For the final one, there weren't enough points left on the table for Higgins to win so he needed 'snookers'. He is trying to force the other player to foul by making it hard for them to hit the correct ball. If the other player does foul, Higgins gets points (6 points for missing the pink) making it possible for him to win the frame.
@@BertSmithLondon… and instead he very narrowly avoided potting pink, travelled the entire table and made a perfect parking stop behind the other ball. Beautifully executed.
In the number 1 shot he intentionally did not pot the pink because he needed his opponent to commit a fowl by not being able to hit the pink, because he needed the extra points to catch up. It was great shot because he positioned the cue ball behind the black from nearly 12 ft away..
When you initially read in Wikipedia about the game, you might have noticed the pronunciation is, "sn-ooo-ker". The game is popular in pretty much all parts of the World, except the USA - (of course!). Major international tournaments which last multiple weeks, are watched by countless millions across the globe. The BBC broadcast 200+ hours of live coverage of the World Championship - with massive audience numbers. The top dozen or so players are genuinely "household names". Apart from the size of a snooker table, it's worth noting that the pockets are significantly smaller that on a pool table (about two-thirds the size) - thus "rail shots" have to be absolutely perfect. Potting a ball is the most basic skill, almost taken for granted - it's what they do with the cue ball that's quite extraordinary. Needing to ask "why did he do that?" kinda precludes your (and our) appreciation of the "10 best snooker shots". Perhaps you should avail yourself of a basic understanding of how the game is played prior to your review. It's actually quite simple. I've got to 7.12 mins in, and just can't watch any more - you're driving me nuts.
It's a reaction not an appreciation. At the Wikipedia page you'll have noticed there are at least a couple of ways to pronounce it . Just read your comment , hope there are not many like this you are driving me nuts. He does quite well in figuring it out.
Huggggs ... I listened to Tyler (whilst reading the comments!!) Ok took that hit for you, my dear... You can open your eyes now, the Tylerman has moved on!!🇺🇲🥺🏴❤️🇬🇧🖖
As an American who’s played regular American pool games I was introduced to snooker about 1 1/2 yrs ago. I’ve been playing regularly every week since. It’s much more difficult to play and it will improve your game immensely. I love playing snooker. My favorite player is The Whirlwind Jimmy White. He was in one of those shots playing Kirk Stevens.
Those names takes me back to when I was a kid watching snooker with my parents…I loved Jimmy and also alex Higgins…that was a golden area in snooker…so many characters and personalities…it was great to watch…
America "apparently" does not have snucker*... Tyler is talking "balls".......?!! (And what are "cue-sticks" FFS ?!! Sounds like "S & V Chipsticks" ... Yum!!!) And _neither_ do _we_* We have *_snooker_* ooooooooo!! But of course... IF Tyler has "never heard of" anything... America _doesn't_ have it...?! (allegedly)
@@helenroberts1107 Snap !! But if (when?!) I complain, I get 'shot down in flames' by others claiming "there are multiple pronunciations of" said word. In America maybe, but _here_ we know (generally speaking) _how_ to enunciate correctly. (To quote 'Dr Carol Marcus' - Star Trek - "Can I cook, or can't I?!!") ❤️🖖
Americans may also call pool - billiards, but for the rest of the world billiards is a totally different game, played with only 3 balls. I believe billiards is the oldest of these types of sports being played firstly in France in the 16th century. Snooker is played all over the world, and at the moment it is all the rage in China with many great professional players coming from there. Also popular in Australia. Canada has produced a few good campions over the years. So once again another world sport that the US doesn’t play.
I loved playing 3 ball billiards when I was in my mid 20s. It sort of leveled the field in skill so all my friends could play, even if they just whacked the white ball around the table they had a pretty good chance of getting some points of a cannon
Yes, the 3 balls billiard on a table without any pocket. Two white and a red ball. Use one white as cue ball. Hit the red and the other white. You can hit the red directly, but, the cue ball must bounce three times before hitting the second white.
While snooker is enjoyed in China, their top game is Chinese 8 ball. This is best described as a hybrid of snooker and 8 ball. Basically 8 ball played with snooker tables, snooker size balls and snooker cues.
The basic rules are actually pretty straightforward. If there’s reds on the table you need to pot a red followed by (any) coloured ball (but the coloured balls all have different points - black = most, yellow = least). Once all the reds are gone, you have to pot the remaining balls in the correct (points order) order. However, the interesting bit is that you can deliberately “hide” the balls behind each other to cause your opponent to miss the sequence and foul and hence win points (this is called a snooker). That’s what’s happened in the last shot - his opponent must hit the pink next.
It isn't totally suprising that snooker, a popular sport throughout the world, is notably less known in the US. America's most popular sports include American football, baseball, Nascar, and professional basketball. These are either unknown or less important anywhere outside the US. Meanwhile, outside the US, the sports with most fans are football, cricket, horse racing, and Formula 1. The US is always out of step with everywhere else.
I hate to throw stereotypes around, but it's possibly because America is *very* good at self promotion, patriotism and has a very insular view on the rest of the world. To be fair, all those American sports you mentioned are very entertaining in themselves, so I can understand why America doesn't need to look elsewhere. Thankfully with the internet age, I think America is catching on to the love of football (i.e. Soccer) above all.
But what's stopping Americans going online and reading and learing about other countries etc? I blame their education system, it must instill a degree of ignorance to the rest of the world. I'm not American, but I understand and know of other sports outside of my country. You know why? I read. I don't sit in front of the tv all day.😊
You have to pot a red, then any of the "colours" (yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black - reds are not considered to be "colours" in this game), then another red, colour, red, colour, red, colour, alternating a red and a colour... until all the reds are potted. Note that until all the reds are potted, any potted colours are taken from the pocket and placed back at their starting positions again. So, while there's still reds on the table, the colours act as like a higher-scoring "bonus ball", if you like. They don't stay potted but come back up. Reds, though, stay in the pocket. Then, once all the reds are cleared from the table, you have to pot the colours in order: yellow (2 points), green (3 points), brown (4 points), blue (5 points), pink (6 points) and black (7 points). A red, by the way, is 1 point. If you foul, then the other player gets a minimum of 4 points. Fouls are caused by not hitting the correct coloured ball in the sequence (or just not hitting any balls at all), or physically touching the balls (so watch that you nor your cue accidentally bumps into a ball as you're playing your shot). This is where an element of strategy - and the game's name "snooker" - comes into play. To "snooker" your opponent is to leave the cue ball in such a position that they can't "see" the next ball in the sequence. E.g. your opponent needs to hit a red, but you roll the cue ball right behind the black, so that they can't "see" any reds - no straight shot to any red and they'll have to bounce the cue ball around the table to try to hit a red indirectly). This means you've "snookered" your opponent. And this strategic element of the game is actually very important. Positioning the cue ball is crucially important in Snooker, so that's why you'll see that these "best snooker shots" in the video feature excellent "position play", where they've almost magically gotten themselves out of a terrible "snooker" position - looking like a guaranteed foul - and ended up triumphant, avoiding the foul and with the perfect next shot. Note that a foul is worth at least 4 points. So you can see that if you could keep "snookering" your opponent and forcing them to foul, that's as many points as potting 4 reds (or 1 red and a green following). Indeed, playing Snooker myself, I look for a pot. And if there's nothing good for me on the table, I switch to defensive play - which is the worst place I could leave the cue ball for my opponent. Because if I can make him screw up, then I get 4 points AND I'm back at the table for my next shot. If Pool is compared to Checkers, then Snooker is Chess. It really does have a big strategic component and you've got to think ahead to your next shot (or, for professionals, they're thinking multiple shots ahead). In fact, there was a thing where a bunch of British Snooker players went to the US to play the best Pool players in Pool... and the Snooker guys kicked their arses. The Snooker guys won, even though they were playing Pool, because Snooker just requires so much more strategy and positioning of the cue ball - the game demands it all the time - that they're "next level" even against the best Pool players in the world. Snooker players are precisely positioning that cue ball EVERY SINGLE SHOT. Basically, Snooker is like Pool... but turned up to 11.
After potting each red you can pot ANY colour. When all the reds are gone the colours are potted in sequence (yellow, green, brown, blue, pink & black)
Tyler, snooker is played in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and other ex-British African countries, India, China, .... and there are snooker tables in the US too!
Where you were talking at 10.40 of your vid, it showed Ronnie O'Sullivan on his way to making a maximum break of 147. This is made by potting all 15 reds(1 point), followed by black balls (worth 7 points), then finishing off the six colours in order. 147 is a perfect game ,like a 300 in Bowling. Check out Ronnie's 147 in 5 minutes, a world record that will never be broken!
Ninety countries can have a players in the Snooker world championship if they have players good enough to qualify. Yet the American "world series of baseball" have only one country enter. America.
yes I bet many from the UK were hearing 'pot the red, spin back for the yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black'. Why do I all of a sudden feel so old - lol.
The Alex Higgins shot which went in along the wood was absolutely deliberate. I met Alex Higgins at a 'trick -shot' event. He was the ultimate showman and he loved to play with the possibilities of what could be achieved, he had an arsenal of this sort of shot and would take it on tour with other players between the championships. It is a very popular sport in the UK, big crowds at the live events and lots of TV coverage.
Snooker is popular all over the world especially in China. To play you need to 'pot' a red then any other coloured ball and repeat. The reds stay off the table once potted but the other colours are returned to their 'spots' (starting position on the table). The other colours have different values (scores) to each other with the black being worth 7 points. When all the reds are gone, the 'colours' are potted in order of least valuable up to the black. The number 1 in your listing where the player missed the pink, he 'snookered' the cue ball behind the black as he didn't have enough points left on the table to win. So he needed penalty points from the other player to win if he potted the pink and black! (13 points).
And to explain the last shot: the player snookered his opponent behind the black to "snooker" his opponent. This is done when there is less points left on the table than required to beat their opponent.
Last shot the score is 46-60 with only 13 points left on the table. Pink=6, Black=7. Like you deduced there are fouls for hitting the wrong ball, and fouls give points. So Higgins plays a "Snooker" which is like you said, a defensive shot, intended to force fouls. He needed to force a foul to win, because potting the remaining balls wasn't enough.
Potting a ball is the relatively easy part. The hard part is positioning the cue ball for the next shot. Once all the reds are pocketed, then the colour balls have to be potted in sequence, which is why it's essential to get positioning on the cue ball to be able to do it. When a player can't pot a ball, they'll try and place the cue ball in a position where the opponent either can't hit or pot the ball in question, in order to cause them a foul in order to gain more points from it. 'Snookering', is when the cue ball in placed in a position where the next ball to be potted cannot be hit directly. In many instances, the cue ball has to be bounced off the cushions in order to achieve it. Which is what happened in the number 9 shot featured in the video. He has to hit the green, but the pink was obscuring the shot, so he had to bounce off the cushions in such a way in order to hit the green AND leave it in a relatively safe position, so that the opponent isn't able to have an easy shot where they'll pot the ball.
The number 1 shot. Look at the scores, Higgens is behind by too many points, potting the pink and black will still lose the frame. The only way to win is to force an error from your opponent (foul) This is called Snookering your opponent, when there is no clear shot to the next ball (pink) This is INCREDIBLY hard to do with only two balls left, you need PERFECT positional play, and Alex Higgins absolutely _nailed_ it. Opposite side of the table, tight in against the black and up against the corner pocket with no good angles to bounce the cue ball off to get the pink. Just absolutely miraculous 5D snooker.
