So with snooker, when you break especially, you don't want to open the pack (the group of reds) as you can't really predict where the balls will go, so the game plan is to hit on of the back corners of the red to reduce how open the reds are. That way your opponent has less chance of getting a free shot. Snooker is very much about playing safety shots, very tactical indeed!
Yeah, if you're playing competitively, you want to keep the red balls bunched together, unless you're playing for fun, then you can open the balls up on the break to speed up the game. Also yeah, to what he said about the balls rolling a lot more, that's accurate to a real table, the balls roll a lot more on snooker compared to pool, and I would say mastering the pace and setting up is among the more difficult things to learn with snooker, master those two and the game becomes much easier.
@@tikkabrno Yes thats right. However getting that cue ball in to a position for the next good shot is harder than it looks for those just starting out. When I break the reds they are still bunched together for the most part. After the 5th red is down, breaking the reds is better, but not to the point they go all over the table, try keep them as far down the table as you can, as this opens up the black ball after each shot.
@@paul1979uk2000 I definately agree with you on if playing for fun, then yes you can break the reds up quite well, and to make a Competative break, which isn't always that easy, you just barely touch the furthest out red on either side, so the cue ball hits it, bounces off the sides and returns back up, preferably behind a yellow or so.
@@paul1979uk2000 Yeah, I was going to say, but you already said it. If you're playing seriously and professionally, then you want to gradually open the pack bit by bit. But when you're playing with your mates in the pub then, screw it, whack the cue ball into the reds to split 'em! Because it's more fun, and if no-one there is a serious professional player, they're not going to be precise enough, most likely, to take advantage of it anyway.
Q/ How addictive is snooker? Me/ I just watched an American guy who has never played snooker before, play a computer simulated game THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH and was I totally in to the game.
@@IWrocker Real world, though.... You can't make perfect movements, no aiding arrows of where balls will go, and an opponent that tries to make your shot as hard as possible. Good Luck finding a IRL game, you will both enjoy it and get frustrated about it.
@@IWrockerYou think this is fun to watch? As a child my family used to watch a snooker show on TV in black and white. When the family saw it on a relative's recently purchased colour (color) television for the first time it really was the most magical experience. Within a few months my father had arranged for the first colour TV to be installed in the house. This was about 1972. Watching grown men hit a white ball into balls of various shades of grey was fairly tedious. Watching all the colours whizz around on green baize was a fantasy world. I'm pretty sure that the snooker show at the time, "Pot Black", being on air at the time a lot of families switched over to colour TV cemented an affection for the sport in the collective psyche of the British nation for the next fifty years and counting!
@@chloewilliams1112 ..ah yes. The late, great 'Whispering' Ted Lowe and his famous line: "and for those of you who are watching in black and white, the pink is next to the green."
The one thing you can do to improve your game massively is to think about where you want to leave the cue ball for your next shot. Top players are thinking 5-6 shots ahead!
💯% . If after potting a Red Ball, if there is No Colour possible, you want to leave the cue ball in a position of safety that makes it difficult for your opponent to pot his next shot. As you rightly said, these top players are thinking several shots ahead. It's like playing Chess, only with Balls 👍
No one think 5-6 shots ahead. 2/3 max. You might be thinking about a particular ball you have to move in 5/6 shots but you won't start positioning for it until 2/3 shots beforehand
@@101RadioheadCovers I plan about 2 shots ahead at the most, but try my best to position the ball to where I need it for a colour. 90% Of the time it works out.
Exactly what I was gonna say, positioning of and control of the white (cue ball) is crucial. Essentially it's a lot of stun and screw shots. Also, if the object ball touches the cushion (rail) as it rolls toward the pocket it won't go in. Which is not the case on an American pool table where the pockets are like buckets in comparison. Snooker requires extreme accuracy. Definitely try and find a real table to have a go on, you'll be even more shocked by the size of table and how difficult the game actually is.
The BBC series Pot Black is credited with producing one of the most memorable British sports quotes. Commentator Ted Lowe, aware that not all viewers had colour televisions at the time, said "Steve is going for the pink ball - and for those of you who are watching in black and white, the pink is next to the green.
In context, not at all odd, because the colours are usually on their spots and always replaced there after potting, so if there was a ball on the green spot it was 99.9% likely to be the green.
