Fantasy 2021 World Snooker - Now running

[Shaggy365]

Howdy y'all. It's the final day of qualifying today which means that there must be only 2 full days for me to get things ready and get entries in before the 14th annual running of the Fantasy World Snooker League Competition Cup Championship.

Here is the website (new this year).

Entries by email or pm before Saturday morning when it starts.

Good luck every-one.

Roll of honour
2009
ToffeeLover
Shaggy365
ForestFan

2010
bluenoseyparker
ShadyOne
Jules

2011
blahblah
ShadyOne
bluenoseyparker

2012
GM
Kris_fiso
Digsby

2013
Surprised
murf
dingram041

2014
blahblah
Gilchrist1983
yorkshiredragon

2015
Sport Billy
chrismar
the-postman

2016
Sport Billy
Darbyand
gilchrist1983

2017
SamD
Sport Billy
nevblake

2018
blahblah
The bear
Wilbert

2019
murf
morganb
owenclass

2020
nevblake
Shaggy365
Johnners

[forestfan]

I’m so crap at this... will have another go though!

[blahblah]

Even without pricing it is very difficult this season, imho

[forestfan]

Yeah, it’s becoming a pin-sticking exercise, a bit like golf, which is why I don’t tend to bother entering prediction comps for that... I don’t really follow golf outside of majors and Ryder Cup, whereas I keep a bit more up to date with snooker but still takes some effort to make a judgement on who’s in form/how a draw might play out, etc. And there’s a lot less between most of the players than in the “old days”, with the lockdown effect only adding to that unpredictability.

[blahblah]

I'll try and do a write up in time for people to enter....

[blahblah]

Gary Wilson is though while Bingham and Carter are on the cusp. There are some smelly floaters.....

[blahblah]

Now Gould

It could be difficult picking the last 16 let alone any further.

[Darbyand]

Always wonder how much qualifying gets them match fit vs how much it takes out of them. Whilst the seeds can spend loads of time at the practice table but at their own design.

[blahblah]

Always wonder how much qualifying gets them match fit vs how much it takes out of them. Whilst the seeds can spend loads of time at the practice table but at their own design.

Ding was a good example of that, but kinda lacked stamina to win.

I'm sure it gives certain qualifiers an edge eg Bingham, Carter.... but I'm not sure how deep that csn take them.

[Shaggy365]

So the qualifiers have finished. Many names I don't recognise, so it's out with the lucky pin.

Get those entries in.

[blahblah]

I think only 1 or 2 are making their debuts....

[blahblah]

Jack's got Carter a freaking gain

[polarbear]

[Spencer4]

Entered

[murf]

Can I have a 'with Ronnie' and a 'without Ronnie' pick?

[blahblah]

Can I have a 'with Ronnie' and a 'without Ronnie' pick?

+1

[Shaggy365]

Can I have a 'with Ronnie' and a 'without Ronnie' pick?

+1

All you need to do between the 2 of you is decide who is going to have him & who isn't.

[Shaggy365]

Entered

... and leading at the moment.

[polarbear]

Entered.

My team to remind me of who I picked:

Trump 51
K Wilson 46
McGill 36
Mark Allen 42
Tian 23

Total - 198

[forestfan]

Top half looks tough, particularly the three Marks plus Higgins quarter...

Trump’s going to be pleased with the draw, I expect. Ding-Bing is an interesting one, with a possible QF against Ronnie at stake. And a Wilson derby pulled out of the hat...

[Darbyand]

I'm in:

1 (Trump 51)
4 (Robertson 48)
10 (Allen 42)
13 (Hawkins 39)
32 (Jones 20)

[nevblake]

Thanks for the reminder Shaggy.

On the link above there is one player listed who is not taking part
Noppon Saengkham (27)

I think this should be Lyu Haotian

[Shaggy365]

Thanks for the reminder Shaggy.

On the link above there is one player listed who is not taking part
Noppon Saengkham (27)

I think this should be Lyu Haotian

Sorted. Thanks.

[blahblah]

Thanks for the reminder Shaggy.

On the link above there is one player listed who is not taking part
Noppon Saengkham (27)

I think this should be Lyu Haotian

Sorted. Thanks.

I think he got caught with a bottle of Corona.....

[nevblake]

Entry has been emailed

[blahblah]

Here I go\come with a "Preview" ..... (I am doing this on gut feeling and am picking my team as I type.)

