Which snooker tournament is traditionally held at London’s Alexandra Palace?

The Masters is the snooker tournament traditionally held at London’s Alexandra Palace.

The Masters is one of snooker’s three Triple Crown tournaments, alongside the World Championship and the UK Championship. Unlike those two events, it is an invitational tournament for the leading players rather than an open ranking championship. The field traditionally contains the world’s top 16 players.

Alexandra Palace, commonly called “Ally Pally”, became the tournament’s London home in 2012. The venue is in North London and is also known for concerts, exhibitions and sporting events. The Masters is usually staged in January, making it one of the first major tournaments of the calendar year.

The event was first played in 1975 at the West Centre Hotel in London. It moved through several venues before settling at Alexandra Palace. Because the Masters has a smaller field and a shorter format than the World Championship, matches can produce particularly intense sessions and quick changes in momentum.