Premier League Snooker Betting
Premier League snooker is growing in popularity and participation. The Premier League exists for the simple task of putting the best players in the world together to compete over a number of weeks for a large cash prize.
The big money available ensures that the top players in the world take the event seriously because there are no ranking points available. Premier League snooker betting has thrived due to the television coverage the event receives.
This has opened up some of the first markets for in-play snooker betting for an event which is not one of the big tournaments. Premier League snooker betting is also one of the more difficult snooker betting markets to call because the difference in quality between the players is so small.
Premier League Snooker History
Premier League snooker history is not very old and the series dates back to 1987 when it was first introduced. It was first called the Matchroom League and involved many of the players who were managed by Barry Hearn and part of the Matchroom team.
The first winner in Premier League snooker history was Steve Davis who dominated snooker throughout the 1980s. The first play-off system in Premier League snooker history was introduced in the early 1990s. This allowed the top four players in the table to play two semi-finals and then a final, these matches were shown on live television.
Premier League Snooker Format
Premier League snooker format is based on a round robin league system which means more matches for sports betting. Players are invited to take part in the event, traditionally with invitations to only the top ten players in the world although wild cards have been handed out in the past to younger players.
Matches are played in an initial league format with six frame matches, draws are possible. Two points are awarded for the winner of a league match and a point is awarded for the rare occasions where there is a draw.
The top four players compete in semi-final matches which are the best of nine frames and then a final which is the best of 13 frames. Throughout the Premier League there is the existence of a 25 second shot clock which if exceeded means a foul.
Premier League Snooker Prize Money
Premier League snooker prize money is what keeps the top players in the world interest in the league. Players win £1,000 for each frame they win during the event and the same amount for each century break they make.
Losing semi-finalists win £5,000 each, the runner up in the final receives £15,000 and the winner takes home a whopping £30,000. The £1,000 bonuses for frame wins and century breaks don’t apply from the semi-final stage forward but a bonus for a maximum break at any point in the Premier League is being considered for the 2011 series.
Premier League Title Holder
The current Premier League title holder is Ronnie O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan sometimes gets bad press in the media for not taking professional snooker competitions seriously but he has won the Premier League eight times in the last ten years which is staggering considering the quality of the current top ten.
O'Sullivan is also the Premier League title holder for most titles in the series ahead of Stephen Hendry who has won the event six times and Stave Davis who has won the series a total of four times.
Premier League Coverage
Premier League coverage has exploded through the early part of the 21st century. Every single part of the event is now covered on Sky Sports whereas previously only the later stages of the series would be shown on television.
Premier League coverage also now extends to the written press when there are performances of outstanding quality. The series is also extensively covered online with reports and some video footage appearing on the World Snooker website.