Nichols has won more money at the tournament than some of the participants will bank for their efforts in the sport's biggest event. Only stars who reach the last-16 will earn more than Nichols' £25k.

Last-32 finishers are paid £20k, while losers in the last-48 received £15k. £10k goes to those who reached the last-80, and £5k to the players who lost in the last-112. As a player who scored the highest break, Allen will share a bonus pot of £15k with anyone else who manages the rare feat.

Remarkably, Jackson Page did so twice during qualifying and will take a share. Page also won the £147k that goes to any star able to pot two 147s during a season - with his two incredibly coming in the same match against Allan Taylor. He eventually failed to qualify for the main draw.

Allen, who found himself 10-2 down early in Friday's session, has now made 147s at all the Triple Crown events - the Masters, the UK Championship and now the World Championship. It is the first to be potted in the main draw since Mark Selby's in the 2023 final.

A World Championship triumph eludes former world No. 1 Allen's trophy cabinet. He is taking inspiration from countryman Rory McIlroy's maiden Masters success.

"What I can take out of Rory doing what he did, It’s been 14 years since he threw that Masters away in 2011,” Allen told TNT Sports ahead of the tournament.

But he has kept coming back, going to the practice ground and grinding and grinding, and working on what he feels he needs to work on. I think there are a lot of comparisons as I am a really hard worker. I have got some rewards out of the game, but if I look back on my career without a world title, I will feel like I have not got the just rewards."

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