2020 World Snooker Championship

Chalk McHugh

Nice, open session of snooker. The eight frames just flew by.

AllForIt

Nice few frames by Williams there. That long red he floated in to leave himself on the pink to go on to make a winning break was classic Williams. I so enjoy his style of play. Great to have him in the tournament as a contender for the title.

Brigham his usual battling self. He usually works the crowd to egg himself on but of course there is no crowd so that will work to his disadvantage, and for that reason I fancy him to loose this match. Williams not playing on top form but he's up for it.

Saengkham 11/4 to beat Selby. Could be Noppon played just as well as Murphy played bad. Selby not as dependable nowadays.

Jamie Clarke 11/4 to beat McGill. Jamie should be confident after beating Allen. Probably this the standout bet of the three.

Martin Gould 15/8 PP to beat Kyren Wilson. Can definitely play, Wilson no tabletime, Gould has his card secured so he's well into bonus territory now.

Top two prices available in Boyles who are best/joint best-priced.

I think Trump, Ronnie and Robbo will win their matches so I won't be backing them at 1/6, 2/7, and 4/11.

Joe_ Public

Gould v Wilson is interesting. Great interview with Gould the other day. Back in March he was struggling, snooker going terrible, set to lose his card and jack the game in for good. Add to that he was having problems in his personal life. Then lockdown came and that thing where people started a process of revaluation. So gould took himself down to the club everyday, had the place to himself, gradually picked up his appetite and here he is, 4 and a bit months on, in the last 16 of the world champs. Its a nice story and makes him a dangerous opponent for Wilson for whom i dont believe the w/o did any major favours.

Chalk McHugh

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Saengkham 11/4 to beat Selby. Could be Noppon played just as well as Murphy played bad. Selby not as dependable nowadays.

Jamie Clarke 11/4 to beat McGill. Jamie should be confident after beating Allen. Probably this the standout bet of the three.

Martin Gould 15/8 PP to beat Kyren Wilson. Can definitely play, Wilson no tabletime, Gould has his card secured so he's well into bonus territory now.

Top two prices available in Boyles who are best/joint best-priced.

I think Trump, Ronnie and Robbo will win their matches so I won't be backing them at 1/6, 2/7, and 4/11.

Agree. Think Jamie Clarke may very well beat McGill. Nice price at 11/4. Other two matches i fancy Selby to win and although you're right in what you say about Gould v Wilson i still expect Wilson to win.

Mysterypunter

Thanks to everyone who advised me against backing a Maguire comeback, how bout this one, 13-8 Kurt Maflin to have the highest break in the match against John Higgins, its currently 5-3 for Maflin, and Higgins has a 101 break, but in round one, Maflin made 4 centuries against Dave Gilbert.

Mysterypunter

Mysterypunter wrote: »

Thanks to everyone who advised me against backing a Maguire comeback, how bout this one, 13-8 Kurt Maflin to have the highest break in the match against John Higgins, its currently 5-3 for Maflin, and Higgins has a 101 break, but in round one, Maflin made 4 centuries against Dave Gilbert.

Sounds like a good bet there. It's probably (at a guess - if there's any odds on offer for it that is) about 1/3 or shorter that that break (Higgins 101) will be bettered. Looks like you're getting 13/8 about a 11/10 - 6/5 shot.

Higgins, I think, will try and play tight. Maflin isn't exactly going to gift him easy chances. Any way Higgins can win a frame he'll be happy enough, even with a 70 odd break. Who knows, if Kurt gets off to a good start later on John might push the boat out and leave a few easy openers for Kurt to amass a sizeable break.

That price looks value to me. I say go for it.

If I had an online account I'd do it myself - I think the only real decision you have to make is; and it's the same with the majority of punters - how much will I have on?

Chalk McHugh

Mysterypunter wrote: »

Thanks to everyone who advised me against backing a Maguire comeback, how bout this one, 13-8 Kurt Maflin to have the highest break in the match against John Higgins, its currently 5-3 for Maflin, and Higgins has a 101 break, but in round one, Maflin made 4 centuries against Dave Gilbert.