The 1st Quarter is where this Comp will be won and lost as I doubt that it is possible to win when getting the ROS choice wrong, especially if he doesn't win it as he tends to go out very early. Personally I think that he has mental issues with Sheffield and the length of the matches and Comp and this year he is moaning about the Crowd and his paranoia of COVID (apparently his mother was bad with it). Talent wise he is still the best by a long, long way and has played well this season in parts and if he can overcome the mental side has an easy run to the Final (see 2nd Qtr, below). His first opponent is Mike Joyce who is as capable as Cahill and Elliott Slessor, who I believe is 2-0 against Ronald. The winner of that one gets Walden or McGill and I favour the unseeded Walden, with Joyce going out in the 2nd Round and ROS progressing. In the other half Ding vs Bingham is a 50-50 call, but Maguire should beat Jones without hitting the table once. However, I expect the table to take a few whacks in the 2nd Round in a close match vs Ding\Bing. My best guess is that either ROS or Walden come out on top and reach the Final 4.

With a different draw and a few upsets the 2nd Quarter could be the last 8. Assuming his head is on\in it the Williams is the only one I would fully expect to get to the 2nd Round, but he is a bit of a moaner\Diva and may want an early out to play golf. Tian is one of the better Chinese players imho and is capable of giving anyone a good game. Higgins played some freaking awesome stuff a few Comps spanking all (inc ROS) on his way to the title, but his level dropped off in the one after. If he can get back to the previous form I would expect him to win the whole thing with a few Sessions off along the way - seriously he played some of the best stuff I have ever seen that week. Allen vs Lyu is hard to call as Allen can be erratic and Lyu is definitely one for the future from China. I think Lyu will win this as he has come off the Qualifiers, while Allen could still be hung over. Maflin is not actually Norwegian, but a Londoner married to one of those Norwegian female people, but as if that will stop strange references to Vikings for some reason. He is a more than competent player, but surely Selby will be up for this and (*&%$er) Dennis can purr at Vicky's feet as she smiles her way to his victories? To show how tight I think the above matches are - Selby losing is the only shock result. Despite the 1st Round issues the rest is far easier to pick: any Qualifier will get KO'ed in Rnd 2 (unless 2 play each other) while Higgins beats Williams and Selby beats Allen; with a very tight Qtr Final probably being won by Higgins.

The 3rd Quarter is no easy pick either. For those going Robbo (check out his hair, it is awesome): tell me how far has he gone in this since winning it as I don't remember him in many Finals or Semis. Liang is a tad mercurial and could beat Robbo - if he gets his face-slaps right and his Cue Action in rhythm with his snorting. My love-child is almost certain to lose to Carter (again) with his silky smooth Cue Action lacking a match play temperament, which Carter has in abundance. Hawkins is a bit of a Course and Distance player at the Crucible with loads of Semi Final appearances and he should be too consistent\safe\boring for Selt, who is far from exciting - I may need to be paid to watch this dull fest. The double Wilson is another one that I doubt I will watch unless it goes close, but I can confidently predict a Wilson, and wouldn't be remotely surprised if G won. Just as with the Top Qrtr and ROS, a position needs to be taken with Robbo: he has been playing well enough to win it, but will he top this Quarter? If he doesn't I would favour Hawkins over the Wilsons, but I am not so sure about him in the semi vs either Jack or Carter as I question his bottle and over the longer distance ..... (ie the same reasons I expect him to be in the Qrtr Final )

The 4th Qrtr should be the easiest to predict, except that Judd struggles to get out of the 1st Round with a few 10-9's and a thrashing in my very poor memory. The rest of the Quarter is a bit ho hum to me but if Judd does flop out: Davis is capable of beating Murphy, but I can not see him in the Semi, similarly Gould and Wakelin. My question marks on the Seeded Players are that Murphy seems past it and has a bit of the Colin Montgomery about him ie picking out all the reasons he could lose, rather than just playing and winning. Yan is still young and a bit up and down, while Gilbert is quite solid, but has a question mark about choking.... With the rest a bit mediocre (compared to the other Qrtrs) Judd has to be the pick to reach the Semi, if he wins his first match.

I hope that muddies the water for those of you yet to pick your team, and mega thanks for running this again

For those of you with Betfair etc: if you expect a match to be close and the outsider is 2-1 you can put x - to return 3x and then when the fave get to evens you can put x on at Evens, guaranteeing 2x being paid whoever wins. Obviously the maffs is a bit different on other odds, but the principle remains and Betfair allows to store bets ie it happens when the criteria of the second are met. Other sites may have the save a bet feature......

[blahblah]

Bstrd!!!!! I had a good lot for 201

[blahblah]

I think that the seedings (1 to 32) adding up to over 40 works?

[Darbyand]

Ronnie is playing Mark Joyce not Mike, the former drummer with The Smiths.

[blahblah]

Well McCullough and Cope have quit )