Snooker Shoot-Out 2025 Betting Tips: Three to win the lottery in Blackpool
After the brilliance of the UK Championship, where Mark Selby overtook John Higgins in Triple Crown winners, we now have a fun interlude in the form of the Snooker Shootout in Blackpool.
Our snooker expert Craig Edwards is back and. here are his Snooker Shootout 2025 Predictions...
Snooker Shootout Tips
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History, Location and Format
The Snooker Shootout 2025 is the 16th running of this event, having been revived as a format in 2011.
The 128-man tournament is being held in Blackpool for the first time, at the famous Tower Circus.
What makes this tournament totally unique, is it is played over a single frame per match, with a shot-clock in effect and the draw is randomised at the start of every round. The audience are also encouraged to be loud throughout, in stark contrast to the silent nature of a normal snooker tournament.
Given it's unpredictable nature, this ranking event throws up some unusual winners and no person has ever won it more than once.
The defending champion is Tom Ford, having defeated Liam Graham 31-28 in the 2024 final.
Prize Money
| Position | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| Winner | £50,000 |
| Runner-Up | £20,000 |
| Semi-Final | £8,000 |
| Quarter-Final | £4,000 |
| Last 16 | £2,000 |
| Last 32 | £1,000 |
| Last 64 | £500 |
| Last 128 | £250 |
| Highest Break | £5,000 |
| Total | £171,000 |
There is logic in the Chaos of the Shootout!
Many people see the Shootout event as a complete lottery. Yet, over the years, several players have developed a genuine fondness for its fast-paced ten-minute frames and shot clock. I have great memories of the event myself—Michael Holt was my biggest snooker win ever at 125/1, and he had also finished runner-up the previous year. Holt's outgoing personality fits perfectly with the lively atmosphere and interactive crowd the Shootout attracts.
Some professionals, on the other hand, struggle with this format and have barely managed to win a frame throughout the event’s fifteen-year history. These days, the Shootout controversially awards ranking points, which can be a major boost to a player's career. Since Holt’s victory, we have seen five editions won by established stars such as Mark Allen, Hossein Vafaei, Ryan Day, Chris Wakelin, and Tom Ford last year.
The runner-up position, however, has twice been claimed by long-shot outsiders: Julien Leclercq and Liam Graham, who was offered at odds of 1000/1 in some places last year—a remarkable each-way payout at half odds for the top two finishers.
Do fast players have an advantage?
Being quicker than average is not necessary to succeed; for example, Martin O’Donnell, one of the most consistent Shootout competitors, has one of the slowest shot clocks on tour. During this three-day event, participants play a single match each day leading up to the final, where they must secure five victories in just one day. This setup allows a player to gain momentum, hit their stride, and potentially win a life-changing £50,000 in as little as 50 minutes.
While there has been a noticeable pattern of fluent, fast-paced players excelling—like Thepchaiya un-Nooh, the fastest player on tour, and similarly quick thinkers such as Michael Holt and Hossein Vafaei—others like Tom Ford and Chris Wakelin have achieved success despite being considered solid “journeyman pros.” What unites these successful players is their skill in cue ball control; by minimizing its travel during breaks, they maximize their available time for each shot.
1 pt Si Jiahui each-way @ 20/1
With recent victories by the new world champion Zhao Xintong and Wu Yize at the International Championship, it is important not to overlook Si Jiahui and the notable strengths that have propelled him into the top 16 and secured his Masters debut in the upcoming year.
The Shootout has historically served as a catalyst for advancing players' careers, as demonstrated by Chris Wakelin. For Jiahui, this event could represent an opportunity to secure his inaugural ranking title. At just twenty-three years old, the 2023 World Championship semi-finalist is recognised as one of the most fluent competitors on the tour—a quality that may prove advantageous in the Shootout. Notably, he reached the quarterfinals in 2023 and advanced to the third-round last year.
With this experience, Si Jiahui is well-positioned to contend for the first ranking title of his career in the upcoming tournament.
Odds correct at time of publishing.
0.5 pts Michael Holt each-way @ 40/1
It would be imprudent to exclude Michael Holt from this year's selection, given his recent robust performance in qualifying for the UK Championship. The well-regarded Nottingham professional, who balances his competitive play with high-level coaching and maintaining his YouTube channel, demonstrates a proactive approach to his career. This may contribute to his ability to thrive under the pressure and pace of a ten-minute frame governed by a shot clock.
Furthermore, the Betfred odds of 40/1 present a compelling case to include him in your Shootout selections.
Odds correct at time of publishing.
0.5 pts Chang Bingyu each-way @ 33/1
In 2020, Chang Bingyu made his snooker Shootout debut, impressively scoring a 120 break as a teenager against Iulian Boiko. Five years on, now aged twenty-three, he appears poised for a major breakthrough after an impressive start to the season following his return from a match fixing ban. Bingyu has already earned $66,000, quickly reestablishing himself on tour with notable achievements—including 18 century breaks and a maximum break during the UK Championship qualifiers just a few weeks ago.
His best results since returning have been reaching the last 16 in both Saudi Arabia and the British Open this season. With such highlights, it seems likely that Bingyu will break through soon, and this week’s Shootout provides an excellent opportunity for one of the tour’s most naturally gifted young talents.
Odds correct at time of publishing.
Players to watch!
The random draw for the Shootout has resulted in several notable opening round matches between highly regarded players. A key fixture is the 2023 champion, Chris Wakelin, facing the in-form Zhou Yuelong, who was runner-up to Michael Holt. The outcome of this match on day one may present an attractive investment opportunity with Betfred between rounds.
Another first-round pairing of interest features two players demonstrating renewed form at the UK Championship: Julien Leclercq and Zhang Anda. The victor of this encounter, particularly if it is the promising young Belgian Leclercq, who has demonstrated consistent performance in this unique event, could be a contender in subsequent rounds.
Check out the rest of our Snooker Betting Tips over at Betfred Insights.
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