I'm sticking with a Mafflin win. 3/1 at start of match. Even money now. The biggest break thing is not a bet i would like or do as it's pretty much 50/50 which player will get the highest break, although 13/8 gives a little bit of valiue for Maflin, i guess.

Have we had a ton in every match so far. Did The Hawks game end up having one in the end?

I've seen two great 147 attempts by Ford and Maflin and read on here that Maguire went close (really hope i see it live if it happens) so the long wait for a maximum continues.

Inviere

Chalk McHugh wrote: »

I have no problem whatsoever with any camera angles, replays or fake crowd noise.

The fake crowd noise is something I'm not a fan of. Every time I hear it, it just reminds me there's no actual crowd there (whereby I'd forgotten as I'd been concentrating on the game). It's akin to a canned laughter track in a 90's comedy really.

The camera angles on the BBC covered events are always great imo, nice high angle where you can get a good feel for the angles. The ITV/Eurosport covered events have really annoying sponsor-friendly angles where they're so bloody low it's hard to anticipate lines and properly watch the game.

Chalk McHugh

Maflin playing some great stuff. Really should have got a century there but Higgins is in trouble.

Chalk McHugh

Higgins on the maximum.

Chalk McHugh

10 reds 10 blacks and balls are nice. Great chance.

Genghis

After that 14th red, this is a cert for maximum methinks

Genghis

Fair play to Higgins, that was some break. £55k good going.

Dennis must be raging he is not in the box to mark the historic unbelievable amazing achievement

Chalk McHugh

147!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Arthur Daley

Was bound to happen the way things were going. Hadn't realised Higgins hadn't made one at the Crucible. 3 to Hendry, 3 to Ronnie.

You'd miss the crowd and Bill Werbunik

Joe_ Public

Deserved it for mid break red into middle. I dont think commentators had pegged it at that point - Dennis probably screaming at his tv screen in his hotel room. Was a big shot to take on even in context of frame.

Maflin happy enough though. Higgins started off there like he intended to take charge but Maflin stood toe to toe and happily traded blows. I think he needs the lead, not sure i can see him maintaining this quality another session.

Scorpion Sting

Chalk McHugh wrote: »

147!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you quids in?

mewso

Typical. Probably the first time I've ever witnessed a live 147 on the TV but I was in a work Teams meeting so was oblivious.

Chalk McHugh

Scorpion Sting wrote: »

Are you quids in?

Didn't put a bet on in the end as couldn't justify such poor odds of 6/4. Still great to see it live and i did know Higgins never got one at the Crucible so it's pretty special. Fantastic break.

Arthur Daley

I don't know why BBC2 cuts away from the Crucible to replicate another live channel BBC news for 1 hour, then back to the Crucible. Pointless.

Presume they'd not cut away in the middle of the maximum, but who knows what their schedulers would do.

waynescales1

Arthur Daley wrote: »

Presume they'd not cut away in the middle of the maximum

They definitely would.

Chalk McHugh

Hard to beat watching a 147 live from the Crucible. I'm still buzzing. And i think that won't be the last one this year either. We are going to see a 2nd maxi before the tournament ends.

Arthur Daley

Yes I was thinking Higgins better not bank that 55k. He might end up sharing it. Think the lack of a crowd has an bit of an impact, relaxing the players at times.

weemcd

Has there ever been a player with a better temperament than Higgins? He's right back in it now with the 147, the frame to get him the 6th and now looking well on his way to the 7th.

Chalk McHugh

Higgins joins an illustrious list of players to have gotten the games iconic 147 at the Crucible. Ronnie and Hendry have three apiece, Cliff Thorborne, Jimmy White, Mark Williams, Ali Carter and now the Wizard of Wishaw.

