Last year, Judd Trump claimed the World Snooker Championship title that many had been 
expecting him to since he burst onto the professional snooker scene as a precocious youngster. The Englishman was too good for John Higgins in the final winning 18-9 and condemning the Scot Higgins to his third successive finals defeat in the tournament, having lost the previous two years to Mark Williams (2018) and Mark Selby (2017).
It was a revenge win for Trump, who had lost in the 2011 final to Higgins, the last time the Scot claimed the trophy and Trump’s form since over the 2019-20 season had been excellent, making him many’s people favourite to retain the trophy that he won in 2019.
Having been moved from the end of April and into May until this later time in the year, snooker fans have had to wait for their most prestigious title of the year to be contested, so there should be plenty of keen snooker fans ready to enjoy a wager on the tournament. With a massive choice of matches in the tournament, as well as a ripe Outright winner market, you can find plenty of great betting on each and every game at bet365 Sport.
As a new customer you could earn up to £100 in bet credits when you sign up and start wagering on the site and with facilities such as Live Streaming (free if you have placed a bet inside the last 24-hours, or have a credit balance on your account), In Play betting and of course a massive selection of different sports, Virtual Sports and Esports betting options to enjoy.
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Snooker may be second best to 9-ball pool in the United States, but there is still interest in the game stateside. If you would like to enjoy some betting on the tournament in the US then depending on where you live, there are a number of options open to you. The latest BetRivers Affiliate Code “HOOSIERBONUS” is a great option if you are based in Indiana, while the same provider also runs options in Pennsylvania, where the current BetRivers Promo Code will get you started if you live in that state.
If you live in the likes of Nevada, New Jersey or Colorado for example, then an option for you is the latest DraftKings Online Sportsbook, which offers a wide choice of sports betting markets.
Let’s now take a look at some of the players we expect to make a major impact at the tournament, including of course, our tip for who we think will win it this year.
A Preview of the World Snooker Championship 2020
With £2,395,000 up for grabs in total and £500,000 for the champion to take home, there 
may not be fans at the Crucible Theatre this year for just over two weeks of top-quality snooker action, but there will be an audience of millions watching the drama unfold from home.
The top 16 ranked players in the world have been seeded into the main draw, with the remaining 16 places in the tournament decided by the qualifying tournament, which has already been underway for a while and which will come to a conclusion early this week. These 16 qualifiers out of 128 players competing for those 16 spots, will then be drawn against the top 16 for the first round of the tournament.
The tournament is played over the longest format of the season, with the First Round matches starting over the best-of-19 frames, and then increasing in length through to the final, which is played over several sessions as the best-of-35 frames.
The sixteen players seeded into the first round are:
- Judd Trump (Eng)
- Neil Robertson (Aus)
- Mark Williams (Wal)
- Mark Allen (N.Ire)
- John Higgins (Sco)
- Ronnie O’Sullivan (Eng)
- Mark Selby (Eng)
- Kyren Wilson (Eng)
- Stephen Maguire (Sco)
- Shaun Murphy (Eng)
- Ding Jungui (Chn)
- David Gilbert (Eng)
- Jack Lisowski (Eng)
- Stuart Bingham (Eng)
- Barry Hawkins (Eng)
- Yan Bingtao (Chn)
Notable Qualifiers?
The final round of qualification games are set to take place over Monday and Tuesday this week in a best of 11 format and there are some players competing who have made a name for themselves at the Crucible in the past. Graeme Dott faces Martin Gould, with Dott being a former World Champion and Gould being a player who has done well in the tournament in the recent past. Other names involved who won’t be unfamiliar to snooker fans include Alan McManus, Anthony Hamilton, Fergal O’Brien, Ryan Day, Mark King, Matthew Stevens and Ricky Walden.
However, a number of high-profile players have been knocked out in the qualifying rounds including Jimmy White, Ken Doherty, Luca Brecel, Ali Carter and Joe Perry.
What qualities do you need to win the World Snooker Championship?
One of the key qualities any potential World Champion needs at the Crucible is resilience. With these games being played over many more frames than the usual tournaments, a player not only needs stamina to play through hundreds of frames, but also the ability to bounce back in sessions where things haven’t gone quite so well. It is very rare for any player to breeze through a tournament playing their best, so it is minimising the effects of these dips in form and keeping them to a fewer number that is one of the key qualities a player needs to be successful here.
Of course, having break building ability and great safety play are a given, but in the World Championship mental and physical fatigue can play a huge role, so players in good form, who feel good about their game and who have a positive mindset going into the tournament, tend to be the ones that do well.
Our Tip to Win – Judd Trump (5/2)
Having broken the spell the Crucible had over him for many years, I expect Judd Trump to mount a successful defence of his title won last year. Trump’s innate ability is such that on his day, in terms of talent, perhaps only Ronnie O’Sullivan can match him. O’Sullivan though is blowing hot and cold at the moment and there is no real indication of what his form or state of mind will be. Trump has enjoyed a superb season so far and I think he will cap it here with a second World Snooker Championship in two years.