_...and, for those of you still watching on Black and White TV, the brown is the one behind the blue_ heard sometime in the 1980's on BBC2's Pot Black (might have been a Jimmy White vs Hurricane Higgens nail-biting game - they could get super-tense)
You might also want look up how snooker tables (and probably also pool and billiards tables) are constructed - broadly speaking, a slab of (usually Welsh) slate, to give a consistently flat, smooth surface; this is then covered with baize (the green fabric - which has a "knap", which affects the way the balls roll; you may see the referee brush the baize, partly to remove lint, but also to restore the "knap"), and finished off with the wooden frame.
Another great video Tyler 👍🏻. Years ago there used to be a very popular snooker program on TV called Pot Black. I used to work with a guy who had appeared on it a couple of times and once a week or so, some of us would go to a club I was a member of during our lunch for a pint and a game of snooker. Well, Jerry was ‘kind’ enough to let me break - I didn’t pocket anything so sat down. Jerry took over and absolutely demolished me… you can imagine how transfixed I was watching. It was a pleasure being beaten by him… happy days 😊
You MUST watch Ronnie the Rocket fastest 147 it will likely explain more of what the players are looking to do in each match. It's effectively a perfect game
I think you did a great effort of deduction, working out the rules. It’s a slightly complicated game, but satisfying when you get it. It got a lot more popular in the uk when colour tvs were introduced, and it’s a really popular spectator sport to this day.
Tyler has obviously not watched many old B&W American films that have old Pool Halls in them, the old pool tables are the same size as a Billiard / Snooker table. Quarter size tables are a modern invention so they can fit in bars, although at one time almost every London pub had a full size table and every bus garage / underground station at least one often two in the canteen.
Snooker is played in Oklahoma, I went to bar a played a local in a bar and he was amazed that people around the world play the game as he thought it was only played in his state. I'm from the U K .
I remember watching Snooker on Aussie TV way back in the early 1970’s and being fascinated by it. Eddie Charlton was the most successful snooker player ever to come out of Australia. He was ranked number three in the world for five consecutive seasons from 1976/77. It requires a lot more skill and complexity than other table games.
I had PE elective classes in Snooker which included much theory and a couple of trips to the local pool hall to play, here in Australia. Complete with smoking locals and pinball machines. Those were the days.
Players break open the triangle of reds, they alternate doing this each time, at the start of every "frame". You have to score more points than your opponent, until there just aren't enough available points left on the table for them to catch up. You have to pot a red first, then a colour and on like that, red, colour, red, colour... The colours all have their spots and go back on the table after potting, while the reds stay off the table after potting them. Points go red-1 yellow-2 green-3 brown-4 blue-5 pink-6 black-7. Therefore the maximum continuous "break" (ie, like running out) available is 147 points, called a maximum or just "a one four seven". Foul shots give away 4 points to your opponent as standard, unless the foul shot is played while going for a colour which has a value higher than 4 - a foul on a blue gives away 5, on a pink 6, on a black 7. As in pool, the white going in a pocket is one type of foul, and it gets placed back on the table in that D marking at the top of the table. If you miss the ball you're going for, that's of course also a foul. Sometimes, near the end of a frame, one player is just behind in points by a few too many than there remain available points on the table. If it's not too many, the player will often start playing "snookers", trying to play clever positional shots without potting to try and trap or "snooker" their opponent behind a colour or bunch of colours so they don't get a direct shot at the reds left on the table. Playing fancy shots off multiple cushions to try and then hit a red escape snookers is quite common. As for Alex Higgins, well, he was often very drunk and did play some outrageously brilliant deliberate shots in his time that you can find. But those ones that rattle the jaws of a corner pocket and jump up onto the rail can't be done deliberately, they're a rare fluke when blasting the ball at speed into the jaws. Those shots would drop if played more gently, so it happens when only just off line really. Oh, and one more rule is you can't deliberately jump the cueball over other balls like you can in pool. You have to find your way around the angles to get out of tight spots.
One thing you should appreciate, the cue ball (white) is the most important ball in that once a ball has been pocketed, where the white finishes up afterwards is important! Especially if you are trying to keep the break going and if you also are trying to score high. It is also important in making it as difficult as possible for your opponent by hiding the cue ball behind other colours (snookered). The last play, where the guy misses the pink and puts the white behind the black, is because his score is not enough, potting both pink and black would not be enough to win (total points would be less than his opponent) so by placing the white behind the black "snookers his opponent on the pink, which is the next ball required to play. If his opponent then misses the pink he will give away 6 points. The Pro Snooker table is 12 feet long and over 6feet wide plus the pockets are smaller than a pool table. When all the Red balls have been pocketed, the coloured balls must be pocketed in sequence. Yellow(2) Green(3) Brown(4) Blue(5) Pink(6) Black(7). While there are still Red balls on the table, then the coloured balls come back onto the table, after they have been pocketed, to their original starting place.
Billiards (another name for pool in the USA) is a totally different game using only 3 balls, traditionally played on a table with NO pockets. The table is 3-4 times the size of a pool table.
Dude, in snooker you have to put a red in then a colored ball in , the colored ball gets returned to it's place because you have to put all the reds in first . THEN you can put the colored balls in but in a particular order with the black going in last . Easy rules ! Yes the snooker table is freakin huge !
The table is twice as long and twice as wide, so four times as big. And the pockets are smaller. You pot a red and then you are allowed to pot a colour. Then another red and colour and so on until you miss or commit a foul, then the other player starts with a red etc. When all the reds are potted you pot the colours in order so the maximum score (without fouls) is for one player to pot all fifteen reds (15) each followed by the black (15x7 = 105) and then all the colours (2+3+4+5+6+7 = 27) for a total of 147, known as the maximum break.
Notice, number 8 had Chinese subtitles over the top. Number 1 was a great shot because he was behind on points and needed to make his opponent make a foul so he needed a 'snooker', he was not trying to pot a ball, his opponent had to hit the pink ball, not the black, the pink is worth 6 points which is the score if his opponent misses.
Tyler, you're watching the greatest snooker players ever to grace this earth. Many have been world champion or runner up, so they are hugely talented. They understand the physics and dynamics involved. Luck may play a part but mostly it's down to skill after hours, weeks and years of practice.
I think when he says “American billiards” he means American pool. Billiards is a specific game but it’s also a general term for all cue/ball/pocket table sports.
@@ShrubScotland There is also a French game, billiards (also called Carom), uses similar table to snooker but with no pockets 2 cue balls and a red, and only 5ft by 10ft rather than 6ft by 12ft.
When my father was a young man he served his time as a National Serviceman in the RAF on a base that mainly was used as a training and transit point for airmen who were either travelling to another location for further training or simply being relocated. They also had several airmen who were waiting to leave the RAF having completed their service. My father however was assigned to the same base for most of his time and alongside another man it was their main responsibility to maintain all of the inside sports equipment and as a part of their duties every day they were responsible for brushing and cleaning any of the snooker equipment as needed. Between them they had at least four tables to take care of plus they had to test the tables were clean and in order which they did by playing a short frame of 3 games everyday which made them the most experienced players on the base . Because the rules on the camp prevented the players from betting’s on a game that they were playing my dad and his colleague would only play against unknown players because people who knew them knew that the permanent staff could outplay all comers, but because of the betting rules only the audience could bet on the games so many would organise into gambling groups and bet on the result in favour of dad or his buddy and at the end of the evening they would give the two of them a cut of the proceeds. Due to the high turnover of airmen passing through the base the abilities of the pair was not widely known and they were relatively well off for their skills. Incidentally my father did have a small advantage over most others, in the fact that his father and his father’s brother were both very skilled snooker and billiards players who at various times were both regional champions and played in tournaments throughout Yorkshire and Lancashire.
In the number 1 vid, the player needed what’s called a snooker because they were behind on points therefore they need their opponent to make a foul before sinking the pink and black. For reference it’s red then a colour, the colours have different points, yellow =2, green =3 and so on. Ultimately it can be a very tactical game.
The main difference between pool and snooker is that snooker is won or lost based on points scored rather than balls potted. Players can score points based on the value of balls potted - 1 point for each red ball and 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 for yellow, green, brown, blue, pink & black respectively. Balls must be potted in sequence of a red ball followed by chosen coloured ball, if the coloured ball is potted, it is then replaced on the table by the ref and the player must then proceed with a red ball before electing a coloured ball and so on. The coloured balls will stay on the table until all red balls have been potted and then they are taken in sequence from yellow, green, brown, blue, pink to black. Players will also elect to strategically move or develop balls needed for the continuation of a run of balls (break) or to move balls into unfavourable positions for the opponent to reduce the likelihood of them scoring points on their return to the table. When players are in arrears of more points than are available in the value of balls in play, players can continue the frame with the goal of scoring points from opponent fouls. Players mainly do this by tactically positioning both cue ball and object ball with cover between the two, to block direct striking for the opposing player, this is called a snooker (sn oo ker) or as it would be known in pool as a hook. This is where first time spectators might find it strange to hear applause when the players havent seemingly done anything noticeably clever or potted a simple shot, this is because there is nuance between how the strategy works between shots and situation of the balls in play. Similar to shot 10 on the list, you seemed surprised to see Higgins miss a simple shot on the pink but you wouldn't realise that he would have lost the frame if he had pocketed it - as he was behind in terms of points available on the table, he needed to make these from foul points awarded from the opponent, the frame would have been conceded if there was no option for the player behind to continue playing for snookers. This is a basic run down on the idea of the game but once you become familiar with the rules and general strategy you would then more fully appreciate what a lot of these players are doing with these shots. Besides that if you have access to a full size 12' x 6' snooker table, a couple hours on there would give you an extra level of respect to what these professionals are able to do on them.
Snooker is PRIMARILY a British game, but it's also played in tournaments all over the world (mainly in former British colonies, Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and several other nations). 7:20 in the final phase (after all the reds have been played) you must hit the balls in COLOR ORDER, otherwise if you hit the wrong color first it's a foul. So he was snookered from reaching the green by the pink, so had to make that hit on the green to avoid a foul or a miss (of both). You REALLY need to watch a full game or two to understand the basic rules.
I would suggest that you watch one of the available on line rules to the game of snooker, one of the best these is "The Rules of Snooker - EXPLAINED!" it should then give you a better understanding of the game, you will then realise the game is not just about potting balls, it about a strategy of how to develop the table to your own advantage, to score heavily on each visit to the table where possible, this will in turn put the pressure on your opponent to try to respond in kind, the top players are thinking three or four shots in advance, (the closest equivalent is that of a run out in pool) to finish off the frame without reply, some of the best snooker frames are the ones where both players play a bout of safety, forcing their opponent to make a mistake or foul shot to take the advantage.
The last shot was so good because there were not enough points left on the table for Higgins to win the game so he played the pink, which was the ball in play to hide the cue ball behind the black which is called a snooker, his opponent has to then hit the pink, if he misses it Higgins gets penalty points which would allow him to win the game by pocketing (potting) the pink then black. Hope that helps your understanding.
I hope any WPBSA executives watch this. They think changing snooker to being scruffy old polo shirts and jeans and selling the world championships (and no doubt eventually others) off to Saudi oil sheikhs or China is somehow "the way forward" for improving snooker...ie, for them to make a huge amount of money before they disappear off and leave the sport adrift or to more or less eventually become a Chinese sport. I sure won't want to fly all the way to China just to go see a match, even if it is the World Champs.