For such a great player who has reached 7 finals and won 60/80 matches at Sheffield it would have been a little disappointing if he retired without joining that group of snooker immortals.

walshb

Chalk McHugh wrote: »

Higgins joins an illustrious list of players to have gotten the games iconic 147 at the Crucible. Ronnie and Hendry have three apiece, Cliff Thorborne, Jimmy White, Mark Williams, Ali Carter and now the Wizard of Wishaw.

For such a great player who has reached 7 finals and won 60/80 games at Sheffield it would have been a little disappointing if he retired without joining that group of snooker immortals.

A beast of a player is Higgins

Said it before, all on their best, he had the absolute complete package to beat all them over 18 frames....so clinical, tidy, effective, steely....unreal player...

zuutroy

Higgins is just ridiculous.

Say Your Number

Some steal by Higgins.

Arthur Daley

Maflin needed that 2 frame cushion. Let's see how he rebounds from that dissapointment tonight but it will take a big effort.

Joe_ Public

Typical higgins steal but such a lazy shot from Maflin not to put the blue on the cushion. One little lapse and such huge consequences.

Mysterypunter

Mysterypunter wrote: »

Thanks to everyone who advised me against backing a Maguire comeback, how bout this one, 13-8 Kurt Maflin to have the highest break in the match against John Higgins, its currently 5-3 for Maflin, and Higgins has a 101 break, but in round one, Maflin made 4 centuries against Dave Gilbert.

This went well )

waynescales1

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Typical higgins steal but such a lazy shot from Maflin not to put the blue on the cushion. One little lapse and such huge consequences.

I always feel when a player runs out of position 50-60 up, it’s not enough to think about playing safe. You’ve got to think, what shot can I play which will make the counter clearance extremely difficult, if not impossible.

8-8 going into tonight’s session, definitely be tuning in for that one.

Chalk McHugh

Selby losing 3-5 to Saenghaem. The Thai won the last three on the spin.

Williams v Bingham resuming shortly along with the first session of Trump v Yan Bingtao.

waynescales1

4 in a row actually for Noppon. Possibly has the beating of Selby, but one problem he seems to have is that he hugely overhits pressure pots. Blasted the final brown in, lucky to land dead straight on the blue into the green pocket.

Chalk McHugh

Judd has beaten Yan 5/5 and dished out a few drubbings in doing so. Hard to make a case for the Chinese cueist. Could be a comfortable Trump victory.

Joe_ Public

Chalk McHugh wrote: »

Judd has beaten Yan 5/5 and dished out a few drubbings in doing so. Hard to make a case for the Chinese cueist. Could be a comfortable Trump victory.

Think so. Yan bit of an enigma to me, appeared a couple of years back wearing all those flamboyant outfits and shoes and thought he might have the game to match. But he seems a bit ponderous at times, as if stuck in that netherworld between attack and defence. And now he's all but ditched the showy gear as well. He's still young but has a bit to go before I'd be talking about serious potential yet. And was atrocious in R1 to boot!

The Golden Miller

What channel Williams game on?

c.p.w.g.w

The Golden Miller wrote: »

What channel Williams game on?

Eurosport 2

zuutroy

All this militant sanitising the rests while the players' hands are touching the table
and rails the whole time. :rolleyes:

waynescales1

The SQL errors are back, too many connections. Is Boards under attack from a disgruntled banned user or something...

Chalk McHugh

Steve Davis is cracking jokes left, right and centre. He's quite different on commentary than when in the studio.

Meanwhile, Hendry can't work Yan out. Like the rest of us i feel.

waynescales1

The Chinese John Higgins!

Mysterypunter

Mysterypunter wrote: »

This went well )

I think me, and possibly yourself were the only 2 on here who didn't want to see that Maximum, and possibly for different reasons.

I was willing him to not make it Mystery p, and not just because I backed Maflin, and neither because I didn't put you off that bet - which was good value tbf - but because I just don't like that Higgins.

