It's that time of year again , World Snooker finals start Saturday in Sheffield and runs for the usual 17 days .

10 Chinese make it through to the Final 32 , along with 12 English players .   Notable players who didn't make it are Stuart Bingham and Steven Maguire .

As for who will win , many players in form so tough to pick.

Ronnie may or may not play , which is ludicrous and a bit insulting to the rest imo .

If he does play , he has a fair chance .   Kyren Wilson , Trump (not Donald) , Robertson , Higgins , Selby , Murphy , Williams all in with a shout .

The Chinese each year seem to fade away in the later stages , Ding Junhui may never be world champ , and 2 of their best players are serving life bans . 

Si may perform well and 1 of them may make the Semis .  

Should be a good watch regardless , i'm hoping the pockets are not too generous this time year.

Mikeyboy

 

Cheers, being in Thailand I forgot all about it

Hoping you keep updating as I believe you've done before. 

Susu Mark Williams 🙏

Yes it should be a good watch over the next couple of weeks with all of the top players you named showing some incredible play over this session my only resivations is with Trump who seems to be slipping into over thinking things to much like Allen and Robertson have done in the past and O`Sullivan who might be too much out of tough match play recently to go all the way against what seems to be the bar being raised a touch by the other top players.

Hope your right about the pockets it has been laughable in the past with balls hitting the outer edges of a pocket even touching the rail 6 inches from the pocket and still finding the way in, with then Dennis Taylor telling us these tables are far tighter than the club tables, Yeah right, come and play on my old club tables Taylor.

Lets hope its a great world championship for what could be one of the last at Sheffield and please BBC no more of "were`s the white ball, were`s the white ball" John Vergo.  

I can't see ronnie  doing  it..

New cue..hasn't  played comp in months

Zhao Xintong could be dangerous

After that it's a lottery..imo

Maybe Shaun Murphy  🤔

36 minutes ago, castledrive said:

Yes it should be a good watch over the next couple of weeks with all of the top players you named showing some incredible play over this session my only resivations is with Trump who seems to be slipping into over thinking things to much like Allen and Robertson have done in the past and O`Sullivan who might be too much out of tough match play recently to go all the way against what seems to be the bar being raised a touch by the other top players.

Hope your right about the pockets it has been laughable in the past with balls hitting the outer edges of a pocket even touching the rail 6 inches from the pocket and still finding the way in, with then Dennis Taylor telling us these tables are far tighter than the club tables, Yeah right, come and play on my old club tables Taylor.

Lets hope its a great world championship for what could be one of the last at Sheffield and please BBC no more of "were`s the white ball, were`s the white ball" John Vergo.  

Yes , agree with all you say .    Forgot to list Mark Allen who on his day is a match for anyone .

John Virgo and Dennis Taylor just mumble the same old tosh each year . " Tight pockets on these tables " , really !!   You need to change your glasses Dennis .

Hoping Alan McManus does a stint on Commentary , and back in the day Willie Thorne showed huge insight into what was happening , sadly missed . 

I always have a dollar or two on Mark Selby , at his best almost impossible to beat .  No easy games at the Crucible any more , one bad session and you can be out .

Mikeyboy 

20 minutes ago, mikeyboy said:

always have a dollar or two on Mark Selby , at his best almost impossible to beat

Good point. I like him but know he's perhaps not a crowd favourite. 

I remember a 147 he did which was absolutely clinical. Moving the white around like he was mentally controlling it. Had one "difficult"* put the entire break. Which was a gorgeous triple. I will root for him as well. 

 

*anyone who's ever tried an actual snooker table knows there's really no easy puts I'm a decent pool player, but have yet to break 30 on the snooker table. Pathetic I know. 

While we're waiting

 

And the one with a triple. I'll stop now I promise

 

44 minutes ago, Thomaz73 said:

Good point. I like him but know he's perhaps not a crowd favourite. 