Okay, all you have to do is imagine you have to get into that position behind the black after hitting the pink. You don't have to know why, just play it backwards in your head and imagine having to make that shot-and then you'll come close to understanding how difficult it was. You don't have to know the rules, you only have to know that everyone cheered because all three of those balls were perfectly and deliberately placed in those positions-and then all you have to do is ask yourself, "if I were in the beginning position, would I have been able to get into the second position?"
The "oo" in snooker is not pronounced like it is in look or book, it's pronounced more like the "u" in Luke Duke. A snooker table is 12ft by 6ft. The rules are easy, but playing it is not! Coloured balls MUST be potted (sunk in the pocket, nobody says "make", making is manufacturing something) in order so that player HAD to hit the green ball with the cue ball without hitting any other ball which is why that shot was so good. Otherwise it's a foul so you guessed that right. Cue ball control is paramount in snooker. Yes you worked it out. It was too difficult to pot the pink ball and get on the black so he "snookered" the cue ball by playing on the pink but keep it on the table and hiding the cue ball "snookering" behind the black so his opponent would lose points to him if he in turn misses his shot because of it. Like I said earlier, cue ball control is paramount in this game. They do have snooker clubs in the US, google for snooker clubs in your area, but there's not a lot of them. You must pot a red ball 1st before any other colour, reds are worth one point. So you go red, colour, red, color, red, colour, etc. until there's no red's left, then it's colours in their order, yellow (2 points), green (3 points), brown (4 points), blue (5 points), pink (6 points) and black (7 points). That is the ONLY order they can be potted. (Not made, the manufacturer has already made the balls, you just pot them 😂). It's played in working mens cubs, cosmopolitan clubs, returned services clubs (veterans clubs) and pool and snooker halls up and down New Zealand.
@@cadifan In Liverpool ook in book and look sound the same as ook in snooker. Saying they do not sound the same is because some people pronounce them as if they are spelt buck or luck. So to my ears it sounds like you are talking like there is a U in these words. Saying they are not the same sound as in snooker is effectively saying they sound like there is a U in them.
In Snooker you have to pot a red first followed by a colour of your choice. In some of these shots they pot the colour and set themselves up for there next shot on a red. If you can't directly hit the ball you want to play, you are snookered. Players can try and snooker there opponent on purpose but sometimes it happens by accident. In this situation the player will try and hit the target ball by hitting the cue ball off any number of cushions ( the sides of the table) to hit the ball.
Snooker tables are 12’ x 6’. The premise is to pot in sequence, reds first. After each red you can pot a colour, which then get placed back in their initial spots. Colours then have to be done in order and have points: 2 yellow, 3 green, 4 brown, 5 blue, 6 pink then 7 black. The max number of points can therefore be 147: red, black, red, black,…, red, black, yellow, green,… You can deliberately “snooker” someone by blocking them from hitting the ball required by the sequence.
In case it wasn't mentioned at some point as well, with many shots, especially long shots, they try to pot a ball they're aiming at but have "safety" in mind in case they miss, whereby they are trying to ensure if they miss they don't leave an easy shot for their opponent. They call it a "safety" shot when they're trying to play in such a way to prevent their opponent from sinking a ball on their next shot. There are some really good, sometimes really long "safety battles" where they just play safety after safety until someone misses what they were aiming for or someone's patience runs out and they risk a difficult shot.
21:38 - SNOOKER TABLE SIZE The full-size, tournament-spec table is 12ft in length, and just over 6ft wide. If a ball is slightly out of reach, a player can use one of two specially designed 'aids'.A 'spider' and a 'rest'. These are like cue sticks of extended length but instead of 'tips' on the end, they each have a metal fixture. A 'rest' is shaped like an 'X', whereas the 'spider' is like a mini cantilevered 'bridge' that enables a player to 'reach over' an obstacle.
I'd like to say that he's pretending to be stupid, he knows what he is doing but over did the claiming not to know, he's done it so many times it's worn thinner than someone with an eating disorder on a diet.
@@Lemmys_Mole Well we pronounce it the same way as Tyler here in the Rhondda Valley and I haven't found ANYBODY locally that says snooker with the double "o" pronounced as in the word pool. I find it amusing that it produces so much angst if you don't say it "the right way ". Rather amusing really.
Basically you pot a red followed by any colour. The colours are then replaced after potting. Then you repeat red to colour until all reds are potted or until u dont pot a ball. Then once all reds are cleared you pot the colour in order of their point value, yellow to grren to brown to blue to pink to black. Also not only are the tables far bigger but the pockets are much smaller than pool tables pockets. These fellas make the exceptionally difficult look routine. Great watch
Snooker is like a chess game where you need to think ahead. A lot of these shots are about strategically placing your white ball in a location where the opponent has an improbable shot which will either earn you point or provide you an opening to win the game.
The size of the table of snooker is 12ft x 6ft. Although the area which is used for playing is 11ft 8.5 inches by 5ft 10 inches. The distance between the floor and the top cushion 2ft 9.5 inches to 2 ft 10.5 inches. Hope this helps you Ryan. 🙋🇮🇪😁❤️🇺🇸
Basically in snooker you have to pot/pocket the reds before the other colors. Yellow =2 points, green = 3, brown = 4, blue = 5, pink = 6 and black = 7. The color balls must be pocket in that order when all the reds have been potted/pocketed
Basically if you pot a red you can then pot a colour ( the red stays down and colours are replaced on the table..their are 15 reds and when their are no reds left you pot the colours in order... yellow ( worth points) green 3..brown 4 blue 5 pink 6 black 7
Snooker pronounced 'Snoo-ka', is played by potting one of the Red balls, each with a value of 1 point, followed by a coloured ball, each time a colour ball is potted it's replaced on its spot (position) on the table or as near as possible if another ball is currently occupying or fouling the spot, this is done until all the Red balls are potted, then the colours are potted in order of value (the amount of points each ball is worth), Yellow 2 points, Green 3 points, Brown 4 points, Blue 5 points, Pink 6 points, and finally Black 7 points. If a player doesn't pot a ball the other player comes to the table, if you're unable to pot a particular ball you try to make it as hard as possible for your opponent to hit his object ball by positioning the cue ball in an awkward position usually its path blocked by other balls on the table. After the Red balls have been potted and only the coloured balls remain the balls are potted in order of value, if a player pots a ball out of sequence he receives a penalty of the value of the ball, say for instance that there is only the Pink and Black balls are left on the table, and the cue ball is tight (touching) behind the Black ball the player must strike the cue ball away from the Black in such a way to try to hit the Pink ball which is the next ball in colour order, if the player misses it that player gets a penalty of the value of the ball, the other player now has a choice they can let their opponent try again to hit the object ball after the cue ball has been put back in the position behind the Black where it was before it was struck by them, or the opponent can choose to play on from the position where the cue ball came to rest after the shot, if the player disturbs the Black ball either with his cue or the cue ball whilst playing the shot he will receive a penalty also. I hope that this helps to explain the game a little.
Snooker tables are almost double the size of Pool tables, but also the pockets are much smaller. To build up a score, a red (1 point) has to be potted, followed by a colour, when the reds are all potted, then the colours are potted in order, Yellow (2 points) Green (3) Brown (4) Blue (5) Pink (6) Black (7). So when a red is potted, followed by a black the player scores 8 points, then plays for another red and so on.
Easiest way to understand snooker: the balls played in red, colour, red, colour, red, colour..... order. The ideal order is red, black, red, black until no more red remain and then the remaining colours replace the red balls in point ascending order. So once the last red is potted you pot one more colour of choice then it's yellow, colour, green, colour, brown,..., blue,... pink,... then black. Points wise red is worth 1 point and black is worth 7. If you get a perfect game you'll score a maximum break of 147 points which usually has a cash bonus attached. Hope this helps
For most of these shots, you need to understand: The sequence of shots ( red then any colour, then red... until all reds potted, followed by yellow, green, brown, blue, pink then black. The scoring system, 1 for each red and each colour has it own value 2,3,4,5, 6 and 7. Colours return to the table while there are still reds on the table. You also need to see the current score, for the last shot, the score was Higgins 46 Fu 60, there were pink and black still on the table, if Higgins had potted both, he would lose because that would give him 6 for pin and 7 for black, so 13, for a total of 59, but Fu already has 60, So Higgins needs Fu to Foul, Higgin's shot put the cue ball behind the Black and the Pink at the far end of the table, making a Snooker, meaning Fu was likely to Foul shoot, which would cost him 6 points, which would make the score 52, 60, allowing the possibility for Higgins to win by pocketing (potting) the last 2 balls.
Different Sizes of Snooker Table True snooker tables come in three common sizes. The full-size, tournament-spec table is 12ft in length, and just over 6ft wide. For those without the space for a full-size table, there’s the 9ft option, often called a 3/4-size table. Somewhere in between is the other popular size, which is 10ft in length. For tables smaller than 9ft, please see our Pool Table Room Size Guide for a guide to measuring your room size.
A typical bar pool table is 6’ x 3’, a full size snooker table is 12’ x 6’, the pockets are smaller and cut with rounded corners which don’t accept the balls as easily if your object ball hits them. I’ve played both games for over 40 years, I enjoy both, and my best comparative analogy is that pool is as to checkers (draughts in the UK) as snooker is too chess. There’s far more to think about in a frame of snooker, and you have to be more accurate.
That's why most people in America only play 'Checkers and Pool'! As you said, they are both a thinking person's past-time hence rarely found in the US!
I must admit, I have played Billiards, Snooker and Pool for well over 45 years myself and have enjoyed playing all 3 games, however I found the most challenging game to be Billiards, especially when played on a 'Full Sized Billiards Table' i.e. one that is 12' x 6' as it then becomes far more challenging to pull off the Cannons, Pots or In Offs that are required in order to score points! I have also played Bar Billiards too however this time is a far more challenging game due to it being played on a far shorter and overall smaller table placed up against a wall in general and so requires far less room in order for you to be able to play it, however it has its bars which look like mushrooms that are placed on spots directly behind the holes and the aim is to pot your balls without knocking over any of the bars (mushrooms) thus it becomes an extremely challenging game! Do you have the game 'Bar Billiards' in The USA?
The hardest of all the variants however, is called Bar Billiards and this game is seriously challenging and immensely frustrating too for the short amount of time i actually spent playing it compared to the many years it truly takes to become a master at this game! In reality, I didn't do that badly at it however it was extremely frustrating seeing as it was truly that very different! It is a particular challenge to work out the rules even lol!
I'm 70 years old , grew up playing Eight Ball , Nine Ball , Billiards and Snooker ON THAT SIZE TABLE !!!! Traditional SIZE IN CANADIAN POOL HALLS !!!! 👍🏿👍🏽👍✌🏼🖖🍁🌻💛💙🇺🇦
Ok. Rules. Balls have a value based on color, starting from red (1 point) up to black (7 points). When it's your turn you MUST hit a red ball. If it goes into an hole, you can shot again and you can hit any color ball you want; if a non-red color ball goes in hole you get the points and if there are red ball in play the non-red ball go back in its starting position. Once all red balls are in holes, you MUST hit balls in point order (2, 3, 4 until 7 point black) and they don't get back in play if they go into an hole. If you dont score a hole with a shot, the turn go to your opponent Thus, this is a perfect game: 1- You hit a red ball and put it in hole (1 point) 2- You hit the black ball and put it in hole (7 points). The ball come again in play at starting position 3- Repeat points 1 and 2 until all red balls are in holes 4- Put all other balls in holes in the right order 147 points total, the perfect game. It's rare but it happened multiple times in snooker official matches
With the last shot, the pink has to be the next ball played by either player. John Higgins is 14 points behind Marco Fu, and the pink ball is worth 6 points and the black ball is worth 7 points, so there aren't enough points available for him to win by just potting the balls. Therefore, he has to force Fu to foul, earning foul points and giving enough points to win the frame. The best way to do this is to play it as tight as possible behind the black in this scenario so that Fu has no direct shot. If he potted the pink ball, there would be no way for him to "snooker" Fu (the process of preventing your opponent having a straight shot at any legal ball) because there would only be 1 ball left on the table, and so he would have lost.
