The key talking points ahead of the UK Championship snooker, which begins in York this weekend, with Ronnie O'Sullivan looking for a record-extending ninth title

Everything you need to know a bout the UK Championship:

Triple Crown Status and Prize Money: The UK Championship is the first of the snooker season's coveted Triple Crown events, alongside The Masters and the World Championship. It offers a significant prize fund, with the winner taking home £250,000, confirming its status as one of the most lucrative titles on the tour.

Format and Venue: The tournament features a last 32 format, where the top 16 seeds play the 16 successful qualifiers in the first round. Matches up to the semi-final are the relatively short best-of-11 frames, while the final is a longer best-of-19 frames,

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