I remember a 147 he did which was absolutely clinical. Moving the white around like he was mentally controlling it. Had one "difficult"* put the entire break. Which was a gorgeous triple. I will root for him as well. 

 

*anyone who's ever tried an actual snooker table knows there's really no easy puts I'm a decent pool player, but have yet to break 30 on the snooker table. Pathetic I know. 

Keep at it , you'll get there ..

Very tough game for even decent Pool players , i play Snooker very occasionally against Jocky King in Pattaya who is a handy Pool player .  The pockets are incredibly tight and difficult to move the cue ball around , as 100% concentration needed to pot the object ball .  Its fun but frustrating .    My top break is only 36 but i live in hope !

Mikeyboy

38 minutes ago, mikeyboy said:

Keep at it , you'll get there ..

Very tough game for even decent Pool players , i play Snooker very occasionally against Jocky King in Pattaya who is a handy Pool player .  The pockets are incredibly tight and difficult to move the cue ball around , as 100% concentration needed to pot the object ball .  Its fun but frustrating .    My top break is only 36 but i live in hope !

Exactly! There's also the thing that it's a lot tougher to access training time compared to pool. 

Where do you play? 

On TNT this year.

A major US Market. No telling how many millions of americans will see snooker for the first time.

Probably a much needed diversion at this time.

I hope they adjust the commentary a little, to guide a first time viewer along.

 

 

Great , Thank you Mikey for starting this thread , Always a gentleman on and off the snooker table 555 .. You’re right about Ronnie’s scandalous mind game on World Snooker Championship , whether he will play or not , He had upset few snooker pro for cancelling at the last minute , one young pro had to drive over 250 miles to play him on the first round and found out he is on bye , brought his whole family and friends to watch him play the best snooker player ever produced , and all end up at the hotel for nothing .. Even though Ronnie is always my favourite player , still now , but I dislikes his childish acts , Probably hated the WPBSA committee, had few clashes with them over the years . Very unfair for the punters involved in the bettings .. 

I has backed three players to win the world Snooker Championship, Mark Allen at 22/1 , Kyren Wilson 8/1 and Mark Selby at Paddy Power online . Reason why I backed them is they are tough nuts to crack , playing superb snookered , ability to clear up the tables .. Whereas someone like Ronnie , they seems to lose their head and lose their patience .. I’m hoping for any Chinese to do well in the crucible and win the championship .. 18 days of snooker , will be glued on TV most of the time .. 

Jackson Page of Wales just became the first ever snooker player to make  a double 147 break this week at qualifying stage against Allan Taylor 10-2 but lost to Joe O Connor 7-10 , seems like the pockets is big ? … Mikey and I had experienced a tight pocket on the third road ( Double Kiss , That table had moved to IQ club , formerly The Legend Also on third road ) …It can become very boring if the pocket is too tight , probably WPBSA is secretly avoiding those tight pockets tables in the crucible… 

Enjoy the World Snooker Championship 2025 … 

Edited April 18, 20251 yr by jocky king

7 hours ago, fostraswift said:

I can't see ronnie  doing  it..

New cue..hasn't  played comp in month 🤔

Isn’t this exactly the challenge he likes to set himself?

personally I think the organisers should incentivise him with an outrageous challenge…..

double money if he plays EVERY shot left handed 

or 

£147 million if he gets a 147 in EVERY round !!!

Crucible curse strikes again on  reigning champion … Kyren was 6-2 up then the Chinese fought back 7 frames in a row to go 9-6 up , then Kyren found his mojo to go for a decider 9-9 , and but lost 9-10 . A thrilling match . I hope this Chinese will win the championship, I like his playing style . 

Edited April 19, 20251 yr by jocky king

On 18/04/2025 at 13:38, Thomaz73 said:

Exactly! There's also the thing that it's a lot tougher to access training time compared to pool. 

Where do you play? 

Played last month at the new complex on Soi Buakhao , just north of Action street .  Sorry , i cant remember the name . Huge place , on 2 levels . Only one snooker table upstairs , and many pool tables .  