Its easy: You firstly sink (pot) a red ball. That then allows you to pot a coloured ball which are worth more points. Then you got back to trying to pot a red ball. Red balls are not replaced once they've been be potted. When there are no more red balls left on the table, you then have to pot the six coloured balls in a particular sequence. The yellow ball first and lastly, the black ball.
Shot 2 - he is on the green in the colours sequence after all the reds have been potted - the green is the only ball he is allowed to hit - yet he is “snookered” behind the black, he can’t see the green to pot it so the aim is just to hit it & leave it safe (to be unpottable for your opponent) The game is not all about potting. Enourmous skill goes in to playing for snookers & safety shots
So, the way the game works... You alternate between red and other colours until all the reds are gone, then pot the colours in the sequence yellow/green/brown/blue/pink/black. A red ball is worth 1 point, a yellow 2, up to 7 for a black ball. Coloured balls have their own respective spots and are replaced there after being potted if there are any reds still in play, or the next available spot if theirs is covered. This means you can (and should) play tactical shots that would e.g leave you positioned well for a colour, but badly for a red (if you miss, and play passes back to your opponent) A big part of the game is tactics. It's often better to not pot something and force your opponent into "a snooker" (very hard shot), with the hope of making them foul, which gets you points. In that last example Higgins was down 46:60 with only 13 (6+7) points available on the table, so he *needed* the snooker or the max he could possibly have reached was 59 points and he would have lost. Pool in the UK is often seen as vastly inferior to snooker and played on a much smaller table with wider pockets. There are many other differences too, for example, many snooker shots are played without involving any cushions.
I recommend you to watch 5-10 finals from the biggest tournaments and you will see another 10 shot at the level of these. It will help you start understand all the facets of this game, which is way way more complex than you might imagine. That's the beauty of it. Its a ball game mixed with chess and ridiculous levels of precision. And lots of money involved. IT is actually quite popular in more areas of the world, especially Europe and Asia.
Here are the basics of snooker. There are 15 red balls each player must pot, each one giving 1 point to the player who pots it. After that, the player gets another turn and he must pot one of the other colored balls as he can, trying to get as much points as possible, from 2 to 7 points each pot (Yellow, Green, Brown, Blue, Pink, Black respectively). After that, the potted colored ball is put back in its starting place, and the same player will go for the next red ball. If the color ball is not potted, it will remain there, but now the other player will have to pot a red one, and so on. When all the red balls are potted and the color ball turn finished, the players will have to pot other 6 balls from yellow to black, with the same point values, to finish the game (as can be seen in shot top 6), and the player with the most points is the winner. Penalty points are -4 points for potting the white (Cue) ball anytime, potting a red ball when you don't have to, same for yellow, green or brown), or by not hitting a target ball (first) in that turn. In the case of Blue, pink and black, the penalties are -5, -6 and -7 respectiveky)
Simple rules: Each player has to pot a red ball whenever they start their break (turn). Each time they pot a red, they then get to pot a colour. That coloured ball is worth a set number of points (red = 1, yellow = 2, green = 3, brown = 4, blue = 5, pink = 6 and black =7). If they pot the colour, the ball is returned to its starting position and the player continues his break by trying to pot a red ball. Once all the reds have been potted, they then get to pot the colours in ascending order of value. Failing to hit the right ball is a foul (4 pts), unless the value is greater than 4, in which case the value of the ball attempted (or hit) is awarded to the other player. Sinking the white ball is also a foul. If there are not enough points on the table, a player will attempt to force a foul by the other player, called a "snooker". That #1 shot was such a snooker where he was trying to force his opponent to miss the shot, giving up either 5 or 6 points. Oh and they have to look so smart because of the dress code - they used to have to avoid advertising and have just plain clothing, but they changed that some years back. Those tables are 12 x 6 foot long at match level. Those players are also pros - they spend hours each day practicing... Oh and it's "snoooker" btw... not "snucker". ;)
There are You Tune episodes, which will explain the game to you. Also, where do you think you got billiards from? Billiards was a big game over in the old country, the way snooker is now, in the earlier 20th century. Even in billiards, the dress code was waistcoats, shirts, and trousers. It may shock you, but snooker is played worldwide.
For the final play.. no 1.. Positioning the cue ball behind the black after hitting the yellow ball is what the game is named after.. his opponent was snookered.. he has to commit a foul as there is no way of avoiding hitting the black ball when taking your shot.. your opponent has to hit the other ball first. if you hit the black before any other colour that is a foul. Hence snooker
All of the different coloured balls represent a point system… from one (red) to seven (black) the other colours are the numbers in between… but when all of the reds have been potted the other colours have to be potted in a specific order.. (Lowest to highest points) Black is always last as it is worth the most points. Also… side note… you have to pot a red before you can pot a colour 👍🏼 until all the reds have gone.. then you work through the colours in order to
1 Cue Ball 15 red balls, valued at 1 point each 1 yellow ball, 2 points 1 green ball, 3 points 1 brown ball, 4 points 1 blue ball, 5 points 1 pink ball , 6 points and 1 black ball, 7points Objective is to try and achieve a maximum break of 147 by potting 1 Red Ball followed by One Black Ball until all the Reds have been potted. That would give you a score of 120. (Please note that the Black Ball is returned to its spot on the Table once it’s been potted). You then need to Pot the Colors in sequence from the lowest points value to the highest which is Yellow, Green, Brown, Blue, Pink and then Black. Total available points for all the colored Balls is 27 so after successfully potting all the colors without your opponent achieving any points your Max Score would be 147. If you pot a Red Ball and the cue ball finishes in a position on the table where the Black Ball cannot be potted you can then go for any other colored Ball on the Table, so for example, you pot a Red, 1 Point, Blue, 5 points, Red 1 point, Pink 6 Points then you miss a Red, your total for that break would be 13 and your opponent then has the Table. Again, remember, Each time a color is potted it comes back one the table until all the Reds have been potted. It’s easy 😂😂😂😂😂
The basic principle its a points based game in order to score 1st you must pot a red which is worth 1 point then to continue you must pot a colour you designate so yellow is two points green three points etc with black being the highest value 7 points on potting a colour you must return to a red & so on. When all the reds are potted then the colours are potted in sequence yellow green brown blue pink & black to win a frame or in US terminology Rack the person with the most points wins the frame the highest number of points available is 147 ie 15 reds 15 blacks & the colours.
#3 he made the cue ball return to the top end of the table to be 'safe' in case he doesn't pot the red... then he wouldn't have left an easy shot for his opponent (since they would have needed to hit/pot a red ball). The cue ball ended up on the cushion for him, but he could still go after any of the color balls, so it wasn't so bad.
In general, balls have to potted in a given sequence. Ending your turn and placing the white so it cannot see the next in the sequence - is called "snookering" and can present the next person to play with a real problem. The next player must then bounce around the table to try to hit the right ball - if they fail to do that, then it's a foul and points go to the other person. So, if the scores are such that - to win - you need more points then the ball represent on the table (eg the opponent is 12 points ahead but there is only 8 on the table), you may choose to snooker your opponent to try to get extra points when they foul... Sometimes, the white may be touching the correct next ball - then, the white must be played away from that touch (suspect that was the 2nd seen play, where the white was played away)
The size of the tip of the pool cue is 13 millimeters on a snooker cue is usually 10 mm and even smaller. Pockets and balls are smaller than standard pool.
Snooker is played around the world, serious compettitions. Candian, Chinese, Maltese, English, Scots, Weslh, etc etc etc. Whereas Pool, or "billiards" as you've mentioned is still played. For the most part it's a pub game. There are more serious competitions too, but for those that have played Pool a lot, the graduation on to Snooker was a natural progression. A 12 feet table can be very daunting the first time you play it. But, I'm quite proud of the fact that I have a 68 point break to my record, lol.
For the final one, there weren't enough points left on the table for Higgins to win so he needed 'snookers'. He is trying to force the other player to foul by making it hard for them to hit the correct ball. If the other player does foul, Higgins gets points (6 points for missing the pink) making it possible for him to win the frame.
If Tyler actually reads the answers and replies, I will find someone who will eat my hat.
Yes, he was 14 points behind with only 13 points on the table, so if he potted the pink, something he could have done easily, he would have lost.
@@BertSmithLondon… and instead he very narrowly avoided potting pink, travelled the entire table and made a perfect parking stop behind the other ball. Beautifully executed.
@TylerRumple maybe.
@@chrisbodum3621 What flavour is it? He doesn't listen to the video commentary, so reading comments might be a bit of an ask.
watch ronnie o sullivans maximum 147 maximum break - unreal!!
Yes! I was thinking the same thing. Mae’n ef yn athrylith!/ He’s a genius!👌🏴
I was about to say the same! Its also a great way to learn the order of the balls and see a whole frame without spending the whole day :D
Defo to watch. It’ll show you how to play a perfect ‘frame’ … and it’s insanely fast… for Snooooooker.
Which one?
@@billybreath2387 the fastest one!
In the number 1 shot he intentionally did not pot the pink because he needed his opponent to commit a fowl by not being able to hit the pink, because he needed the extra points to catch up. It was great shot because he positioned the cue ball behind the black from nearly 12 ft away..
You saved me the bother of explaining that shot to him...cheers.
@@garymcatear822 he won’t read it
@@ShrubScotland Hopefully it's of help to someone who doesn't know snooker.
Foul not fowl. Ones a penalty and the other ones a bird. 😂
Commit a chicken?
When you initially read in Wikipedia about the game, you might have noticed the pronunciation is, "sn-ooo-ker". The game is popular in pretty much all parts of the World, except the USA - (of course!).
Major international tournaments which last multiple weeks, are watched by countless millions across the globe. The BBC broadcast 200+ hours of live coverage of the World Championship - with massive audience numbers. The top dozen or so players are genuinely "household names".
Apart from the size of a snooker table, it's worth noting that the pockets are significantly smaller that on a pool table (about two-thirds the size) - thus "rail shots" have to be absolutely perfect. Potting a ball is the most basic skill, almost taken for granted - it's what they do with the cue ball that's quite extraordinary.
Needing to ask "why did he do that?" kinda precludes your (and our) appreciation of the "10 best snooker shots". Perhaps you should avail yourself of a basic understanding of how the game is played prior to your review. It's actually quite simple. I've got to 7.12 mins in, and just can't watch any more - you're driving me nuts.
It's a reaction not an appreciation. At the Wikipedia page you'll have noticed there are at least a couple of ways to pronounce it . Just read your comment , hope there are not many like this you are driving me nuts.
He does quite well in figuring it out.
