The BetVictor European Series is a snooker tournament series established in 2019.[1] It was expanded from four tournaments in the 2019–20 season to six tournaments in the 2020–21 season and then to eight tournaments for the 2021–22 season, the 2022–23 season and the 2023–24 season.[2] The player who wins the most cumulative prize money in European Series events each season receives a bonus prize of £150,000.[3] Judd Trump won the bonus prize in the first two and the fifth seasons, while John Higgins took the bonus in the third season, and Robert Milkins claimed it in the fourth.

BetVictor European Series
Tournament information
Established2019
Organisation(s)World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association
FormatRanking events
Total prize fund£150,000
Current champion Judd Trump (ENG)

Events

edit

The BetVictor European Series was established in 2019, and initially consisted of four tournaments: European Masters, German Masters, Shoot Out, Gibraltar Open.[1]

For the 2020–21 season, the Championship League and Welsh Open were included.[3]

For the 2021–22 season, the other three Home Nations Series events (Northern Ireland Open, English Open, Scottish Open) were added, while the Championship League was removed, bringing the total number of events in the series to eight.[3]

For the 2022–23 season, the European Series has been renamed to the BetVictor Series. The Championship League has been re-added to the series, whereas the Gibraltar Open has been removed.[4]

For the 2023–24 season, the format and sponsorhip remains the same as the previous season.[2]

Series winners

edit

In the first two years of the bonus being awarded, Judd Trump was the only player to collect it. He won the series in the 2019–20 season after winning the 2020 Gibraltar Open in March,[5] and then again in the 2020–21 season after Mark Selby, the only other contender to win the series at the time, lost in the third round of the 2021 Gibraltar Open.[6]

In the 2021–22 season, eleven players remained in contention for the bonus at the outset of the series' final tournament, the 2022 Gibraltar Open. John Higgins was top of the list, ahead of Mark Allen on countback. Higgins won the £150,000 prize after the last remaining contender Ricky Walden, who needed to win the tournament to claim the bonus, lost in the semi-finals.[7]

Eleven players were also in contention for the bonus in the 2022–23 snooker season at the outset of the series' final event, the 2023 Welsh Open. Robert Milkins won the series by winning the tournament, edging over Ali Carter who was the series' leader at the beginning of the tournament.[8][9]

In the 2023–24 season, Judd Trump claimed the bonus for a third time with an event, the 2024 Welsh Open to spare, as he won the 2023 English and Northern Ireland Opens, as well as the 2024 German Masters, and was the runner-up of the 2023 European Masters.[10]

Season Winner Bonus prize Ref.
2019–20   Judd Trump (ENG) £150,000 [5]
2020–21   Judd Trump (ENG) £150,000 [6]
2021–22   John Higgins (SCO) £150,000 [7]
2022–23   Robert Milkins (ENG) £150,000 [8]
2023–24   Judd Trump (ENG) £150,000 [10]

