Tournament information | |
---|---|
Venue | Morningside Arena |
Location | Leicester |
Country | England |
Established | 1990 |
Organisation(s) | World Snooker Tour |
Format | Ranking event |
Total prize fund | £171,000 |
Recent edition | 2023 |
Current champion | Mark Allen (NIR) |
The Snooker Shoot Out is a professional snooker tournament played under a variation of the standard rules. Each match consists of one frame, played over a maximum of 10 minutes, with a shot clock in effect. First staged in 1990 as the Shoot-Out, the event was revived in 2011 and renamed the Snooker Shoot Out. Held from 2011 to 2016 as a non-ranking event with 64 competitors, it became a ranking event in 2017 for an expanded field of 128 players.[1]
The event is notable for its wildcard entrants, including young amateur players. Liam Davies first competed in 2019 when he was 12 years old, making him the youngest player to feature in a professional ranking event.[2] At the 2023 edition, 14-year-old Vladislav Gradinari became the youngest player to win a televised match at a ranking event, beating Ng On Yee in the first round, continuing his run by beating Pan American Snooker Champion Victor Sarkis, reaching last 32 before losing to Tom Ford[3] and Reanne Evans became the first female player to achieve the same feat.[4] The current champion is Mark Allen, who defeated Cao Yupeng in December 2023 to become the first top 16 player to win the Shoot Out.[5] Stuart Bingham, Mark Selby, and Mark Williams have also all reached finals.[6]
Unlike other major snooker tournaments, the audience does not remain silent during play, and the event has become known for its boisterous atmosphere.[7]