. Wenbo will need to raise his game substantially in order to contend with the Rocket in the final, who demolished John Higgins 6-1 in his semi final match, and still complained that he wasn’t really playing that well.

O’Sullivan is one mercurial talent, and a joy to watch hovering over the green baize, and if he is able to start off the new snooker season with a Title, without even getting into his stride or breaking a sweat, it could be another ominous season for his closest challengers. It is no surprise that Ronnie will start as clear favourite in the final, and the bookies will be relying heavily on his experience and raw talent. O’Sullivan was on course for a 147 in the semi final match, but missed the 11th black into the corner pocket to blow his chance. Whether he slips into form or not, O’Sullivan may be a bridge too far for Wenbo, who entered the tournament through a qualifying game.

Match Odds
Ronnie O’Sullivan to win – 3/10 at ExtraBet
Liang Wenbo to win – 3/1 at SportingBet

Betting Tip: Ronnie should win this without too many problems. It will be an even bigger upset than when he lost in last year’s Shanghai Master final to Ricky Walden if it were to happen. Generally only things like that happen in rare circumstances, so you’ll do well to back the favourite here. For a bit of side bet, try taking the highest break in the match to be Under 120 – 5/4 at ExtraBet

It’s the second round of Shanghai Masters, the opening of the new snooker season, with some familiar faces in action, and some which may be less than familiar to the casual snooker fan. Of course, all headlines will be dominated by the irrepressible Ronnie O’Sullivan. He is number one for good reason, and he cruised through his match against Graham Dott, winning 5-0. As honest as ever, Ronnie wasn’t assured of his own form in a scrappy match with few large breaks to take note of. He hopes that he will pick up form and get into the swing and rhythm of things again as the tournament progresses. A back problem which threatened his appearance in the tournament, was conveniently sorted out by a Chinese doctor.

The ‘Rocket’ will of course be starting as favourite with the bookies, clear favourite at that with odds far shorter than anyone in the closest chasing pack. While O’Sullivan has admitted he might find it hard to struggle for motivation, cruising through his first round game without even playing anywhere near his best will be an ominous sign for other players. He goes head to head against Marcu Fu in the second round.

So who is likely to challenge Ronnie for the title this year? One tip to watch will be Shaun Murphy who squares off against relative outsider Jamie Cope in the second round. Murphy has the temperment to go deep into tournaments and often flies under the radar a lot of the time, quietly going about his business. Stephen Hendry made hard work of his first round match against fellow Scot, Marcus Campbell, winning 5-4, while another Scot, John Higgins should be in the running and be good for at least a semi final place.

What of Ding Junhui on his home turf? It sounds like a good bet, but his first round win was his first in front of his home crowd for the best part of 18 months. He did look fairly impressive in his 5-2 win over Stephen Lee though. Last year’s surprise winner, and defeater of Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final, Ricky Walden beat Mark King 5-1 in his opening match.

Tournament Winner:
Ronnie O’Sullivan – 7/2 at SportingBet
John Higgins – 7/1 at Ladbrokes
Shaun Murphy – 8/1 at Extrabet
Ding Junhui – 10/1 at Skybet
Alli Carter – 12/1 at Skybet
Ryan Day – 14/1 at PaddyPower
Ricky Walden – 18/1 at Bet365

Shanghai Masters Second Round Draw
Ricky Walden (Eng) v Stephen Hendry (Sco)
Liang Wenbo (Chn) Wildcard v Allister Carter (Eng)
Shaun Murphy (Eng) v Jamie Cope (Eng)
Ken Doherty (Ire) v Barry Hawkins (Eng)
Ronnie O’Sullivan (Eng) v Marco Fu (HK)
Ding Junhui (Chn) v Stuart Bingham (Eng)
Ryan Day (Wal) v Matthew Stevens (Wal)
Mark Williams (Wal) v John Higgins (Sco)

Betting Tip: Being the opening major tournament of the new season, players will be looking to find their form on the big stage. England’s Shaun Murphy is a nice bet at 8/1 at Ladbrokes, however, if Ronnie O’Sullivan is in the mood, then there is unlikely to be anyone to touch him.

Hello

This is my snooker betting strategy:

You start to watch a frame between player 1 and 2. You have to watch the first minutes of the frame, because it is very important how and where the balls move, if they move onto the sides more and colors move safe, then you take under 100 points, but if colors and red balls are free, then you take at least&over 100 points. Small stakes recommended on this. Also you have to wait if 1 player gets in the frame and starts potting the balls. It is good if you get a start on under 100 points with having 1 red ball potted and no color gone with it. Another recommendation: If 1 player finds him self in a very bad position at the start(has been snookered by other player), then it is time to take at least&over 100 points. All this can be done on bwin.

Mart