{{Short description|Snooker tournament series}} {{Infobox snooker tournament |tournament_name = European Series |image = |country =Various European countries<br/>(majority within United Kingdom, Germany, and Gibraltar) |establishment = 2019 |organisation = World Snooker Tour |format = 8 ranking events |prizefund = £150,000 |final year =2024 |Current Champion = |Final Champion={{Flagathlete|Judd Trump|ENG}}}}
The '''European Series''' (as '''BetVictor European Series''' or simply '''BetVictor Series''' due to sponsorship reasons) was a snooker tournament series established in 2019.<ref name=est2019>{{cite web|url=https://wst.tv/betvictor-european-series-takes-world-snooker-tours-overall-prize-money-to-record-level/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200109153608/https://wst.tv/betvictor-european-series-takes-world-snooker-tours-overall-prize-money-to-record-level/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 9, 2020|title=BetVictor European Series Takes World Snooker Tour's Overall Prize Money To Record Level|publisher=World Snooker|date=26 September 2019}}</ref> It was expanded from four tournaments in the 2019–20 season to six tournaments in the 2020–21 season and then to eight tournaments from the 2021–22 season.<ref name="23-24-format">{{cite web |title=BetVictor and World Snooker Tour Renew Sponsorship Agreement |last=García |first=Jerome |date=20 June 2023 |url=https://www.gamblingnews.com/news/betvictor-and-world-snooker-tour-renew-sponsorship-agreement/ |publisher= Gambling News |access-date=10 August 2023 }}</ref> The player who wins the most cumulative prize money in European Series events each season receives a bonus prize of £150,000;<ref name="add2020">{{cite web|date=28 June 2021|title=BetVictor extends involvement with WST|url=https://wst.tv/betvictor-extends-involvement-with-wst/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628111424/https://wst.tv/betvictor-extends-involvement-with-wst/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 28, 2021|publisher=World Snooker}}</ref> 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. It was discontinued as the European Masters was dropped for the 2024-25 season, and the BetVictor Bonus was awarded to the player who earned the most across the Home Nations Series instead.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |date=2025-02-15 |title=Neil Robertson wins Home Nations Series BetVictor Bonus prize and collects £150,000 |url=https://www.totallysnookered.com/sport/snooker/players/neil-robertson-wins-home-nations-series-betvictor-bonus-prize-and-collects-ps150000-4992704#:~:text=The%20BetVictor%20Bonus%20has%20been,Northern%20Ireland,%20Scottish%20and%20Welsh |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=Totally Snookered |language=en}}</ref>
== Events == The BetVictor European Series was established in 2019, and initially consisted of four tournaments: European Masters, German Masters, Shoot Out, and Gibraltar Open.<ref name=est2019/>
For the 2020–21 season, the Championship League and Welsh Open were included.<ref name=add2020/>
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.<ref name="add2020" />
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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wst.tv/betvictor-continues-partnership-with-world-snooker-tour/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701121657/https://wst.tv/betvictor-continues-partnership-with-world-snooker-tour/|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 1, 2022|title=BetVictor Continues Partnership with World Snooker Tour|website=World Snooker Tour|date=1 July 2022|accessdate=18 July 2022}}</ref>
The series' sponsor, BetVictor, downsized its sponsorship for the 2024-25 season, leaving only the Home Nations Series events and the Championship League to its name, but retained the BetVictor Bonus prize for the best-performing player across the Home Nation Series.<ref name=":5" /> Snooker Shoot Out was taken up by 9club, another online gambling platform; German Masters by Machineseeker, in which the European Series title can still be seen on WST's promotional material; whereas the European Masters was discontinued since.
