Snooker UK Championship: All you need to know

We’re reaching the most exciting time in the snooker season with a host of fantastic tournaments in the coming months.

This year’s UK Championship is set to be the fifth ranking event of the season and is the first of the famed Triple Crown events.

What is the UK Championship?

The UK Championship is a snooker tournament that carries ranking points. Having begun in 1977, it first was run as a non-ranking tournament but has been classed as a ranking event since 1984. It is also the opening round of the Triple Crown series, one of three of the most prestigious tournaments on the calendar. Once a player has won all three of these over the span of their career, they are considered to have won a Triple Crown title and, as of 2020, have the right to wear an embroidered crown on their waistcoat.

The tournament has been held across the UK in venues such as Blackpool, Preston, Bournemouth, Telford and, for the last decade, the Barbican Centre in York. Last year’s event was staged in Milton Keynes as part of a revised calendar.

This year’s tournament will have a total prize fund of £1,009,000 with the winner receiving £200,000 of that.

Where and when is the UK Championship being played?

This year’s tournament will be back at the Barbican Centre in York, which has been home to the UK Championship from 2011 to present (excluding 2020), with the action taking place between November 23rd and December 5th.

Who are the previous winners of the UK Championship?

Since the first competition in the late ‘70s, the tournament has seen a whole host of legendary names win the event. From Alex Higgins and Steve Davis to Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan.

The most successful player in UK Championship history is Ronnie O’Sullivan, who has seven titles and eight finals to his name. He first won the event in 1993 and last won it in 2018 – a testament to his longevity in the sport. He is closely followed by Steve Davis with six titles and Stephen Hendry with five, both also have 10 finals to their name.

The defending champion is current world number four Neil Robertson, who beat Judd Trump in an exhilarating final last year, which saw him crowned champion for the third time in his career.

What are the odds for the UK Championship?

Judd Trump is the market favourite to take the UK Championship crown, currently priced at odds of 7/2. He last won the tournament in 2011 but came painfully close in defeat to Neil Robertson last year, where he missed a simple pink to win the title which the Aussie duly punished him for.

Ronnie O’Sullivan is second favourite in the market to take the title (11/2), with the Rocket being one of the most experienced players. He’s won the championship three times out of his four final appearances in the last decade. Unplayable on his day, O’Sullivan could stretch his record seven titles to eight this year.

Mark Selby is next in the market at 11/2 followed by the reigning champion Neil Robertson at 6/1. Both men have been successful in the tournament before with five titles between them. Robertson also boasts a 100 percent record in the final, having won each time he’s been involved in one (2013, 2015, 2020).

Check out all the latest snooker betting odds at William Hill