Those punters looking to bet on other sports will welcome the start of the 2008 Snooker World Championships.

The event has produced six different winners in the last six years and the season's showpiece tournament might just see another player lifting the trophy on May 5th.

Mark Selby is one of the tour's form men and has fully earned his second place in the tournament winner's market. The 'Jester from Leicester' was runner-up to John Higgins last year and there is every reason to think he can cap off his breakthrough season by going one better this time around.

He followed a semi final appearance in December's UK Championship with a stunning all-round display to claim the Masters a month later. Nerveless displays in claiming three final frame deciders were just the precursor to the 10-3 demolition of Stephen Lee in the final, which left no one in any doubt that Selby possesses both the battling qualities and fluency in the balls required to grab the biggest prize.

Ronnie O'Sullivan was left unamused by the Jester's antics in winning the last four frames to win the Welsh Open final and punters seem to be expecting the pair to renew their rivalry in the World final, being in opposite sides of the draw.

The draw favours another prospective new champion, Stephen Maguire. Unfortunately Graham Dott appears unlikely to justify his ranking in the bottom half of matches, leaving 'On-fire Maguire' a clearer path to a potential semi final shoot-out with Selby.

Maguire beat arch-rival Shaun Murphy in the final of the last ranking tournament, the China Open, an event which not only proved that the Scot is in the right frame of mind to succeed at Sheffield, but also that O'Sullivan is not.

Another contoversial media fall-out has left the temperamental maestro licking his wounds and John Higgins and Marco Fu look to be better prospects in the top half of the draw.

The most sedate yet dramatic sporting event of the sporting calendar is nearly up on us, so sit back and see if the Jester finishes top of the pile.