The World Championship is the oldest, richest and most prestigious tournament in snooker. The event dates back to 1927 when Joe Davis beat Tom Dennis in the final. He had bought the famous trophy with half of the entry funds, leaving him with the sum of £6 and 10s...a far cry from today's top prize of £250,000. Since 1977, the tournament has been held at the renowned Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, which has established itself as the home of the event and will continue to stage it until at least 2015. Lasting 17 days, it's one of the longest events in sport. The drama and tension build to a thrilling climax with the best-of-35 frame final. The tournament has been sponsored by leading bookmaker Betfred.com since 2009.

Listed on Ents24.com since: Oct 2011