The best snooker players in the world travel to Alexandra Palace in London this month for The Masters. Check out all the details below, courtesy of Flashscore.
What, when and where?
The Masters is one of the most renowned snooker tournaments in the world and it is held annually in London, England, at Alexandra Palace.
Previously, it has been hosted at venues like Wembley Arena.
The Masters is one of snooker's 'Triple Crown' series, alongside the World Championship and UK Championship.
Although it is not a ranking event, it does hold huge significance in the snooker world.
It is an invitation-only tournament that features the 16 best snooker players in the world, making it an elite event.
The Masters also carries a hefty purse for winners.
The 2025 iteration of the tournament will take place between the dates of January 12th and 19th.
Overview
As mentioned, The Masters is scheduled start on January 12th and will be held at Alexandra Palace in London.
Alexandra Palace - or Ally Pally - is known for hosting many socially significant events, such as music gigs, art exhibitions, trade shows and, obviously, sports competitions.
The Masters is perhaps the most prestigious event Ally Pally hosts, but the PDC World Darts Championship is also held in the same venue (as of 2008).
The prize money for the winner is £350,000, with the other finalist receiving £140,000.
£75,000 will be awarded to those beaten in the semi-finals and the defeated quarter-finalists will get £40,000.
Defeat in the first round will see players handed £25,000.
Whoever manages the highest break will also be awarded an additional £15,000.
The most recent winner is Ronnie O'Sullivan, who beat compatriot Ali Carter in the 2024 final.
The highest break at the previous tournament (147) was split between Northern Ireland's Mark Allen and Chinese star Ding Junhui.
Recent winners of The Masters include Judd Trump, Neil Robertson, Yan Bingtao and Stuart Bingham.
The record number of wins is held by O'Sullivan (eight), with Mark Selby the closest active snooker player to 'The Rocket' with three wins.
Scotland's Stephen Hendry, who came out of retirement in 2020 after eight years, has a total of six wins, but he once again retired in 2024, stating "the body is not performing like my brain wants it to".
Winners with at least three titles
Eight wins: Ronnie O'Sullivan
Six wins: Stephen Hendry
Three wins: Mark Selby, Steve Davis, Paul Hunter, Cliff Thorburn
Preview
It could go one of many ways, but the favourites to lift the trophy this year following O'Sullivan's withdrawal are Judd Trump, the aforementioned Selby, Allen and Ding, as well as Kyren Wilson and Shaun Murphy.
'The Rocket' was aiming to defend his title, but he has since been replaced by Neil Robertson.
UK betting sites' favourite to claim the crown is Trump - who bet365 have at 11/4 odds to win.
List of players involved: Judd Trump, Mark Selby, Mark Allen, Luca Brecel, Kyren Wilson, Shaun Murphy, Ding Junhui, Mark Williams, John Higgins, Si Jiahui, Barry Hawkins, Zhang Anda, Chris Wakelin, Ali Carter, Gary Wilson, Neil Robertson
Draw, schedule and results
First round
Sunday, January 12th
Neil Robertson 6-5 John Higgins
Monday, January 13th
Tuesday, January 14th
Wednesday, January 15th
Quarter-finals
Thursday, January 16th
Neil Robertson 2-6 Shaun Murphy
Friday, January 17th
Semi-finals
Saturday, January 18th
Final
Sunday, January 19th
Shaun Murphy 10-7 Kyren Wilson
Round one will take place between the dates of Sunday, January 12th and Wednesday, January 15th.
The winners will compete in the quarter-finals, which are scheduled to take place across Thursday, January 16th and Friday, January 17th.
The semi-finals will follow on Saturday, January 18th, with one being played at 13:00 GMT and the other at 19:00 GMT.
The final will be played on Sunday, January 19th, starting at 13:00 GMT and being played across two sessions.
The Masters follows a knockout format as players compete in best-of-11 frame fixtures in the early rounds.
The final, however, is best-of-19 frames to decide who will lift the trophy.
Where to watch
What TV channel can you watch The Masters on? Well, it will be shown live on the BBC and Eurosport. Those in the UK can also watch via BBC iPlayer apps.
If you're unable to follow the fixtures as they happen on TV, Flashscore will also provide live scores and results.
Prize money
The total prize money for The Masters this year is £1,015,000.
As previously mentioned, the purse for the champion is £350,000 and the runner-up will receive £140,000.
Semi-finalists will get £75,000 each, whereas quarter-finalists will pick up £40,000.
Defeat in the first round will get you £25,000 and whoever manages the highest break will also be awarded £15,000.
The total prize money has broken £1 million for the first time, as 2024's total was £725,000 - a significant jump.
The prize money was consistent between 2020 and 2024, with the winner taking home a quarter of a million pounds.
In 2019, the total prize money was set at £600,000 and the winner would pick up a third of it.
In 2014, as a result of the commercial success of The Masters, the total prize money was increased to £600,000 from half a million pounds.
The final
The final will be a best-of-19-frames affair, meaning the first player to win ten frames will lift the trophy.
The final will be played across two sessions, with the afternoon session typically scheduled to start at 13:00 GMT and the evening session beginning around 19:00 GMT.
The afternoon session should last for around three to four hours, allowing the players to rest between the two sessions.
The evening session often lasts a little longer than the earlier one, especially if the final is particularly competitive.
In short, it's an all-day event - so clear your schedule!