The fifth edition of the UK Open Pool Championship takes place from May 26-31 in Brentwood, England as 256 players compete for the $40,000 top prize.
Singapore’s Aloysius Yapp returns as defending champion, having emphatically defeated Jonas Souto Comino 13-1 in last year’s final, with Souto Comino providing a return as a 100/1 each-way selection.
UK Open Pool Championship 2026 betting tips
- Naoyuki Oi to win the UK Open Championship – 50/1 E/W Ladbrokes 1/2
- Daniel Maciol to win the UK Open Championship – 66/1 E/W Ladbrokes 1/2
- Fraser Patrick to win the UK Open Championship – 500/1 E/W Ladbrokes 1/2
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Despite Aloysius Yapp going on a rampage and commanding the open championships last season, a dominance which commenced at the UK Open and concluded with an elusive US Open title, these style of events will continue to offer value.
No one quite rivalled the incredible 2024 underdog stories of 100/1 shots Mickey Krause and Robbie Capito last year, although Spain’s Jonas Souto Comino was a beaten finalist as a 100/1 outsider at this very tournament. It remains a breeding ground for players to emerge into the spotlight.
Japan’s Naoyuki Oi is someone more than capable of finally capturing that elusive major accolade in England. Oi had been on the scene for more than two decades before breaking his duck at the Helsinki Open two years ago, then doubling his WNT title tally at January’s Carabao International Open.
A European Open runner-up 14 months ago, only derailed in Bosnia and Herzegovina by a relentless Joshua Filler, Oi will be one of the favourites once again. His breaking ability suggests that he will always be there or thereabouts, and he’s able to overcome anyone should he find his stroke during the early rounds.
Also in the middle band of players are Hanoi Open champion Pijus Labutis (50/1), World Championship semi-finalist Wojciech Szewczyk (50/1) and Hungary’s Oliver Szolnoki (66/1), twice a champion on the tour in recent weeks, although Poland’s Daniel Maciol is the stand out name.
Much like the vast majority of Polish players due to their rigorous training regimes, Maciol is ultra consistent. His only two international appearances this year came at the Las Vegas Open and the World 8-Ball Championship, two completely different formats, but his two quarter-finals there provide enough evidence that he’s hitting the balls well heading to the UK.
Meanwhile, Ronel Nalaunan of the Philippines was a name which leaped off the page as a two-time runner-up on the tour this season. He would’ve been an immediate selection at 100/1, although he has since been dragged in to 66/1, perhaps too short for someone making their European debut and inexperienced in Matchroom majors.
On the other hand, someone who was too hard to pass over is Fraser Patrick, who has thrown all of his eggs in the nineball basket having once competed on the professional snooker tour. A UK Open quarter-finalist last year and a ranking event runner-up during his recent trip stateside, Scotland’s Patrick could offer value at a staggering 500/1.
Patrick beat talented players such as Jani Uski, Liu Ri-Teng and Georgi Georgiev 12 months ago in the West Midlands and was only narrowly denied by Denmark’s Mickey Krause. Him finding his best stuff and receiving a favourable draw could see him into the latter stages once more.
UK Open Pool Championship 2026 selected odds
Fedor Gorst 6/1
Joshua Filler 8/1
Aloysius Yapp 10/1
Francisco Sanchez Ruiz 10/1
James Aranas 10/1
Robbie Capito 12/1
Jayson Shaw 14/1
Moritz Neuhausen 16/1
David Alcaide 25/1
Mario He 25/1
Bernie Regalario 33/1
AJ Manas 33/1
Harry Vergara 33/1
Jefrey Roda 33/1
Wiktor Zielinski 33/1
Albert Januarta 50/1
Duong Quoc Hoang 50/1
Kledio Kaci 50/1
Marc Bijsterbosch 50/1
Pijus Labutis 50/1
Wojciech Szewczyk 50/1
Naoyuki Oi 50/1
Niels Feijen 50/1
Alex Kazakis 66/1
Oliver Szolnoki 66/1
Chris Melling 66/1
Daniel Maciol 66/1
Denis Grabe 66/1
Gary Wilson 66/1
Konrad Juszczyszyn 66/1
Luong Duc Thien 66/1
Max Lechner 66/1
Ronel Nalaunan 66/1
Arseni Sevastyanov 80/1
Mohammad Soufi 80/1
Tyler Styer 80/1
Emil Gangflot 100/1
Jonas Souto Comino 100/1
Mustafa Alnar 100/1
Stuart Bingham 100/1
Thorsten Hohmann 100/1
Tobias Bongers 100/1
Casper Matikainen 150/1
Ralf Souquet 150/1
Yannick Pongers 150/1
Can Salim 200/1
Elliott Sanderson 200/1
Francesco Candela 200/1
Mika van Berkel 200/1
Sam Henderson 200/1
Szymon Kural 200/1
George Antonakis 200/1
Dean Shields 300/1
Dimitris Loukatos 300/1
Jeremy Sossei 300/1
Sullivan Clark 300/1
Fraser Patrick 500/1
Lukas Fracasso-Verner 500/1
Nathan Childress 500/1
All odds via Ladbrokes and correct at time of publishing