== Series winners == 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,<ref name=":0" /> 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.<ref name=":1" />
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.<ref name=":2" />
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.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213121930/https://wst.tv/betvictor-bonus-battle-live-blog/|url=https://wst.tv/betvictor-bonus-battle-live-blog/|title=BetVictor Bonus Battle Live Blog|website=wst.tv| url-status=dead|archivedate=13 February 2023|date=20 February 2023}}</ref>
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.<ref name=":4" />
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ ! scope="col" | Season ! scope="col" | Winner ! scope="col" | Bonus prize ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{abbr|Ref.|References}} |- ! scope="row" | 2019–20 |align="left" data-sort-value="Trump, Judd"|{{flagathlete|Judd Trump|ENG}} | align="center" | £150,000 | align="center" | <ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=15 March 2020|title=Six Of The Best – Trump Sets New Record|url=https://wst.tv/six-of-the-best-trump-sets-new-record|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200321131843/https://wst.tv/six-of-the-best-trump-sets-new-record/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 21, 2020|website=World Snooker Tour}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" | 2020–21 |align="left" data-sort-value="Trump, Judd"|{{flagathlete|Judd Trump|ENG}} | align="center" | £150,000 | align="center" | <ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=5 March 2021|title=Selby Loss Hands Trump Series Bonus|url=https://www.wst.tv/news/2021/march/05/selby-loss-hands-trump-series-bonus|website=World Snooker Tour}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" | 2021–22 |align="left" data-sort-value="Higgins, John"|{{flagathlete|John Higgins|SCO}} | align="center" | £150,000 | align="center" | <ref name=":2">{{Cite web|date=26 March 2022|title=BetVictor £150,000 Bonus Goes To Higgins|url=https://www.wst.tv/news/2022/march/26/betvictor-150000-bonus-goes-to-higgins|website=World Snooker Tour}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" | 2022–23 |align="left" data-sort-value="Milkins, Robert"|{{flagathlete|Robert Milkins|ENG}} | align="center" | £150,000 | align="center" | <ref name=":3">{{Cite web|date=19 February 2023|title=Bob Bonanza: Milkins Wins Title And Bonus|url=https://www.wst.tv/news/2023/february/19/bob-bonanza-mikins-wins-title-and-bonus|website=World Snooker Tour}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" | 2023–24 |align="left" data-sort-value="Trump, Judd"|{{flagathlete|Judd Trump|ENG}} | align="center" | £150,000 | align="center" | <ref name=":4">{{Cite web|date=1 February 2024|title=Trump Lands BV Bonus With Event To Spare|url=https://www.wst.tv/news/2024/february/01/trump-lands-bv-bonus-with-event-to-spare|website=World Snooker Tour}}</ref> |- | colspan="4" |''Bonus awarded to the Home Nation Series winner from the 2024-25 season'' |}
==Results== {| class="wikitable" |- ! style="text-align: center; background-color: #56d3f3" | Season ! style="text-align: center; background-color: #56d3f3" | Tournament ! style="text-align: center; background-color: #56d3f3" | City ! style="text-align: center; background-color: #56d3f3" | Winner ! style="text-align: center; background-color: #56d3f3" | Score ! style="text-align: center; background-color: #56d3f3" | Runner-up |- |colspan=6| |- |rowspan=4|2019–20 | European Masters | Dornbirn | {{flagathlete|Neil Robertson|AUS}} | style="text-align: center" | 9–0 | {{flagathlete|Zhou Yuelong|CHN}} |- | German Masters | Berlin | {{flagathlete|Judd Trump|ENG}} | style="text-align: center" | 9–6 | {{flagathlete|Neil Robertson|AUS}} |- | Shoot Out | Watford | {{flagathlete|Michael Holt|ENG}} | style="text-align: center" | 1–0 (64–1) | {{flagathlete|Zhou Yuelong|CHN}} |- | Gibraltar Open | Gibraltar | {{flagathlete|Judd Trump|ENG}} | style="text-align: