Of all the sports looking to gradually ease their way back into action, snooker is probably one of those best equipped.
It is far easier to keep individuals apart such as players and match officials in one central location and snooker, or billiards, was never really intended as a spectator sport.
A few gentleman among the card tables with brandy and cigars following dinner, perhaps, but it was always essentially one vs one across the green baize with only talk about politics or business as a distraction before the advent of colour TV took it to a whole new level.
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Championship League Format
All of a sudden the Championship League, a relatively minor event on the circuit, has been promoted to a key trial for the World Championship qualifiers, which are scheduled for mid-July, and the big tournament itself which was put back from April.
There are 64 players are hoping to play in the tournament at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes. They are split into 16 groups of four, with the winner proceeding to the next round where they are divided into four-man groups again and the victors of those groups will battle it out in the final group, similar to darts’ PDC Home Tour.
Championship League Snooker First Round Draw
| Monday June 1st | Group 2 Judd Trump |
Group 13 David Gilbert |
||
| Daniel Wells | Stuart Carrington | |||
| Elliot Slessor | Jak Jones | |||
| David Grace | Jackson Page | |||
| Tuesday June 2nd | Group 9 | Group 3 | ||
| Jack Lisowski | Michael Holt | |||
| Luca Brecel | Mark Davis | |||
| Robbie Williams | Mark Joyce | |||
| Oliver Lines | Louis Heathcote | |||
| Wednesday June 3rd | Group 12 | Group 4 | ||
| Kyren Wilson | Joe Perry | |||
| Ryan Day | Mark King | |||
| Alfie Burden | Sam Baird | |||
| Chen Feilong | Harvey Chandler | |||
| Thursday June 4th | Group 5 | Group 14 | ||
| Mark Selby | Gary Wilson | |||
| Liang Wenbo | Matthew Stevens | |||
| Joe O’Connor | John Astley | |||
| Lee Walker | Mitchell Mann | |||
| Friday June 5th | Group 10 | Group 15 | ||
| Ronnie O’Sullivan | Tom Ford | |||
| Chris Wakelin | Robert Milkins | |||
| Michael Georgiou | Mike Dunn | |||
| Kishan Hirani | Ian Burns | |||
| Saturday June 6th | Group 1 | Group 8 | ||
| Stuart Bingham | Jimmy Robertson | |||
| Ricky Walden | Ben Woollaston | |||
| Jordon Brown | Liam Highfield | |||
| Jamie Clarke | Alex Ursenbacher | |||
| Sunday June 7th | Group 16 | Group 7 | ||
| Neil Robertson | Barry Hawkins | |||
| Kurt Maflin | Anthony McGill | |||
| Ken Doherty | Craig Steadman | |||
| Ashley Carty | Hammad Miah | |||
| Monday June 8th | Group 11 | Group 6 | ||
| Mark Allen | Ali Carter | |||
| Martin O’Donnell | Matt Selt | |||
| Michael White | Sam Craigie | |||
| Nigel Bond | Dominic Dale | |||
Championship League Snooker Betting at Betway
Championship League Outright Winner Selected Best Odds
Judd Trump 11/4
Neil Robertson 9/2
Ronnie O’Sullivan 5/1
Mark Selby 8/1
Mark Allen and Kyren Wilson 16/1
Stuart Bingham 22/1
David Gilbert 25/1
Barry Hawkins and Jack Lisowski 40/1
Alli Carter 66/1
Joe Perry and Gary Wilson 70/1
Luca Brecel 100/1
(Odds correct at 11.00 BST May 30)
Championship League Predictions
It will not have been difficult for the country’s top professionals to keep up the required practice hours but this tournament will be all about who copes best with being cooped up for a week in Milton Keynes.
For that reason, we’re prepared to overlook Ronnie O’Sullivan (a best 5/1 with Betfred) on this occasion even though there are no ranking points on the line on this occasion and, therefore, no real pressure other than to entertain (if you ignore a prize fund of over £200,000).
World number one Judd Trump is the 11/4 favourite with Unibet. He will be among the first in action and should sail through his first-round group to put himself forward as the one to brat.
Stuart Bingham (a general 22/1) and Joe Perry (70/1 on Betfair) are former winners and Neil Robertson will want to do well. The Australian is second only to Trump in the rankings and can be backed at 9/2.
KYREN WILSON and MARK ALLEN are both 16/1 with several bookmakers and a small interest in both could bring some reward.
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