Huggggs ... I listened to Tyler (whilst reading the comments!!) Ok took that hit for you, my dear... You can open your eyes now, the Tylerman has moved on!!🇺🇲🥺🏴❤️🇬🇧🖖
As an American who’s played regular American pool games I was introduced to snooker about 1 1/2 yrs ago. I’ve been playing regularly every week since. It’s much more difficult to play and it will improve your game immensely. I love playing snooker. My favorite player is The Whirlwind Jimmy White. He was in one of those shots playing Kirk Stevens.
Those names takes me back to when I was a kid watching snooker with my parents…I loved Jimmy and also alex Higgins…that was a golden area in snooker…so many characters and personalities…it was great to watch…
Unfortunate that he said that he could appreciate athletic performance and then the first player up is Stephen Lee.
Unfortunately, only proper snooker aficionados will understand this reference. : )
Apparently, he's started a new fitness regime for his comeback. At least, that's what Stav from the Trowbridge Charcoal Grill told me.
Please please please! It's not snuker, it's oo like pool
in fairness the long oo's are rarer than the short oo's making u
America "apparently" does not have snucker*... Tyler is talking "balls".......?!!
(And what are "cue-sticks" FFS ?!!
Sounds like "S & V Chipsticks" ... Yum!!!)
And _neither_ do _we_*
We have *_snooker_* ooooooooo!!
But of course...
IF Tyler has "never heard of" anything... America _doesn't_ have it...?! (allegedly)
It is in America, though Wikipedia says it the other way around to you.
It depends where you live. Here in south Wales it's almost universally pronounced the same way as Tyler does.
@@helenroberts1107
Snap !! But if (when?!) I complain, I get 'shot down in flames' by others claiming "there are multiple pronunciations of" said word.
In America maybe, but _here_ we know (generally speaking) _how_ to enunciate correctly. (To quote 'Dr Carol Marcus' -
Star Trek - "Can I cook, or can't I?!!") ❤️🖖
The standard competition snooker table is 12ft long by 6ft wide
Americans may also call pool - billiards, but for the rest of the world billiards is a totally different game, played with only 3 balls. I believe billiards is the oldest of these types of sports being played firstly in France in the 16th century. Snooker is played all over the world, and at the moment it is all the rage in China with many great professional players coming from there. Also popular in Australia. Canada has produced a few good campions over the years. So once again another world sport that the US doesn’t play.
I loved playing 3 ball billiards when I was in my mid 20s. It sort of leveled the field in skill so all my friends could play, even if they just whacked the white ball around the table they had a pretty good chance of getting some points of a cannon
Yes, the 3 balls billiard on a table without any pocket. Two white and a red ball. Use one white as cue ball. Hit the red and the other white. You can hit the red directly, but, the cue ball must bounce three times before hitting the second white.
While snooker is enjoyed in China, their top game is Chinese 8 ball. This is best described as a hybrid of snooker and 8 ball. Basically 8 ball played with snooker tables, snooker size balls and snooker cues.
Too difficult for them, I suppose. A man’s game, unlike eight ball or pool.
Proper billiards also has no pockets
The basic rules are actually pretty straightforward. If there’s reds on the table you need to pot a red followed by (any) coloured ball (but the coloured balls all have different points - black = most, yellow = least). Once all the reds are gone, you have to pot the remaining balls in the correct (points order) order.
However, the interesting bit is that you can deliberately “hide” the balls behind each other to cause your opponent to miss the sequence and foul and hence win points (this is called a snooker). That’s what’s happened in the last shot - his opponent must hit the pink next.
It isn't totally suprising that snooker, a popular sport throughout the world, is notably less known in the US. America's most popular sports include American football, baseball, Nascar, and professional basketball. These are either unknown or less important anywhere outside the US. Meanwhile, outside the US, the sports with most fans are football, cricket, horse racing, and Formula 1. The US is always out of step with everywhere else.
I hate to throw stereotypes around, but it's possibly because America is *very* good at self promotion, patriotism and has a very insular view on the rest of the world. To be fair, all those American sports you mentioned are very entertaining in themselves, so I can understand why America doesn't need to look elsewhere. Thankfully with the internet age, I think America is catching on to the love of football (i.e. Soccer) above all.
I think it's because they can't have a world series that only includes america
But what's stopping Americans going online and reading and learing about other countries etc? I blame their education system, it must instill a degree of ignorance to the rest of the world. I'm not American, but I understand and know of other sports outside of my country. You know why? I read. I don't sit in front of the tv all day.😊
Add metric to the list 😉
Basketball was invented in Canada by a Scottish man the father of American football rules was British baseball is from cricket Pool is English
You have to pot a red, then any of the "colours" (yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black - reds are not considered to be "colours" in this game), then another red, colour, red, colour, red, colour, alternating a red and a colour... until all the reds are potted.
Note that until all the reds are potted, any potted colours are taken from the pocket and placed back at their starting positions again. So, while there's still reds on the table, the colours act as like a higher-scoring "bonus ball", if you like. They don't stay potted but come back up. Reds, though, stay in the pocket.
Then, once all the reds are cleared from the table, you have to pot the colours in order: yellow (2 points), green (3 points), brown (4 points), blue (5 points), pink (6 points) and black (7 points). A red, by the way, is 1 point.
If you foul, then the other player gets a minimum of 4 points. Fouls are caused by not hitting the correct coloured ball in the sequence (or just not hitting any balls at all), or physically touching the balls (so watch that you nor your cue accidentally bumps into a ball as you're playing your shot).
This is where an element of strategy - and the game's name "snooker" - comes into play. To "snooker" your opponent is to leave the cue ball in such a position that they can't "see" the next ball in the sequence.
E.g. your opponent needs to hit a red, but you roll the cue ball right behind the black, so that they can't "see" any reds - no straight shot to any red and they'll have to bounce the cue ball around the table to try to hit a red indirectly). This means you've "snookered" your opponent.
And this strategic element of the game is actually very important. Positioning the cue ball is crucially important in Snooker, so that's why you'll see that these "best snooker shots" in the video feature excellent "position play", where they've almost magically gotten themselves out of a terrible "snooker" position - looking like a guaranteed foul - and ended up triumphant, avoiding the foul and with the perfect next shot.
Note that a foul is worth at least 4 points. So you can see that if you could keep "snookering" your opponent and forcing them to foul, that's as many points as potting 4 reds (or 1 red and a green following).
Indeed, playing Snooker myself, I look for a pot. And if there's nothing good for me on the table, I switch to defensive play - which is the worst place I could leave the cue ball for my opponent.
Because if I can make him screw up, then I get 4 points AND I'm back at the table for my next shot.
If Pool is compared to Checkers, then Snooker is Chess. It really does have a big strategic component and you've got to think ahead to your next shot (or, for professionals, they're thinking multiple shots ahead).
In fact, there was a thing where a bunch of British Snooker players went to the US to play the best Pool players in Pool... and the Snooker guys kicked their arses. The Snooker guys won, even though they were playing Pool, because Snooker just requires so much more strategy and positioning of the cue ball - the game demands it all the time - that they're "next level" even against the best Pool players in the world.
Snooker players are precisely positioning that cue ball EVERY SINGLE SHOT.
Basically, Snooker is like Pool... but turned up to 11.
After potting each red you can pot ANY colour. When all the reds are gone the colours are potted in sequence (yellow, green, brown, blue, pink & black)
That last shot was literally an example of a snooker, and a good one.
Snooker players are crazy skilled, as you seen it's not just the potting but the overall amazing cue ball control, on a MAHUSIVE table.
Tyler, snooker is played in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and other ex-British African countries, India, China, .... and there are snooker tables in the US too!
Snooker is a game of skill, strategy and intelligence. May be why its not popular in the US!
Also you need to be patient and quiet!
You can’t drink a litre of coke and eat a kilo of popcorn - if he says snuker one more time !!!! What a dickhead
@@nolajoy7759 Very good point!
You guys made my day 🤣🤣🤣
It’s chess but with balls and angles…sometimes you attack…sometimes you play defensively…snooker is a brilliant game…not easy to play tho
Where you were talking at 10.40 of your vid, it showed Ronnie O'Sullivan on his way to making a maximum break of 147. This is made by potting all 15 reds(1 point), followed by black balls (worth 7 points), then finishing off the six colours in order. 147 is a perfect game ,like a 300 in Bowling.
Check out Ronnie's 147 in 5 minutes, a world record that will never be broken!
When going for 147 you have to pot all the reds and pot the black in-between a red making it 15 times to start on the colour's.
the key is a 147 is way harder than a 300 though. Probably the hardest achievement deemed a "completion" of a sport in all sports.
Apparently more than 90 countries play snooker under the World Snooker Federation.
Ninety countries can have a players in the Snooker world championship if they have players good enough to qualify. Yet the American "world series of baseball" have only one country enter. America.
Was anyone else singing Chaz and Dave in their heads every time he said the colours 😂
yes I bet many from the UK were hearing 'pot the red, spin back for the yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black'. Why do I all of a sudden feel so old - lol.
The Alex Higgins shot which went in along the wood was absolutely deliberate. I met Alex Higgins at a 'trick -shot' event. He was the ultimate showman and he loved to play with the possibilities of what could be achieved, he had an arsenal of this sort of shot and would take it on tour with other players between the championships. It is a very popular sport in the UK, big crowds at the live events and lots of TV coverage.
Alex was a genius for trick shots!!!
Snooker is popular all over the world especially in China. To play you need to 'pot' a red then any other coloured ball and repeat. The reds stay off the table once potted but the other colours are returned to their 'spots' (starting position on the table). The other colours have different values (scores) to each other with the black being worth 7 points. When all the reds are gone, the 'colours' are potted in order of least valuable up to the black. The number 1 in your listing where the player missed the pink, he 'snookered' the cue ball behind the black as he didn't have enough points left on the table to win. So he needed penalty points from the other player to win if he potted the pink and black! (13 points).
And to explain the last shot: the player snookered his opponent behind the black to "snooker" his opponent. This is done when there is less points left on the table than required to beat their opponent.
Last shot the score is 46-60 with only 13 points left on the table. Pink=6, Black=7. Like you deduced there are fouls for hitting the wrong ball, and fouls give points. So Higgins plays a "Snooker" which is like you said, a defensive shot, intended to force fouls. He needed to force a foul to win, because potting the remaining balls wasn't enough.
Potting a ball is the relatively easy part. The hard part is positioning the cue ball for the next shot. Once all the reds are pocketed, then the colour balls have to be potted in sequence, which is why it's essential to get positioning on the cue ball to be able to do it. When a player can't pot a ball, they'll try and place the cue ball in a position where the opponent either can't hit or pot the ball in question, in order to cause them a foul in order to gain more points from it. 'Snookering', is when the cue ball in placed in a position where the next ball to be potted cannot be hit directly. In many instances, the cue ball has to be bounced off the cushions in order to achieve it. Which is what happened in the number 9 shot featured in the video. He has to hit the green, but the pink was obscuring the shot, so he had to bounce off the cushions in such a way in order to hit the green AND leave it in a relatively safe position, so that the opponent isn't able to have an easy shot where they'll pot the ball.
The number 1 shot.
Look at the scores, Higgens is behind by too many points, potting the pink and black will still lose the frame.
The only way to win is to force an error from your opponent (foul)
This is called Snookering your opponent, when there is no clear shot to the next ball (pink)
This is INCREDIBLY hard to do with only two balls left, you need PERFECT positional play, and Alex Higgins absolutely _nailed_ it.