Have played at Double Kiss on 3rd road but pockets ridiculous .    Also Palm Beach Hotel Jomtien  , which has 4 tables .

 

2 hours ago, mikeyboy said:

Played last month at the new complex on Soi Buakhao , just north of Action street .  Sorry , i cant remember the name . Huge place , on 2 levels . Only one snooker table upstairs , and many pool tables .  

Have played at Double Kiss on 3rd road but pockets ridiculous .    Also Palm Beach hotel Jomtien  , which has 4 tables .

 

S1 Pool Hall & Sport Bar Pattaya
+66 83 902 2555 On soi buakhao near action st .. 

Two marvellous matches tonight , Vafaei and Wskein both won at very exciting finish .  Hawkins & Robertson another two top seed out .. 

16 hours ago, jocky king said:

Two marvellous matches tonight , Vafaei and Wskein both won at very exciting finish .  Hawkins & Robertson another two top seed out .. 

Yes , really everyone who made it through Qualifying must be respected as a serious threat .   Less and less 10/0 10/1 10/2 score lines occurring nowadays .    

17 hours ago, jocky king said:

Two marvellous matches tonight , Vafaei and Wskein both won at very exciting finish .  Hawkins & Robertson another two top seed out .. 

Enjoyed the Robertson and Vafaei matches. I think only golf comes close to snooker for the sheer mental hardship it gives the competitors. I have no idea who will win it but I watch it every year.

Glad to hear the pockets on Doublekiss are tight, it might explain why it took me an hour to clear the table there one day. Snooker and pool are night and day.

 

Should  have put a bet on Zintong!

On sixteenth frame , can’t believe Joe O Connor didn’t let Higgins take the pink after he misses the pink  ( last two balls , Pink & Black ) . Joe made a glaring safety mistake on a pink resulting Higgins an easy snookered and win the frame . 

5 hours ago, fostraswift said:

Should  have put a bet on Zintong!

But He will have to face Lei Peifan who beat Kyren Wilson superbly . He is a great player , won the Scottish open last December.  It is a pity , they won’t have to face against each other in the semi final or final .. Zhao also a great player , O Sullivan reckon he will one day be a world champion, was banned for 20 months for fixing the match , he had to win 3/4 qualifying matches to get here .. 

10 hours ago, jocky king said:

But He will have to face Lei Peifan who beat Kyren Wilson superbly . He is a great player , won the Scottish open last December.  It is a pity , they won’t have to face against each other in the semi final or final .. Zhao also a great player , O Sullivan reckon he will one day be a world champion, was banned for 20 months for fixing the match , he had to win 3/4 qualifying matches to get here .. 

I feel the Chinese players are gradually getting the hang of playing at the Crucible . 

Before , they would flatter to deceive and bow out before the quarters, excluding Ding and recently Si who made the semis .

Will one of them hold it together to go all the way ?  Talented enough but are they mentally strong enough to beat a Higgins , Selby or Allen in granite mode ?

Fun to find out ..

Mikeyboy

Edited April 22, 20251 yr by mikeyboy
add

Was good to see Ronnie & Ali moves on with a shake of hands … thought there would be a fireworks there . Ali missed some chances , Ronnie wasn’t at his best , but is 5-4 ahead . Can’t see Ronnie going to the final . He need to improve massively than yesterday performance …. 

9 hours ago, jocky king said:

Was good to see Ronnie & Ali moves on with a shake of hands … thought there would be a fireworks there . Ali missed some chances , Ronnie wasn’t at his best , but is 5-4 ahead . Can’t see Ronnie going to the final . He need to improve massively than yesterday performance …. 

What a super performance from Ronnie , a big difference from yesterday.  To be fair to Ali , he can’t do nothing with Ronnie first class snooker . Nice to see both of em speaks and shook their hands at the end , that put their exaggerated hatred to bed for good …