Top seed Judd Trump is clearly a fan of the 2024 Masters snooker at London's Alexandra Palace.
“It has grown into my favourite event,” said the form player going into the tournament. “I enjoy the atmosphere – it's completely different to any other tournament. It's more like a rowdy football game with a lot more passion.
"When everyone is clapping and cheering, then it relaxes me. I feel like I belong there and at that point, it is my time to shine."
Four-time Triple Crown winner Trump is one of 16 top stars in the race for the sizeable windfall awaiting the winner.
Here is how much the champion will take home in prize money at the Masters 2024.
MORE: Where to watch 2024 Masters
Masters 2024 snooker prize money: How much does winner earn?
Finding those angles pays handsomely for the winners of snooker's best-known tournaments. This year, the champion at the first major of the calendar year will take away £250,000.
The top prize and overall fund is the same as it was in 2023, with a total of £725,000 on offer and a reward of £15,000 for the highest break. Here's how that is distributed.
| Position | Prize |
| Winner | £250,000 |
| Runner-up | £100,000 |
| Semifinalist | £60,000 |
| Quarterfinalist | £30,000 |
| Last 16 | £15,000 |
Who won the Masters snooker last year?
Trump became Masters champion for the second time in 2023 by beating Mark Williams 10-8 in the final. He was 8-7 down in a gripping contest against the man who had eliminated world No.1 Ronnie O'Sullivan.
“It is an amazing feeling walking out as defending champion," Trump told WST ahead of this year's edition. "I can’t wait to get back there.
"It is always special but to go there having won it last year is a different kind of reception. It brings a bit of added pressure because I don’t want to go out in the first round.
“I love the feeling of winning and I absolutely hate the feeling of losing. That is what spurs me on. The feeling of going home every time without the trophy is just absolutely horrendous."
What is a Triple Crown in snooker?
The three events in the Triple Crown Series are considered the most prestigious in snooker: the UK Championship in November, the Masters in January and the World Championship in April and May.
O'Sullivan, Trump, Mark Selby and Neil Robertson are among the players to have joined legends such as Stephen Hendry and Alex Higgins in winning each of the events during their career, giving them a Triple Crown.
No player has won all three in the same season since Welshman Williams did so in 2002/03. Trump has gone closest in recent years, winning the Masters and the World Championship in 2018/19.
Who is playing at the Masters 2024?
| Player | Country | Seeding | World ranking |
| Judd Trump | England | 1 | 2 |
| Luca Brecel | Belgium | 2 | 4 |
| Ronnie O'Sullivan | England | 3 | 1 |
| Mark Allen | Northern Ireland | 4 | 3 |
| Mark Selby | England | 5 | 5 |
| Neil Robertson | Australia | 6 | 7 |
| Shaun Murphy | England | 7 | 6 |
| Mark Williams | Wales | 8 | 8 |
| Kyren Wilson | England | 9 | 9 |
| John Higgins | Scotland | 10 | 12 |
| Ali Carter | England | 11 | 10 |
| Ding Junhui | China | 12 | 11 |
| Zhang Anda | China | 13 | 13 |
| Robert Milkins | England | 14 | 14 |
| Barry Hawkins | England | 15 | 15 |
| Jack Lisowski | England | 16 | 16 |