Opposite side of the table, tight in against the black and up against the corner pocket with no good angles to bounce the cue ball off to get the pink.
Just absolutely miraculous 5D snooker.
My Mam used to watch Snooker for hours, on our black & white television!
_...and, for those of you still watching on Black and White TV, the brown is the one behind the blue_ heard sometime in the 1980's on BBC2's Pot Black (might have been a Jimmy White vs Hurricane Higgens nail-biting game - they could get super-tense)
My Nan too
Pot black
You might also want look up how snooker tables (and probably also pool and billiards tables) are constructed - broadly speaking, a slab of (usually Welsh) slate, to give a consistently flat, smooth surface; this is then covered with baize (the green fabric - which has a "knap", which affects the way the balls roll; you may see the referee brush the baize, partly to remove lint, but also to restore the "knap"), and finished off with the wooden frame.
The last shot demonstrated being "snookered" a term also used to denote putting someone in an almost impossible situation.
Another great video Tyler 👍🏻. Years ago there used to be a very popular snooker program on TV called Pot Black. I used to work with a guy who had appeared on it a couple of times and once a week or so, some of us would go to a club I was a member of during our lunch for a pint and a game of snooker. Well, Jerry was ‘kind’ enough to let me break - I didn’t pocket anything so sat down. Jerry took over and absolutely demolished me… you can imagine how transfixed I was watching. It was a pleasure being beaten by him… happy days 😊
You MUST watch Ronnie the Rocket fastest 147 it will likely explain more of what the players are looking to do in each match. It's effectively a perfect game
Unlikely to ever be beaten
I think you did a great effort of deduction, working out the rules. It’s a slightly complicated game, but satisfying when you get it. It got a lot more popular in the uk when colour tvs were introduced, and it’s a really popular spectator sport to this day.
As whispering Ted Lowe said "For those of you who are watching in black and white, the pink is next to the green"😀😃😄
Tyler has obviously not watched many old B&W American films that have old Pool Halls in them, the old pool tables are the same size as a Billiard / Snooker table. Quarter size tables are a modern invention so they can fit in bars, although at one time almost every London pub had a full size table and every bus garage / underground station at least one often two in the canteen.
Snooker is played in Oklahoma, I went to bar a played a local in a bar and he was amazed that people around the world play the game as he thought it was only played in his state. I'm from the U K .
Did they say "snucker" ? 😩
I remember watching Snooker on Aussie TV way back in the early 1970’s and being fascinated by it. Eddie Charlton was the most successful snooker player ever to come out of Australia. He was ranked number three in the world for five consecutive seasons from 1976/77. It requires a lot more skill and complexity than other table games.
I had PE elective classes in Snooker which included much theory and a couple of trips to the local pool hall to play, here in Australia. Complete with smoking locals and pinball machines. Those were the days.
Players break open the triangle of reds, they alternate doing this each time, at the start of every "frame". You have to score more points than your opponent, until there just aren't enough available points left on the table for them to catch up. You have to pot a red first, then a colour and on like that, red, colour, red, colour... The colours all have their spots and go back on the table after potting, while the reds stay off the table after potting them.
Points go red-1 yellow-2 green-3 brown-4 blue-5 pink-6 black-7. Therefore the maximum continuous "break" (ie, like running out) available is 147 points, called a maximum or just "a one four seven".
Foul shots give away 4 points to your opponent as standard, unless the foul shot is played while going for a colour which has a value higher than 4 - a foul on a blue gives away 5, on a pink 6, on a black 7. As in pool, the white going in a pocket is one type of foul, and it gets placed back on the table in that D marking at the top of the table. If you miss the ball you're going for, that's of course also a foul.
Sometimes, near the end of a frame, one player is just behind in points by a few too many than there remain available points on the table. If it's not too many, the player will often start playing "snookers", trying to play clever positional shots without potting to try and trap or "snooker" their opponent behind a colour or bunch of colours so they don't get a direct shot at the reds left on the table. Playing fancy shots off multiple cushions to try and then hit a red escape snookers is quite common.
As for Alex Higgins, well, he was often very drunk and did play some outrageously brilliant deliberate shots in his time that you can find. But those ones that rattle the jaws of a corner pocket and jump up onto the rail can't be done deliberately, they're a rare fluke when blasting the ball at speed into the jaws. Those shots would drop if played more gently, so it happens when only just off line really. Oh, and one more rule is you can't deliberately jump the cueball over other balls like you can in pool. You have to find your way around the angles to get out of tight spots.
One thing you should appreciate, the cue ball (white) is the most important ball in that once a ball has been pocketed, where the white finishes up afterwards is important! Especially if you are trying to keep the break going and if you also are trying to score high. It is also important in making it as difficult as possible for your opponent by hiding the cue ball behind other colours (snookered). The last play, where the guy misses the pink and puts the white behind the black, is because his score is not enough, potting both pink and black would not be enough to win (total points would be less than his opponent) so by placing the white behind the black "snookers his opponent on the pink, which is the next ball required to play. If his opponent then misses the pink he will give away 6 points. The Pro Snooker table is 12 feet long and over 6feet wide plus the pockets are smaller than a pool table. When all the Red balls have been pocketed, the coloured balls must be pocketed in sequence.
Yellow(2) Green(3) Brown(4) Blue(5) Pink(6) Black(7). While there are still Red balls on the table, then the coloured balls come back onto the table, after they have been pocketed, to their original starting place.
Billiards (another name for pool in the USA) is a totally different game using only 3 balls, traditionally played on a table with NO pockets. The table is 3-4 times the size of a pool table.
Carom Billiards or French Biilliards has the table with no pockets, English billiards uses the same table as Snooker
I'm decent at pool, but that doesn't matter on a snooker table. It is a ridiculously difficult game
I always say the same
Yeah, for example you can't cheat the pockets so easily as you can in pool. And shots down the cushions are ten times as hard.
I wouldn't necessarily call it a difficult game per se, it is more of a tactical game.
Dude, in snooker you have to put a red in then a colored ball in , the colored ball gets returned to it's place because you have to put all the reds in first .
THEN you can put the colored balls in but in a particular order with the black going in last .
Easy rules !
Yes the snooker table is freakin huge !
“This game seems more complicated”. YES YES YES! Testify brother.
The table is twice as long and twice as wide, so four times as big. And the pockets are smaller. You pot a red and then you are allowed to pot a colour. Then another red and colour and so on until you miss or commit a foul, then the other player starts with a red etc. When all the reds are potted you pot the colours in order so the maximum score (without fouls) is for one player to pot all fifteen reds (15) each followed by the black (15x7 = 105) and then all the colours (2+3+4+5+6+7 = 27) for a total of 147, known as the maximum break.
Notice, number 8 had Chinese subtitles over the top. Number 1 was a great shot because he was behind on points and needed to make his opponent make a foul so he needed a 'snooker', he was not trying to pot a ball, his opponent had to hit the pink ball, not the black, the pink is worth 6 points which is the score if his opponent misses.
Tyler, you're watching the greatest snooker players ever to grace this earth. Many have been world champion or runner up, so they are hugely talented. They understand the physics and dynamics involved. Luck may play a part but mostly it's down to skill after hours, weeks and years of practice.
billiards is played on the same size table but with only 3 balls - white/spotted white and red
I think when he says “American billiards” he means American pool. Billiards is a specific game but it’s also a general term for all cue/ball/pocket table sports.
@@ShrubScotland There is also a French game, billiards (also called Carom), uses similar table to snooker but with no pockets 2 cue balls and a red, and only 5ft by 10ft rather than 6ft by 12ft.
When my father was a young man he served his time as a National Serviceman in the RAF on a base that mainly was used as a training and transit point for airmen who were either travelling to another location for further training or simply being relocated. They also had several airmen who were waiting to leave the RAF having completed their service. My father however was assigned to the same base for most of his time and alongside another man it was their main responsibility to maintain all of the inside sports equipment and as a part of their duties every day they were responsible for brushing and cleaning any of the snooker equipment as needed. Between them they had at least four tables to take care of plus they had to test the tables were clean and in order which they did by playing a short frame of 3 games everyday which made them the most experienced players on the base . Because the rules on the camp prevented the players from betting’s on a game that they were playing my dad and his colleague would only play against unknown players because people who knew them knew that the permanent staff could outplay all comers, but because of the betting rules only the audience could bet on the games so many would organise into gambling groups and bet on the result in favour of dad or his buddy and at the end of the evening they would give the two of them a cut of the proceeds. Due to the high turnover of airmen passing through the base the abilities of the pair was not widely known and they were relatively well off for their skills. Incidentally my father did have a small advantage over most others, in the fact that his father and his father’s brother were both very skilled snooker and billiards players who at
various times were both regional champions and played in tournaments throughout Yorkshire and Lancashire.
Not only is the table much bigger than a pool table, but the pockets are much smaller as well. Nice video!
Just what we needed. Another American watching and commenting on a game he doesn't understand and hasn't researched
In the number 1 vid, the player needed what’s called a snooker because they were behind on points therefore they need their opponent to make a foul before sinking the pink and black. For reference it’s red then a colour, the colours have different points, yellow =2, green =3 and so on. Ultimately it can be a very tactical game.
The main difference between pool and snooker is that snooker is won or lost based on points scored rather than balls potted.
Players can score points based on the value of balls potted - 1 point for each red ball and 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 for yellow, green, brown, blue, pink & black respectively.
Balls must be potted in sequence of a red ball followed by chosen coloured ball, if the coloured ball is potted, it is then replaced on the table by the ref and the player must then proceed with a red ball before electing a coloured ball and so on. The coloured balls will stay on the table until all red balls have been potted and then they are taken in sequence from yellow, green, brown, blue, pink to black.
Players will also elect to strategically move or develop balls needed for the continuation of a run of balls (break) or to move balls into unfavourable positions for the opponent to reduce the likelihood of them scoring points on their return to the table.
When players are in arrears of more points than are available in the value of balls in play, players can continue the frame with the goal of scoring points from opponent fouls. Players mainly do this by tactically positioning both cue ball and object ball with cover between the two, to block direct striking for the opposing player, this is called a snooker (sn oo ker) or as it would be known in pool as a hook.
This is where first time spectators might find it strange to hear applause when the players havent seemingly done anything noticeably clever or potted a simple shot, this is because there is nuance between how the strategy works between shots and situation of the balls in play. Similar to shot 10 on the list, you seemed surprised to see Higgins miss a simple shot on the pink but you wouldn't realise that he would have lost the frame if he had pocketed it - as he was behind in terms of points available on the table, he needed to make these from foul points awarded from the opponent, the frame would have been conceded if there was no option for the player behind to continue playing for snookers.
This is a basic run down on the idea of the game but once you become familiar with the rules and general strategy you would then more fully appreciate what a lot of these players are doing with these shots. Besides that if you have access to a full size 12' x 6' snooker table, a couple hours on there would give you an extra level of respect to what these professionals are able to do on them.
Snooker is PRIMARILY a British game, but it's also played in tournaments all over the world (mainly in former British colonies, Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and several other nations).
7:20 in the final phase (after all the reds have been played) you must hit the balls in COLOR ORDER, otherwise if you hit the wrong color first it's a foul. So he was snookered from reaching the green by the pink, so had to make that hit on the green to avoid a foul or a miss (of both). You REALLY need to watch a full game or two to understand the basic rules.
Snooker is not unknown in America. You don't know it.
