History of Snooker

Snooker originated from India in the latter half of the 19th century and has since gone on to become a much-loved game. Snooker descended from the sport of billiards, which was a popular activity among British Army officers stationed in India at the time. Snooker continued to grow in status across India and the United Kingdom, however it remained a game for the gentry. Gentlemen's clubs were well established, but didn't allow non-members inside to play. It's still commonly associated with other pub and club sports, like darts.

This all changed as the game continued to grow early into the 20th century and by 1927, the first World Championship had been organised by Joe Davis. He turned the game from an amateur hobby into a professional sport. Davis won every World Championship until his retirement in 1946 and the game subsequently garnered little interest for the next two decades.

There was a renewal of interest when the World Championship became fully televised in 1978 and the game became very popular, as players from the UK and Ireland dominated the sport. As tobacco sponsorship dwindled towards the end of the 20th century, new sponsors were sourced, predominately from China and the Far East, with Ding Junhui and Marco Fu joining the ranks and becoming top players alongside Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Barry Hearn revitalised the professional game in 2010 after gaining a controlling interest in World Snooker Ltd. Since then, the number of professional tournaments and leagues has increased, with the formats changing as a means of increasing their appeal to both new players and viewers.

Snooker Markets: What are the big events?

Do you enjoy playing pool or snooker with your friends? Well why not bet on it too? Here at NetBet, we provide a superb range of snooker and pool betting markets on all of the sport’s major events. Whether it’s the World Snooker Championship, the Masters, the World Pool Masters Tournament, the UK Championship or the Mosconi Cup, you can find out odds and bet on it all here. We cover all of your favourite snooker leagues and events, so why not look for the odds and bet with us on NetBet.

What is so special about NetBet’s snooker betting markets? We have multiple frame markets available, including both handicap and total frames at the end of the match. Specials are also available for players. You can predict the correct score and with some tournaments with longer games and more frames, a correct bet can prove very lucrative for those who win. Players can also bet on snooker in-play. Yes, live snooker betting is a thing. We provide snooker odds for live winners, the winner of the next frame and frames handicap. If you’re away from a television screen or unable to watch, never fear because we provide an up-to-date scoreboard at the top of the webpage where you can follow all of the action live. Enjoy the most comprehensive snooker betting odds right here on NetBet Sport.

A Snooker Betting Guide

There are plenty of betting markets available on NetBet. You can bet on which player will win the match, over or under the number of frames in a match, which player will win the first frame, the result after the first four frames and the first to reach three frames of the match. You can find all of the odds for these betting markets on our website. Betting has never been easier than with NetBet. It's really simple, make your selections, place your bet, and the betting experience has begun. You can also make your betting selections live and in-play on our online sportsbook. You can also find tips and snooker news on our online blog.

Did you know this about Snooker?

Stephen Hendry MBE is the record holder for World Ranking titles (36), including the World Championship (7), competitive century breaks (775) and competitive 147s (11, shared with Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Snooker's Best Moments

Who can forget Stephen Hendry winning his record seventh world title in 1999? He confirmed his status as one of the greatest ever snooker players when he overcame Ronnie O'Sullivan in the final. What are the betting odds that there'll be another player like him?