With his cheat's head and pot belly and receding grey hair and his ruddy waistcoat and pudgy fingers... At least he's given up that annoying wrinkling of his forehead when he's taking every bloody shot :pac:

And then his aye this aye that folksy bs when interviewed.... He's even given that up too... Almost as if he was 'pr'ed' into jettisoning some o' his annoying traits in order to make himself mo' palatable to the general public in his redemption bid from where he was a while back, when he was involved in some rather 'dubious' meetings in Eastern Europe somewhere, aye.

I wonder what odds it'll be for him to have the highest amount ee 'ayes'
since his aye-ing heyday in his post match intaview, should he win. I have him evens 1 1/2 or more 'ayes' uff he loses, and evens 3 1/2 or more uff he wunns - just for me own amusement :pac:

Fair play to Yan here holding his own against the Juddernaut. Mark still bang there too. Shaping up well this comp. Looking forward to seeing no Trump, Selby, or Bingham in the next round. Nowt against Trump, but he's just like a robot, and Selby - well he plays a dour brand of snooker, and Bingham; well between backing himself to not get the highest break at times that doesn't sit at all well with this armchair supporter plus his advancement would mean MJW's exit, and that for me would be a shame.

I think I've written enuf crop for da day AYE

Great day's snooker, all rubbish aside, and I hope yis are all enjoying it.

PS, I could nae post, so I had tae reply to another mon's post in order to do so. The site playing up.

DepecheHead101

Ronnie appearing to enjoy the lack of crowds, Allen and Murphy both out, high standard of play, Higgins/Maflin being a beauty. This is a cracking tournament so far.

Joe_ Public

Trump "just like a robot". Do you really think that? I mean, no robot would ever been designed with that wonky cue action and thats just for starters.

Joe_ Public

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Trump "just like a robot". Do you really think that? I mean, no robot would ever been designed with that wonky cue action and thats just for starters.

His demeanour in interviews really; not his stellar snooker playing ability.. Am a bit tired today and focussing on personalities as much as playing styles.. The emotional part of my brain "trumped" the logical side when I went off on one there... I was in two minds should I have posted even 1/3 of what I did.. But reason lost that argument I had with myself

The Golden Miller

Hate all this talk about Williams being the best left handed player of all time. For me, he simply is the best player of all time. Dominated the hardest era. His longevity waned because of his own lax attitude towards practice and family life. In his prime a machine.

Recaptured some form and won another world championship. What really struck me about the win, as good a Higgins played he was always kept at an arms distance, couldn't make a comeback. Williams kept getting in first due to outrageous single ball potting that can't be stopped when he's on form. In his prime he finished the breaks too one he got in first

Joe_ Public

[Deleted User] wrote: »

His demeanour in interviews really; not his stellar snooker playing ability.. Am a bit tired today and focussing on personalities as much as playing styles.. The emotional part of my brain "trumped" the logical side when I went off on one there... I was in two minds should I have posted even 1/3 of what I did.. But reason lost that argument I had with myself

Nah, its all good discussion. Maybe no harm for trump to be a bit like that off the table because he can be a bit off with the stuff he comes out with at times. Remember its just a few years he was picking a fight with a guy on twitter during the mid session interval at the crucible. Definitely had to rein in that side of his character if he was ever going to make the breakthrough i think.

Chalk McHugh

The Golden Miller wrote: »

Hate all this talk about Williams being the best left handed player of all time. For me, he simply is the best player of all time. Dominated the hardest era. His longevity waned because of his own lax attitude towards practice and family life. In his prime a machine.

Recaptured some form and won another world championship. What really struck me about the win, as good a Higgins played he was always kept at an arms distance, couldn't make a comeback. Williams kept getting in first due to outrageous single ball potting that can't be stopped when he's on form. In his prime he finished the breaks too one he got in first

He is obviously a great player. And i enjoy watching him play. He's such a clever player. But Ronnie and Higgins are both better imo. Ronnie has a ridiculous head-to-head against him.

Ok, he beat Higgins in that final when it mattered most but if they met in this years final it could easily go the other way. Out of the outrageous class of '92 for me it's:

1 Ronnie
2 Higgins
3 Williams