Snooker gets fast and furious again this weekend as the Snooker Shootout takes place in Watford. The tournament has been increased in size this year with 128 runners now and it has been made into a ranking event so someone is going to boost their ranking by £32,000 for winning the tournament.
Recent Winners
2016 – Robin Hull
2015 – Michael White
2014 – Dominic Dale
2013 – Martin Gould
2012 – Barry Hawkins
2011 – Nigel Bond
The Rules
Each match lasts 10 minutes. There is a shot clock in operation which is 15 seconds for the first five minutes of the frame and then 10 seconds for the last five minutes. Every shot a ball must hit a cushion or a ball be potted and any foul results in the cue ball in hand for the other player. Both men lag to see who breaks and if there is a tie at the end of 10 minutes there will be a blue ball respot to decide the winner.
The Format
128 men have been entered into the tournament. The first round draw has been done and after that the draw is completely random throughout the tournament. Players win £500 for winning their first match and the prize money doubles for every win they achieve in the tournament. There is only one table in operation so everyone gets to be on TV in this which gives players from 1 to 128 in the rankings some excellent exposure.
Profile
Finding an exact profile for the winner of this tournament isn’t easy because there isn’t a criteria you could put together that would have come up with either Nigel Bond or in many ways Robin Hull as winners of this but I will try.
Firstly the tournament is played in a noisy environment so you need a player who can embrace the crowd and not take things seriously. In terms of skill set a fluent player is a must with this shot clock and a player who gets in from distance and scores heavily should in theory have the best chance of winning but there is still room for tactics which makes this tournament interesting.
Main Bets
There is a lottery element to this tournament but I do have a couple of main bets. All of my bets in this tournament are with the bookmakers offering four places. There is enough luck needed to get a return in this event as it is without having to win another match to get one by taking a player for two places.
Martin Gould won the tournament in 2013 and his profile fits this event perfectly. His long potting in the recent German Masters was off the charts and if he has that with him he’ll take some stopping given his scoring power. He is from London so he won’t lack for support and this is a real chance for Gould to become the first two time winner of the event. At 40/1 he’s a huge price for me.
Ryan Day is another one who should embrace the occasion. We saw his form at the World Grand Prix was very good and he is another who gets in from distance and makes the best of his chances. He doesn’t lack in the thinking especially under pressure and he is pretty fluent too. His credentials are obvious and his chances far outweigh a 50/1 price tag.
Outsiders
Match betting isn’t an option for me this week although there are some who believe backing the outsiders blind to be a profitable way to go in the tournament. That isn’t me though so I’ll allow myself a few outsiders at big prices to see how far they go.
Robert Milkins was the first runner up in this tournament and I see no reason why he won’t go well again. He came back to form at the Welsh Open where he made the semi-final and that confidence should be vital. We know he won’t struggle with the shot clock so there is nothing to suggest he won’t have a decent run in him this weekend.
Zhao Xintong is one of the best talents coming out of China. He goes for pots from everywhere and gets a decent number of them and I expect him to be a danger here. We’ve seen him score heavily in big matches this season so I don’t think the occasion will worry him. He’s no 80/1 chance.
Speaking of scoring heavily Tom Ford banged in a maximum at the start of the month at the German Masters and as a former semi-finalist in this tournament he is a big runner. He is another who gets in from distance and scores heavily and is fluent enough not to be hampered by the shot clock. His chances are severely underestimated here but at 100/1 I can’t ignore him.
Alfie Burden scores as heavily as anyone when he gets in and while he might not be in the greatest form as a Londoner he’ll surely want to do well in this tournament. His long game matches anyone’s and if the balls split nicely for him there could well be a few wins for him this weekend at a very tasty price.
Tips
Back M.Gould to win Snooker Shootout (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 41.00 with Paddy Power (1/4 1-4)
Back him here:
Back R.Day to win Snooker Shootout (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 51.00 with Boylesports (1/4 1-4)
Back T.Ford to win Snooker Shootout (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 101.00 with Boylesports (1/4 1-4)
Back them here:
Back R.Milkins to win Snooker Shootout (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 67.00 with Betfred (1/4 1-4)
Back him here:
Back Z.Xintong to win Snooker Shootout (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 81.00 with William Hill (1/4 1-4)
Back him here:
Back A.Burden to win Snooker Shootout (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 151.00 with Bet365 (1/4 1-4)
Back him here:
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2017
