The bookies have to price up everything from Austrian archery to Zimbabwean zorb football. Whereas you and I can pick and choose what we bet on.

That means, for example, we can focus all our betting attention on something that we’ve obsessed over, and won money on for 19 years…

In my case, that something is snooker.

There was a good reason for it too – he was the best player in the world.

As a result, he was heavily odds-on for every match he played, as well as being no bigger than 2/1 to win the entire tournament.

Now, that’s all well and good if you’re taking those odds on a super reliable player, but our Ronnie was (and is) anything but. He would often lose his head in games and, as a result, could be beaten by anybody.

I knew that, and I saw an opportunity to profit.

Rather than risk my student loan by backing the notoriously unreliable O’Sullivan – and winning not all that much even if I was successful – I instead sided with the unpopular but consistent Peter Ebdon at 25/1.

Ebdon had won the World Championship as recently as 2002 but, partly due to his slow playing style, and partly due to the betting market being obsessed by Ronnie, he was available at an extremely tasty price.

I backed him each-way and, although he ultimately lost in the final to fellow grinder, Graeme Dott, my £10 each-way bet returned £135.

As for those putting the life savings on Ronnie. Well, I just hope that they had understanding partners.