The 2026 Halo World Snooker Championship runs from 18 April to 4 May (local time) at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, United Kingdom.

It is the premier snooker competition, with the world’s best players testing themselves to be crowned the best of the best.

This year’s edition will be extra special, as it will be the 50th consecutive year the event has been staged at the Crucible, which has become synonymous and iconic with the sport.

Quick Picks 

Our pick: Trump to win

Value bet: Xintong to win in the each-way

Long shot: Higgins in the each-way to reach the final

Betting Preview

The field features the top 16 seeds plus 16 qualifiers, making the main event a 32-player knockout.

The tournament remains the season’s final ranking event, so it has major consequences for rankings, form, and momentum heading into the next campaign.

The prize fund totals £2,395,000 (approx. AU$4,556,798.85), with £500,000 (AU$951,315) for the winner and £200,000 (AU$380,526) for the runner-up.

Zhao Xintong will enter as the defending champion, having won it last year.

He defeated Mark Williams with a dominant 18-12 victory in the 2025 final, which included an early lead and strong resistance against the Welsh veteran who tried his best to stage a comeback.

Zhao had been competing as an amateur post-ban and won his first world title.

However, there’s a “Curse” at the Crucible that he’ll be aware of. No first-time champion has retained the title since the event moved to the Crucible in 1977.

Betting Markets to Watch

Naturally, many of the leading names in the sport of snooker will be involved in the 2026 Halo World Snooker Championship, leading to value to be found in the available betting odds.

Despite the “curse”, Zhao Xintong is considered the betting favourite pre-event, with his odds relatively short. This is because he has been in outstanding form.

He has dominated the 2025/26 season with back-to-back ranking titles: the World Grand Prix (10-6 over Zhang Anda) and Players Championship (10-7 over John Higgins), marking his fourth and fifth career ranking wins and remains unbeaten in finals.

His scoring ability sees him as a favourite.

This is why we think there’s better value in Judd Trump’s early odds.

Slightly longer than Xintong, Trump has made consistent runs at the Crucible, including multiple semis and a final.

He holds the world No. 1 ranking status with multiple deep tournament runs this season.

Our Prediction

Check the latest 2026 Halo World Snooker Championship betting odds at Sportsbet.

We think the most likely winner of this year’s competition is Trump, as the “Curse” could strike again and stop Xintong from becoming a back-to-back champion.

If you’re looking for additional value amid the “curse”, then John Higgins offers value as an each-way bet.

Higgins' Crucible pedigree shines, as he is a four-time champion with recent quarters and semi appearances, while 10-year trends favour veterans over 45 for deep runs, as with Williams last year.

His current seed (No. 5) provides an easier early-draw path.