Gentleman Joe can steal the show in one-frame bonanza
It is fair to say the Betway Snooker Shootout is a tricky one to predict.
64 players turn up at Blackpool, each round is drawn at random and matches are played over just one frame.
However, a pattern is emerging over the type of player that wins this event and Joe Perry fits the mold to a tea.
Since the reintroduction of this tournament in 2011, no superstar of the game has lifted the trophy and pocketed the substantial winner’s cheque (£32,000 this time around).
Nigel Bond was the first to triumph four years ago and since then the unlikely trio of Barry Hawkins, Martin Gould and Dominic Dale have got their mitts on the prize.
Hawkins may be a well-established top 10 player these days but the other three are certainly not and most would describe that particular triumvirate as past their peak.
They do all seem to have similar qualities, though and this is what is key to picking a winner this week.
They are vastly experienced thanks to hundreds of matches played around the world over lengthy careers.
This experience has given them the knowledge of exactly when to attack and when to defend in a match where everything is on the line, there are no second chances in the shootout.
The younger generation, whilst they clearly know a thing or two about tactics, will not have it as deeply engrained as these veterans.
Secondly, and arguably more importantly, for these players who rarely, if ever, compete for major titles, the Betway Snooker Shootout becomes an important event for their careers.
There may be no ranking points on offer in Blackpool but there is plenty of money to be won and for those outside the game’s elite that is very valuable indeed.
The less glamorous names may take this tournament a tad more seriously than the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump who are the favourites to win it.
So, amid the chaos of the Shootout, we are looking for a seasoned, solid pro who will be keen for victory this week and preferably with a bit of form and confidence behind him.
This is where Gentleman Joe Perry comes to the fore.
The 40-year-old has been plugging away as a professional since 1991 and has actually enjoyed some of the best results of his career over the last couple of years.
He won the first ranking title of his career in 2013 at the Yixing Open and then the second this January at the Xuzhou Open.
He also managed a very respectable quarter-final berth at the Gdynia Open last weekend.
The £32,000 first prize would be one of the biggest of his long career and Perry will be very keen to add it to his bank balance this week.
He fits the profile of a Betway Snooker Shootout winner; he has a favourable first round draw against Mike Dunn and he is priced at a massive 40/1. Perry has to be our man this week.
Joe Perry to win @ 40/1