I would suggest that you watch one of the available on line rules to the game of snooker, one of the best these is "The Rules of Snooker - EXPLAINED!" it should then give you a better understanding of the game, you will then realise the game is not just about potting balls, it about a strategy of how to develop the table to your own advantage, to score heavily on each visit to the table where possible, this will in turn put the pressure on your opponent to try to respond in kind, the top players are thinking three or four shots in advance, (the closest equivalent is that of a run out in pool) to finish off the frame without reply, some of the best snooker frames are the ones where both players play a bout of safety, forcing their opponent to make a mistake or foul shot to take the advantage.
The first step in learning snooker is learning how to pronounce it, think snoopy to get it right.
The last shot was so good because there were not enough points left on the table for Higgins to win the game so he played the pink, which was the ball in play to hide the cue ball behind the black which is called a snooker, his opponent has to then hit the pink, if he misses it Higgins gets penalty points which would allow him to win the game by pocketing (potting) the pink then black. Hope that helps your understanding.
I hope any WPBSA executives watch this. They think changing snooker to being scruffy old polo shirts and jeans and selling the world championships (and no doubt eventually others) off to Saudi oil sheikhs or China is somehow "the way forward" for improving snooker...ie, for them to make a huge amount of money before they disappear off and leave the sport adrift or to more or less eventually become a Chinese sport. I sure won't want to fly all the way to China just to go see a match, even if it is the World Champs.
Okay, all you have to do is imagine you have to get into that position behind the black after hitting the pink. You don't have to know why, just play it backwards in your head and imagine having to make that shot-and then you'll come close to understanding how difficult it was. You don't have to know the rules, you only have to know that everyone cheered because all three of those balls were perfectly and deliberately placed in those positions-and then all you have to do is ask yourself, "if I were in the beginning position, would I have been able to get into the second position?"
The "oo" in snooker is not pronounced like it is in look or book, it's pronounced more like the "u" in Luke Duke.
A snooker table is 12ft by 6ft.
The rules are easy, but playing it is not!
Coloured balls MUST be potted (sunk in the pocket, nobody says "make", making is manufacturing something) in order so that player HAD to hit the green ball with the cue ball without hitting any other ball which is why that shot was so good. Otherwise it's a foul so you guessed that right.
Cue ball control is paramount in snooker.
Yes you worked it out. It was too difficult to pot the pink ball and get on the black so he "snookered" the cue ball by playing on the pink but keep it on the table and hiding the cue ball "snookering" behind the black so his opponent would lose points to him if he in turn misses his shot because of it. Like I said earlier, cue ball control is paramount in this game.
They do have snooker clubs in the US, google for snooker clubs in your area, but there's not a lot of them.
You must pot a red ball 1st before any other colour, reds are worth one point. So you go red, colour, red, color, red, colour, etc. until there's no red's left, then it's colours in their order, yellow (2 points), green (3 points), brown (4 points), blue (5 points), pink (6 points) and black (7 points). That is the ONLY order they can be potted. (Not made, the manufacturer has already made the balls, you just pot them 😂).
It's played in working mens cubs, cosmopolitan clubs, returned services clubs (veterans clubs) and pool and snooker halls up and down New Zealand.
As someone from Liverpool I would like to point out that there is no U sound in look or book.
@@martinconnelly1473 Yeah, I didn't say there was.
@@cadifan In Liverpool ook in book and look sound the same as ook in snooker. Saying they do not sound the same is because some people pronounce them as if they are spelt buck or luck. So to my ears it sounds like you are talking like there is a U in these words. Saying they are not the same sound as in snooker is effectively saying they sound like there is a U in them.
@@martinconnelly1473 The "oo" in snooker is long, as in roof, having a "u" sound, the "oo" in book, look, cook, hook, etc. is short.
In Snooker you have to pot a red first followed by a colour of your choice. In some of these shots they pot the colour and set themselves up for there next shot on a red.
If you can't directly hit the ball you want to play, you are snookered. Players can try and snooker there opponent on purpose but sometimes it happens by accident. In this situation the player will try and hit the target ball by hitting the cue ball off any number of cushions ( the sides of the table) to hit the ball.
Snooker .. pronounced like Snoopy or loopy.
Depending on where you live.
Me and them and him and me.
@@michaelprobert4014 I said the same thing elsewhere. I'm in south Wales.
Snooker tables are 12’ x 6’.
The premise is to pot in sequence, reds first. After each red you can pot a colour, which then get placed back in their initial spots.
Colours then have to be done in order and have points: 2 yellow, 3 green, 4 brown, 5 blue, 6 pink then 7 black.
The max number of points can therefore be 147: red, black, red, black,…, red, black, yellow, green,…
You can deliberately “snooker” someone by blocking them from hitting the ball required by the sequence.
Just came to see if he mispronounces it the same as Ryan. Yup. 💩
In case it wasn't mentioned at some point as well, with many shots, especially long shots, they try to pot a ball they're aiming at but have "safety" in mind in case they miss, whereby they are trying to ensure if they miss they don't leave an easy shot for their opponent. They call it a "safety" shot when they're trying to play in such a way to prevent their opponent from sinking a ball on their next shot. There are some really good, sometimes really long "safety battles" where they just play safety after safety until someone misses what they were aiming for or someone's patience runs out and they risk a difficult shot.
How can you mess up the word SNOOKER. So much. Maybe it’s his American accent I don’t really know, but it sounds weird…🤭🤣🤷🏻♂️🏴
It kind of makes sense if you say the word cooker or booker. Or looker.
21:38 - SNOOKER TABLE SIZE
The full-size, tournament-spec table is 12ft in length, and just over 6ft wide. If a ball is slightly out of reach, a player can use one of two specially designed 'aids'.A 'spider' and a 'rest'. These are like cue sticks of extended length but instead of 'tips' on the end, they each have a metal fixture.
A 'rest' is shaped like an 'X', whereas the 'spider' is like a mini cantilevered 'bridge' that enables a player to 'reach over' an obstacle.
Haven't watched. I'm gonna take a guess he pronounced it "snuhker". Edit: *sigh* I was right
Didn't expect him to know the welsh pronunciation...well you live & learn😅
Imagine an American using American pronunciation...
I'd like to say that he's pretending to be stupid, he knows what he is doing but over did the claiming not to know, he's done it so many times it's worn thinner than someone with an eating disorder on a diet.
@@Lemmys_Mole Well we pronounce it the same way as Tyler here in the Rhondda Valley and I haven't found ANYBODY locally that says snooker with the double "o" pronounced as in the word pool. I find it amusing that it produces so much angst if you don't say it "the right way ". Rather amusing really.
Basically you pot a red followed by any colour. The colours are then replaced after potting. Then you repeat red to colour until all reds are potted or until u dont pot a ball. Then once all reds are cleared you pot the colour in order of their point value, yellow to grren to brown to blue to pink to black. Also not only are the tables far bigger but the pockets are much smaller than pool tables pockets. These fellas make the exceptionally difficult look routine. Great watch
For God's sake, Tyler! It's pronounced "Snooo-ker"! Rhymes with Blue, Chew, You, Pooh, Glue, Zoo, Flue...! WHY do Americans always say it wrong???
Snooker is like a chess game where you need to think ahead. A lot of these shots are about strategically placing your white ball in a location where the opponent has an improbable shot which will either earn you point or provide you an opening to win the game.
The size of the table of snooker is 12ft x 6ft. Although the area which is used for playing is 11ft 8.5 inches by 5ft 10 inches. The distance between the floor and the top cushion 2ft 9.5 inches to 2 ft 10.5 inches. Hope this helps you Ryan. 🙋🇮🇪😁❤️🇺🇸
Basically in snooker you have to pot/pocket the reds before the other colors. Yellow =2 points, green = 3, brown = 4, blue = 5, pink = 6 and black = 7. The color balls must be pocket in that order when all the reds have been potted/pocketed
Basically if you pot a red you can then pot a colour ( the red stays down and colours are replaced on the table..their are 15 reds and when their are no reds left you pot the colours in order... yellow ( worth points) green 3..brown 4 blue 5 pink 6 black 7
Snooker pronounced 'Snoo-ka', is played by potting one of the Red balls, each with a value of 1 point, followed by a coloured ball, each time a colour ball is potted it's replaced on its spot (position) on the table or as near as possible if another ball is currently occupying or fouling the spot, this is done until all the Red balls are potted, then the colours are potted in order of value (the amount of points each ball is worth), Yellow 2 points, Green 3 points, Brown 4 points, Blue 5 points, Pink 6 points, and finally Black 7 points. If a player doesn't pot a ball the other player comes to the table, if you're unable to pot a particular ball you try to make it as hard as possible for your opponent to hit his object ball by positioning the cue ball in an awkward position usually its path blocked by other balls on the table. After the Red balls have been potted and only the coloured balls remain the balls are potted in order of value, if a player pots a ball out of sequence he receives a penalty of the value of the ball, say for instance that there is only the Pink and Black balls are left on the table, and the cue ball is tight (touching) behind the Black ball the player must strike the cue ball away from the Black in such a way to try to hit the Pink ball which is the next ball in colour order, if the player misses it that player gets a penalty of the value of the ball, the other player now has a choice they can let their opponent try again to hit the object ball after the cue ball has been put back in the position behind the Black where it was before it was struck by them, or the opponent can choose to play on from the position where the cue ball came to rest after the shot, if the player disturbs the Black ball either with his cue or the cue ball whilst playing the shot he will receive a penalty also.
I hope that this helps to explain the game a little.
Snooker tables are almost double the size of Pool tables, but also the pockets are much smaller. To build up a score, a red (1 point) has to be potted, followed by a colour, when the reds are all potted, then the colours are potted in order, Yellow (2 points) Green (3) Brown (4) Blue (5) Pink (6) Black (7). So when a red is potted, followed by a black the player scores 8 points, then plays for another red and so on.
Easiest way to understand snooker: the balls played in red, colour, red, colour, red, colour..... order. The ideal order is red, black, red, black until no more red remain and then the remaining colours replace the red balls in point ascending order. So once the last red is potted you pot one more colour of choice then it's yellow, colour, green, colour, brown,..., blue,... pink,... then black. Points wise red is worth 1 point and black is worth 7. If you get a perfect game you'll score a maximum break of 147 points which usually has a cash bonus attached.
Hope this helps
For most of these shots, you need to understand:
The sequence of shots ( red then any colour, then red... until all reds potted, followed by yellow, green, brown, blue, pink then black.
The scoring system, 1 for each red and each colour has it own value 2,3,4,5, 6 and 7.
Colours return to the table while there are still reds on the table.
You also need to see the current score, for the last shot, the score was Higgins 46 Fu 60, there were pink and black still on the table, if Higgins had potted both, he would lose because that would give him 6 for pin and 7 for black, so 13, for a total of 59, but Fu already has 60,
So Higgins needs Fu to Foul, Higgin's shot put the cue ball behind the Black and the Pink at the far end of the table, making a Snooker, meaning Fu was likely to Foul shoot, which would cost him 6 points, which would make the score 52, 60, allowing the possibility for Higgins to win by pocketing (potting) the last 2 balls.
Different Sizes of Snooker Table
True snooker tables come in three common sizes. The full-size, tournament-spec table is 12ft in length, and just over 6ft wide. For those without the space for a full-size table, there’s the 9ft option, often called a 3/4-size table. Somewhere in between is the other popular size, which is 10ft in length.