center" | 4–3 | {{flagathlete|Kyren Wilson|ENG}} |- |colspan=6| |- |rowspan=6| 2020–21 | European Masters | Milton Keynes | {{flagathlete|Mark Selby|ENG}} | style="text-align: center" | 9–8 | {{flagathlete|Martin Gould|ENG}} |- | Championship League | Milton Keynes | {{flagathlete|Kyren Wilson|ENG}} | style="text-align: center" | 3–1 | {{flagathlete|Judd Trump|ENG}} |- | German Masters | Milton Keynes | {{flagathlete|Judd Trump|ENG}} | style="text-align: center" | 9–2 | {{flagathlete|Jack Lisowski|ENG}} |- | Shoot Out | Milton Keynes | {{flagathlete|Ryan Day|WAL}} | style="text-align: center" | 1–0 (67–24) | {{flagathlete|Mark Selby|ENG}} |- | Welsh Open | Newport | {{flagathlete|Jordan Brown|NIR}} | style="text-align: center" | 9–8 | {{flagathlete|Ronnie O'Sullivan|ENG}} |- | Gibraltar Open | Milton Keynes | {{flagathlete|Judd Trump|ENG}} | style="text-align: center" | 4–0 | {{flagathlete|Jack Lisowski|ENG}} |- |colspan=6| |- | rowspan="8" | 2021–22 | Northern Ireland Open | Belfast | {{flagathlete|Mark Allen|NIR}} | style="text-align: center" | 9–8 | {{flagathlete|John Higgins|SCO}} |- | English Open | Milton Keynes | {{flagathlete|Neil Robertson|AUS}} | style="text-align: center" | 9–8 | {{flagathlete|John Higgins|SCO}} |- | Scottish Open | Llandudno | {{flagathlete|Luca Brecel|BEL}} | style="text-align: center" | 9–5 | {{flagathlete|John Higgins|SCO}} |- | Shoot Out | Leicester | {{flagathlete|Hossein Vafaei|IRN}} | style="text-align: center" | 1–0 (71–0) | {{flagathlete|Mark Williams|WAL}} |- | German Masters | Berlin | {{flagathlete|Zhao Xintong|CHN}} | style="text-align: center" | 9–0 | {{flagathlete|Yan Bingtao|CHN}} |- | European Masters | Milton Keynes | {{flagathlete|Fan Zhengyi|CHN}} | style="text-align: center" | 10–9 | {{flagathlete|Ronnie O'Sullivan|ENG}} |- | Welsh Open | Newport | {{flagathlete|Joe Perry|ENG}} | style="text-align: center" | 9–5 | {{flagathlete|Judd Trump|ENG}} |- | Gibraltar Open | Gibraltar | {{flagathlete|Robert Milkins|ENG}} | style="text-align: center" | 4–2 | {{flagathlete|Kyren Wilson|ENG}} |- |colspan=6| |- | rowspan="8" | 2022–23 | Championship League | Leicester | {{flagathlete|Luca Brecel|BEL}} | style="text-align: center" | 3–1 | {{flagathlete|Lu Ning|CHN}} |- | European Masters | Fürth | {{flagathlete|Kyren Wilson|ENG}} | style="text-align: center" | 9–3 | {{flagathlete|Barry Hawkins|ENG}} |- | Northern Ireland Open | Belfast | {{Flagathlete|Mark Allen|NIR}} | style="text-align: center" | 9–4 | {{Flagathlete|Zhou Yuelong|CHN}} |- | Scottish Open | Edinburgh | {{flagathlete|Gary Wilson|ENG}} | style="text-align: center" | 9–2 | {{flagathlete|Joe O'Connor|ENG}} |- | English Open | Brentwood | {{flagathlete|Mark Selby|ENG}} | style="text-align: center" | 9–6 | {{flagathlete|Luca Brecel|BEL}} |- | Shoot Out | Leicester | {{flagathlete|Chris Wakelin|ENG}} | style="text-align: center" | 1–0 (119–0) | {{flagathlete|Julien Leclercq|BEL}} |- | German Masters | Berlin | {{flagathlete|Ali Carter|ENG}} | style="text-align: center" | 10–3 | {{flagathlete|Tom Ford|ENG}} |- | Welsh Open | Llandudno | {{flagathlete|Robert Milkins|ENG}} | style="text-align: center" | 9–7 | {{flagathlete|Shaun Murphy|ENG}} |- |colspan=6| |- | rowspan="8" | 2023–24 | Championship League | Leicester | {{flagathlete|Shaun Murphy|ENG}} | style="text-align: center" | 3–0 | {{flagathlete|Mark Williams|WAL}} |- | European Masters | Nuremberg | {{flagathlete|Barry Hawkins|ENG}} | style="text-align: center" | 9–6 | {{flagathlete|Judd Trump|ENG}} |- | English Open | Brentwood | {{flagathlete|Judd Trump|ENG}} | style="text-align: center" | 9–7 | {{flagathlete|Zhang Anda|CHN}} |- | Northern Ireland Open | Belfast | {{flagathlete|Judd Trump|ENG}} | style="text-align: center" | 9–3 | {{flagathlete|Chris Wakelin|ENG}} |- | Shoot Out | Swansea | {{flagathlete|Mark Allen|NIR}} | style="text-align: center" | 1–0 (65–4) | {{flagathlete|Cao Yupeng|CHN}} |- | Scottish Open | Edinburgh | {{flagathlete|Gary Wilson|ENG}} | style="text-align: center" | 9–5 | {{flagathlete|Noppon Saengkham|THA}} |- | German Masters | Berlin | {{flagathlete|Judd Trump|ENG}} | style="text-align: center" | 10–5 | {{flagathlete|Si Jiahui|CHN}} |- | Welsh Open | Llandudno | {{flagathlete|Gary Wilson|ENG}} | style="text-align: center" | 9–4 | {{flagathlete|Martin O'Donnell|ENG}} |}
