The one-frame knock-out tournament features the top 64 players in the world with each frame lasting a maximum of ten minutes. There’s a 20 second shot clock for the first five minutes, reduced to 15 seconds for the last five. Players must hit a cushion or pot a ball with every shot, and any foul results in ball-in-hand for the opponent.

The action is fast-paced and dramatic, with several matches last season going down to the last few seconds of the frame. Memorably, Neil Robertson made a break of 37 in just 46 seconds to beat Alan McManus on the last ball as the clock ran out, and Rory McLeod enjoyed an incredible fluke on the final black to beat Tony Drago, which won him Magic Moment at the end-of-season awards.

Nigel Bond, who won the event by beating Robert Milkins in the final, said: “It’s a fantastic event – obviously I am biased having won it last season, but all the other players felt the same. It’s totally different from other snooker events and the great thing is that the fans can get involved, shout as much as they want and have some banter with the players. A few friends of mine are already asking when it’s on again because they want to go to Blackpool for the weekend, have a few drinks and enjoy the snooker.

“Before the event the players weren’t sure whether 20 or 15 seconds would be enough, but it just means that you play the first shot you see, and that’s usually the right one. I really enjoyed the format, plus I won £32,000 for six ten-minute matches, which is the first time I’ve earned that amount of money for an hour’s work!”

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn added: “The Shoot-Out proved the most dramatic of all of the new events we have introduced, and I’m sure snooker fans everywhere will be delighted to see it back in Blackpool in January.

“There were four or five consecutive matches which went to the wire, an incredible sequence of sporting drama. The format worked perfectly and the players received a fantastic reception from the fans. The atmosphere was more like football than snooker and that’s something we want to encourage. Tickets start at a tenner and that’s phenomenal value.”

Snooker Shootout 2012 will be broadcast live from the Circus Arena, Blackpool on Sky Sports from 27 – 29 January 2012.

Full first round draw:

Mark Selby v Joe Perry
Mark Williams v Steve Davis
John Higgins v Judd Trump
Neil Robertson v Jamie Cope
Ding Junhui v Barry Hawkins
Shaun Murphy v Fergal O’Brien
Ali Carter v Matthew Stevens
Stephen Maguire v Anthony McGill
Graeme Dott v Alan McManus
Stuart Bingham v Liu Song
Mark Allen v Rory McLeod
Stephen Lee v Peter Lines
Martin Gould v Peter Ebdon
Mark Davis v Mark Joyce
Andrew Higginson v Liang Wenbo
Stephen Hendry v Jack Lisowski
Ricky Walden v Liu Chuang
Marcus Campbell v Xiao Guodong
Mark King v Dominic Dale
Marco Fu v Barry Pinches
Ryan Day v Joe Swail
Tom Ford v Jimmy Robertson
Ken Doherty v Michael Holt
Anthony Hamilton v Jimmy White
Robert Milkins v Nigel Bond
Gerard Greene v Jamie Burnett
Matthew Selt v Joe Jogia
Mike Dunn v Michael White
Jamie Jones v Adrian Gunnell
Dave Harold v James Wattana
Tony Drago v Andy Hicks
Ben Woollaston v Alfie Burden