For tables smaller than 9ft, please see our Pool Table Room Size Guide for a guide to measuring your room size.
A typical bar pool table is 6’ x 3’, a full size snooker table is 12’ x 6’, the pockets are smaller and cut with rounded corners which don’t accept the balls as easily if your object ball hits them.
I’ve played both games for over 40 years, I enjoy both, and my best comparative analogy is that pool is as to checkers (draughts in the UK) as snooker is too chess. There’s far more to think about in a frame of snooker, and you have to be more accurate.
That's why most people in America only play 'Checkers and Pool'! As you said, they are both a thinking person's past-time hence rarely found in the US!
I must admit, I have played Billiards, Snooker and Pool for well over 45 years myself and have enjoyed playing all 3 games, however I found the most challenging game to be Billiards, especially when played on a 'Full Sized Billiards Table' i.e. one that is 12' x 6' as it then becomes far more challenging to pull off the Cannons, Pots or In Offs that are required in order to score points! I have also played Bar Billiards too however this time is a far more challenging game due to it being played on a far shorter and overall smaller table placed up against a wall in general and so requires far less room in order for you to be able to play it, however it has its bars which look like mushrooms that are placed on spots directly behind the holes and the aim is to pot your balls without knocking over any of the bars (mushrooms) thus it becomes an extremely challenging game! Do you have the game 'Bar Billiards' in The USA?
The hardest of all the variants however, is called Bar Billiards and this game is seriously challenging and immensely frustrating too for the short amount of time i actually spent playing it compared to the many years it truly takes to become a master at this game! In reality, I didn't do that badly at it however it was extremely frustrating seeing as it was truly that very different! It is a particular challenge to work out the rules even lol!
I'm 70 years old , grew up playing Eight Ball , Nine Ball , Billiards and Snooker ON THAT SIZE TABLE !!!! Traditional SIZE IN CANADIAN POOL HALLS !!!! 👍🏿👍🏽👍✌🏼🖖🍁🌻💛💙🇺🇦
Ok. Rules. Balls have a value based on color, starting from red (1 point) up to black (7 points). When it's your turn you MUST hit a red ball. If it goes into an hole, you can shot again and you can hit any color ball you want; if a non-red color ball goes in hole you get the points and if there are red ball in play the non-red ball go back in its starting position. Once all red balls are in holes, you MUST hit balls in point order (2, 3, 4 until 7 point black) and they don't get back in play if they go into an hole. If you dont score a hole with a shot, the turn go to your opponent
Thus, this is a perfect game:
1- You hit a red ball and put it in hole (1 point)
2- You hit the black ball and put it in hole (7 points). The ball come again in play at starting position
3- Repeat points 1 and 2 until all red balls are in holes
4- Put all other balls in holes in the right order
147 points total, the perfect game. It's rare but it happened multiple times in snooker official matches
With the last shot, the pink has to be the next ball played by either player. John Higgins is 14 points behind Marco Fu, and the pink ball is worth 6 points and the black ball is worth 7 points, so there aren't enough points available for him to win by just potting the balls. Therefore, he has to force Fu to foul, earning foul points and giving enough points to win the frame. The best way to do this is to play it as tight as possible behind the black in this scenario so that Fu has no direct shot.
If he potted the pink ball, there would be no way for him to "snooker" Fu (the process of preventing your opponent having a straight shot at any legal ball) because there would only be 1 ball left on the table, and so he would have lost.
Its easy: You firstly sink (pot) a red ball. That then allows you to pot a coloured ball which are worth more points. Then you got back to trying to pot a red ball. Red balls are not replaced once they've been be potted. When there are no more red balls left on the table, you then have to pot the six coloured balls in a particular sequence. The yellow ball first and lastly, the black ball.
Shot 2 - he is on the green in the colours sequence after all the reds have been potted - the green is the only ball he is allowed to hit - yet he is “snookered” behind the black, he can’t see the green to pot it so the aim is just to hit it & leave it safe (to be unpottable for your opponent)
The game is not all about potting. Enourmous skill goes in to playing for snookers & safety shots
So, the way the game works... You alternate between red and other colours until all the reds are gone, then pot the colours in the sequence yellow/green/brown/blue/pink/black. A red ball is worth 1 point, a yellow 2, up to 7 for a black ball. Coloured balls have their own respective spots and are replaced there after being potted if there are any reds still in play, or the next available spot if theirs is covered.
This means you can (and should) play tactical shots that would e.g leave you positioned well for a colour, but badly for a red (if you miss, and play passes back to your opponent)
A big part of the game is tactics. It's often better to not pot something and force your opponent into "a snooker" (very hard shot), with the hope of making them foul, which gets you points. In that last example Higgins was down 46:60 with only 13 (6+7) points available on the table, so he *needed* the snooker or the max he could possibly have reached was 59 points and he would have lost.
Pool in the UK is often seen as vastly inferior to snooker and played on a much smaller table with wider pockets. There are many other differences too, for example, many snooker shots are played without involving any cushions.
I recommend you to watch 5-10 finals from the biggest tournaments and you will see another 10 shot at the level of these. It will help you start understand all the facets of this game, which is way way more complex than you might imagine. That's the beauty of it. Its a ball game mixed with chess and ridiculous levels of precision. And lots of money involved. IT is actually quite popular in more areas of the world, especially Europe and Asia.
Here are the basics of snooker.
There are 15 red balls each player must pot, each one giving 1 point to the player who pots it.
After that, the player gets another turn and he must pot one of the other colored balls as he can, trying to get as much points as possible, from 2 to 7 points each pot (Yellow, Green, Brown, Blue, Pink, Black respectively).
After that, the potted colored ball is put back in its starting place, and the same player will go for the next red ball.
If the color ball is not potted, it will remain there, but now the other player will have to pot a red one, and so on.
When all the red balls are potted and the color ball turn finished, the players will have to pot other 6 balls from yellow to black, with the same point values, to finish the game (as can be seen in shot top 6), and the player with the most points is the winner.
Penalty points are -4 points for potting the white (Cue) ball anytime, potting a red ball when you don't have to, same for yellow, green or brown), or by not hitting a target ball (first) in that turn. In the case of Blue, pink and black, the penalties are -5, -6 and -7 respectiveky)
Simple rules: Each player has to pot a red ball whenever they start their break (turn). Each time they pot a red, they then get to pot a colour. That coloured ball is worth a set number of points (red = 1, yellow = 2, green = 3, brown = 4, blue = 5, pink = 6 and black =7). If they pot the colour, the ball is returned to its starting position and the player continues his break by trying to pot a red ball. Once all the reds have been potted, they then get to pot the colours in ascending order of value. Failing to hit the right ball is a foul (4 pts), unless the value is greater than 4, in which case the value of the ball attempted (or hit) is awarded to the other player. Sinking the white ball is also a foul.
If there are not enough points on the table, a player will attempt to force a foul by the other player, called a "snooker". That #1 shot was such a snooker where he was trying to force his opponent to miss the shot, giving up either 5 or 6 points.
Oh and they have to look so smart because of the dress code - they used to have to avoid advertising and have just plain clothing, but they changed that some years back.
Those tables are 12 x 6 foot long at match level. Those players are also pros - they spend hours each day practicing...
Oh and it's "snoooker" btw... not "snucker". ;)
There are You Tune episodes, which will explain the game to you. Also, where do you think you got billiards from? Billiards was a big game over in the old country, the way snooker is now, in the earlier 20th century. Even in billiards, the dress code was waistcoats, shirts, and trousers. It may shock you, but snooker is played worldwide.
For the final play.. no 1.. Positioning the cue ball behind the black after hitting the yellow ball is what the game is named after.. his opponent was snookered.. he has to commit a foul as there is no way of avoiding hitting the black ball when taking your shot.. your opponent has to hit the other ball first. if you hit the black before any other colour that is a foul. Hence snooker
Someone in the US impressed by how massive something is in another country. Oh how the _tables_ have turned!
All of the different coloured balls represent a point system… from one (red) to seven (black) the other colours are the numbers in between… but when all of the reds have been potted the other colours have to be potted in a specific order..
(Lowest to highest points)
Black is always last as it is worth the most points. Also… side note… you have to pot a red before you can pot a colour 👍🏼 until all the reds have gone.. then you work through the colours in order to
1 Cue Ball
15 red balls, valued at 1 point each
1 yellow ball, 2 points
1 green ball, 3 points
1 brown ball, 4 points
1 blue ball, 5 points
1 pink ball , 6 points and
1 black ball, 7points
Objective is to try and achieve a maximum break of 147 by potting 1 Red Ball followed by One Black Ball until all the Reds have been potted. That would give you a score of 120. (Please note that the Black Ball is returned to its spot on the Table once it’s been potted). You then need to Pot the Colors in sequence from the lowest points value to the highest which is Yellow, Green, Brown, Blue, Pink and then Black. Total available points for all the colored Balls is 27 so after successfully potting all the colors without your opponent achieving any points your Max Score would be 147.
If you pot a Red Ball and the cue ball finishes in a position on the table where the Black Ball cannot be potted you can then go for any other colored Ball on the Table, so for example, you pot a Red, 1 Point, Blue, 5 points, Red 1 point, Pink 6 Points then you miss a Red, your total for that break would be 13 and your opponent then has the Table. Again, remember, Each time a color is potted it comes back one the table until all the Reds have been potted.
It’s easy 😂😂😂😂😂
The accuracy is amazing but also remember the pace of the ball and the spin, it's all deliberate.
The basic principle its a points based game in order to score 1st you must pot a red which is worth 1 point then to continue you must pot a colour you designate so yellow is two points green three points etc with black being the highest value 7 points on potting a colour you must return to a red & so on. When all the reds are potted then the colours are potted in sequence yellow green brown blue pink & black to win a frame or in US terminology Rack the person with the most points wins the frame the highest number of points available is 147 ie 15 reds 15 blacks & the colours.
#3 he made the cue ball return to the top end of the table to be 'safe' in case he doesn't pot the red... then he wouldn't have left an easy shot for his opponent (since they would have needed to hit/pot a red ball). The cue ball ended up on the cushion for him, but he could still go after any of the color balls, so it wasn't so bad.
In general, balls have to potted in a given sequence. Ending your turn and placing the white so it cannot see the next in the sequence - is called "snookering" and can present the next person to play with a real problem. The next player must then bounce around the table to try to hit the right ball - if they fail to do that, then it's a foul and points go to the other person. So, if the scores are such that - to win - you need more points then the ball represent on the table (eg the opponent is 12 points ahead but there is only 8 on the table), you may choose to snooker your opponent to try to get extra points when they foul...
Sometimes, the white may be touching the correct next ball - then, the white must be played away from that touch (suspect that was the 2nd seen play, where the white was played away)
Setting up the table is highly technical and a real skill. The base is actually slate and ithe table is levelled to the nearest milllimetre
The size of the tip of the pool cue is 13 millimeters on a snooker cue is usually 10 mm and even smaller. Pockets and balls are smaller than standard pool.
Snooker is played around the world, serious compettitions. Candian, Chinese, Maltese, English, Scots, Weslh, etc etc etc. Whereas Pool, or "billiards" as you've mentioned is still played. For the most part it's a pub game. There are more serious competitions too, but for those that have played Pool a lot, the graduation on to Snooker was a natural progression. A 12 feet table can be very daunting the first time you play it. But, I'm quite proud of the fact that I have a 68 point break to my record, lol.