==Statistics== ===Tournament winners=== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" ! Player ! Total ! {{vert header|mw=30px|stp=1| Northern Ireland Open}} ! {{vert header|mw=30px|stp=1| English Open}} ! {{vert header|mw=30px|stp=1| Scottish Open}} ! {{vert header|mw=30px|stp=1| Shoot Out}} ! {{vert header|mw=30px|stp=1| German Masters}} ! {{vert header|mw=30px|stp=1| European Masters}} ! {{vert header|mw=30px|stp=1| Welsh Open}} ! {{vert header|mw=30px|stp=1| Gibraltar Open}} ! {{vert header|mw=30px|stp=1| Championship League}} !style="width:50px;"|Winning<br />span |- |align="left" data-sort-value="Trump, Judd"|{{flagathlete|Judd Trump|ENG}} |7||1||1||0||0||3||0||0||2||0||2020–2024 |- |align="left" data-sort-value="Allen, Mark"|{{flagathlete|Mark Allen|NIR}} |3||2||0||0||1||0||0||0||0||0||2021–2023 |- |align="left" data-sort-value="Wilson, Gary"|{{flagathlete|Gary Wilson|ENG}} |3||0||0||2||0||0||0||1||0||0||2022–2024 |- |align="left" data-sort-value="Robertson, Neil"|{{flagathlete|Neil Robertson|AUS}} |2||0||1||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||2020–2021 |- |align="left" data-sort-value="Brecel, Luca"|{{flagathlete|Luca Brecel|BEL}} |2||0||0||1||0||0||0||0||0||1||2021–2022 |- |align="left" data-sort-value="Wilson, Kyren"|{{flagathlete|Kyren Wilson|ENG}} |2||0||0||0||0||0||1||0||0||1||2020–2022 |- |align="left" data-sort-value="Selby, Mark"|{{flagathlete|Mark Selby|ENG}} |2||0||1||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||2020–2022 |- |align="left" data-sort-value="Milkins, Robert"|{{flagathlete|Robert Milkins|ENG}} |2||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||1||0||2022–2023 |- |align="left" data-sort-value="Holt, Michael"|{{flagathlete|Michael Holt|ENG}} |1||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||0||0||2020 |- |align="left" data-sort-value="Day, Ryan"|{{flagathlete|Ryan Day|WAL}} |1||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||0||0||2021 |- |align="left" data-sort-value="Brown, Jordan"|{{flagathlete|Jordan Brown|NIR}} |1||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||0||0||2021 |- |align="left" data-sort-value="Vafaei, Hossein"|{{flagathlete|Hossein Vafaei|IRN}} |1||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||0||0||2022 |- |align="left" data-sort-value="Zhao, Xintong"|{{flagathlete|Zhao Xintong|CHN}} |1||0||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||0||2022 |- |align="left" data-sort-value="Fan, Zhengyi"|{{flagathlete|Fan Zhengyi|CHN}} |1||0||0||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||2022 |- |align="left" data-sort-value="Perry, Joe"|{{flagathlete|Joe Perry|ENG}} |1||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||0||0||2022 |- |align="left" data-sort-value="Wakelin, Chris"|{{flagathlete|Chris Wakelin|ENG}} |1||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||0||0||2023 |- |align="left" data-sort-value="Carter, Ali"|{{flagathlete|Ali Carter|ENG}} |1||0||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||0||2023 |- |align="left" data-sort-value="Murphy, Shaun"|{{flagathlete|Shaun Murphy|ENG}} |1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||2023 |- |align="left" data-sort-value="Hawkins, Barry"|{{flagathlete|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== {{reflist}}
{{European Series}}<!-- {{Northern Ireland Open (snooker)}} {{English Open (snooker)}}--> {{Scottish Open (snooker)}} {{Snooker Shoot Out|Shoot Out}} {{German Masters}} {{European Masters}} {{Welsh Open (snooker)|Welsh Open}} {{Gibraltar Open}} {{Championship League}} {{Snooker tournaments}}
Category:European Series Category:Snooker competitions in the United Kingdom * Category:Snooker tours and series Category:Snooker competitions in Europe