Results

edit
Season Tournament City Winner Score Runner-up
2019–20 European Masters Dornbirn   Neil Robertson (AUS) 9–0   Zhou Yuelong (CHN)
German Masters Berlin   Judd Trump (ENG) 9–6   Neil Robertson (AUS)
Shoot Out Watford   Michael Holt (ENG) 1–0 (64–1)   Zhou Yuelong (CHN)
Gibraltar Open Gibraltar   Judd Trump (ENG) 4–3   Kyren Wilson (ENG)
2020–21 European Masters Milton Keynes   Mark Selby (ENG) 9–8   Martin Gould (ENG)
Championship League Milton Keynes   Kyren Wilson (ENG) 3–1   Judd Trump (ENG)
German Masters Milton Keynes   Judd Trump (ENG) 9–2   Jack Lisowski (ENG)
Shoot Out Milton Keynes   Ryan Day (WAL) 1–0 (67–24)   Mark Selby (ENG)
Welsh Open Newport   Jordan Brown (NIR) 9–8   Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)
Gibraltar Open Milton Keynes   Judd Trump (ENG) 4–0   Jack Lisowski (ENG)
2021–22 Northern Ireland Open Belfast   Mark Allen (NIR) 9–8   John Higgins (SCO)
English Open Milton Keynes   Neil Robertson (AUS) 9–8   John Higgins (SCO)
Scottish Open Llandudno   Luca Brecel (BEL) 9–5   John Higgins (SCO)
Shoot Out Leicester   Hossein Vafaei (IRN) 1–0 (71–0)   Mark Williams (WAL)
German Masters Berlin   Zhao Xintong (CHN) 9–0   Yan Bingtao (CHN)
European Masters Milton Keynes   Fan Zhengyi (CHN) 10–9   Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)
Welsh Open Newport   Joe Perry (ENG) 9–5   Judd Trump (ENG)
Gibraltar Open Gibraltar   Robert Milkins (ENG) 4–2   Kyren Wilson (ENG)
2022–23 Championship League Leicester   Luca Brecel (BEL) 3–1   Lu Ning (CHN)
European Masters Fürth   Kyren Wilson (ENG) 9–3   Barry Hawkins (ENG)
Northern Ireland Open Belfast   Mark Allen (NIR) 9–4   Zhou Yuelong (CHN)
Scottish Open Edinburgh   Gary Wilson (ENG) 9–2   Joe O'Connor (ENG)
English Open Brentwood   Mark Selby (ENG) 9–6   Luca Brecel (BEL)
Shoot Out Leicester   Chris Wakelin (ENG) 1–0 (119–0)   Julien Leclercq (BEL)
German Masters Berlin   Ali Carter (ENG) 10–3   Tom Ford (ENG)
Welsh Open Llandudno   Robert Milkins (ENG) 9–7   Shaun Murphy (ENG)
2023–24 Championship League Leicester   Shaun Murphy (ENG) 3–0   Mark Williams (WAL)
European Masters Nuremberg   Barry Hawkins (ENG) 9–6   Judd Trump (ENG)
English Open Brentwood   Judd Trump (ENG) 9–7   Zhang Anda (CHN)
Northern Ireland Open Belfast   Judd Trump (ENG) 9–3   Chris Wakelin (ENG)
Shoot Out Swansea   Mark Allen (NIR) 1–0 (65–4)   Cao Yupeng (CHN)
Scottish Open Edinburgh   Gary Wilson (ENG) 9–5   Noppon Saengkham (THA)
German Masters Berlin   Judd Trump (ENG) 10–5   Si Jiahui (CHN)
Welsh Open Llandudno   Gary Wilson (ENG) 9–4   Martin O'Donnell (ENG)

Statistics

edit

Tournament winners

edit
Player Total
Northern Ireland Open
Winning
span
  Judd Trump (ENG) 7 1 1 0 0 3 0 0 2 0 2020–2024
  Mark Allen (NIR) 3 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2021–2023
  Gary Wilson (ENG) 3 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 2022–2024
  Neil Robertson (AUS) 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2020–2021
  Luca Brecel (BEL) 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2021–2022
  Kyren Wilson (ENG) 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2020–2022
  Mark Selby (ENG) 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2020–2022
  Robert Milkins (ENG) 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2022–2023
  Michael Holt (ENG) 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2020
  Ryan Day (WAL) 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2021
  Jordan Brown (NIR) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2021
  Hossein Vafaei (IRN) 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2022
  Zhao Xintong (CHN) 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2022
  Fan Zhengyi (CHN) 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2022
  Joe Perry (ENG) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2022
  Chris Wakelin (ENG) 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2023
  Ali Carter (ENG) 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2023
  Shaun Murphy (ENG) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2023
  Barry Hawkins (ENG) 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2023
Total 32 3 3 2 4 5 5 4 3 3 2020–2024

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "BetVictor European Series Takes World Snooker Tour's Overall Prize Money To Record Level". World Snooker. 26 September 2019. Archived from the original on January 9, 2020.
  2. ^ a b García, Jerome (20 June 2023). "BetVictor and World Snooker Tour Renew Sponsorship Agreement". Gambling News. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "BetVictor extends involvement with WST". World Snooker. 28 June 2021. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021.
  4. ^ "BetVictor Continues Partnership with World Snooker Tour". World Snooker Tour. 1 July 2022. Archived from the original on July 1, 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Six Of The Best – Trump Sets New Record". World Snooker Tour. 15 March 2020. Archived from the original on March 21, 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Selby Loss Hands Trump Series Bonus". World Snooker Tour. 5 March 2021.
  7. ^ a b "BetVictor £150,000 Bonus Goes To Higgins". World Snooker Tour. 26 March 2022.
  8. ^ a b "Bob Bonanza: Milkins Wins Title And Bonus". World Snooker Tour. 19 February 2023.
  9. ^ "BetVictor Bonus Battle Live Blog". wst.tv. 20 February 2023. Archived from the original on 13 February 2023.
  10. ^ a b "Trump Lands BV Bonus With Event To Spare". World Snooker Tour. 1 February 2024.