@@top40researcher31 There were no purples, it was Black and White, they were all shades of grey. Also for the other guy, the balls weren't on their spots, the clue should be that the pink was behind the green on a small black and white screen you didn't know which was which, this shouldn't and does not need debate, its a thing that happened.
One good thing about playing snooker is after a few frames you can go to the pub and smoke everybody on the pool tables because it feels like your playing on a postage stamp👍
@jsim5475 And positioning the cue ball for the next shot suddenly becomes optional. Because everything is only a few inches from a pocket. (Ok; not entirely true. And with only a few balls left, you sometimes have to be a bit careful. But it's _comparatively_ optional.) The major problem in switching from snooker to pool is that the physics on a pool table rarely 'work' like they should. It's far, far harder to find a straight, level, even, flat pool table with predictable cushions.
Also the pockets will seem like buckets. Occasionally I have a few sessions on a championship snooker table and when I play back at my club the pockets also seem like buckets.
“That Mitchell and Webb Sound - Complete Series 1-5” is on Audible for a single credit. Well worth grabbing. 14 hours of their hilarity. I listen to it a couple of times a year and it always makes me laugh.
Unlike Pool where you try to pot a ball when you break, with snooker you must try to barely touch the outside red and get the cue ball back down to the other end of the table. It’s best to leave the red balls in the triangle shape as much as possible as a loose red is easier for your opponent to pot.
You were correct, your opponent was awarded a free shot because you fouled and left him without a clear shot on his next ball. In which case the referee awards a "free ball" and the other player can nominate any ball to take instead of their normal ball. The free ball awards points as if it was the normal ball (not its own value), and is replaced if potted. In this case, the ball on was the yellow, which you failed to hit (a foul), and left your opponent without a clear shot on the yellow. He was awarded a free ball, and nominated the brown. He potted the brown, and was awarded 2 points (the value of the yellow ball). The brown was replaced, and the yellow became the ball on again.
@@IWrockerBy the way - the pink went onto the blue spot just before this. That’s because there’s a rule where if the coloured ball spot is blocked by another ball it goes to the next highest available spot, so because the pink = 6 and the blue = 5, when the cue ball was blocking the pink from being respotted it went down to the blue. If there’s a situation where no spots are available the ball goes as close to its own spot as possible in line with the middle of the table. It’s a good one to know if you’re going to get into watching the sport. Also, in professional matches a free ball counts as a red. So when he potted the brown it would’ve been 1 point and then when he potted the yellow that would’ve counted and his colour - the yellow would’ve then been respotted and then you go yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, black. Not sure what this games ruleset is. And about the cloth thing - no irl table I’ve ever played on is as ‘slidey’ as the one in game. The cloths are fast but the balls don’t roll forever like there 😂
Mate, as a Brit who loves both snooker and pool a great deal, I adore the open-minded way you've approached all this! If you're ever in the UK I'll buy you a pint at my local and play you a game! ❤️
Not sure how much those setting will change things but those pockets were very accommodating. On a real table and a lot of those shots you made are just bouncing out. Beyond being narrow, the cushions are rounded so the ball doesn't funnel in like on a pool table, so if you make any significant contact with the cushion the ball's not going in... To give a sense of difficulty, pool you can generally play okay-ish while drunk but I've seen drunk novice people in pubs take over an hour to finish a frame of snooker. (the old guys who play drink small glasses of beer)
Did anyone here grow up watching the Big Break hosted by Jim Davidson. There’s quite a few episodes on YT and it’s very nostalgic. As a kid I always enjoyed the trick shot segment.
Funnily enough, after watching IWrocker's other snooker videos, this blooper tape from Big Break was suggested. Haven't laughed so hard in ages 😆 ua-cam.com/video/0Z2Cb-P-wNk/v-deo.html
Points value for context and needs to be taken in order. Yellow 2 Green 3 Brown 4 Blue 5 Pink 6 Black 7 Once the table is cleared up you clear the balls in this order. Even though you would think since the brown is between the yellow and green you would do them like 1 2 3, but you do the 2 outside balls then the middle. Also it’s not all about smashing the pack open like pool, it’s best to keep the pack in relative order so you can play it neat and tidy and when it comes a time you play off the red or the black into the pack to open the balls up once there is less on the table. Very tactical and hard game, thanks for your coverage. New sub earned!
As the others said, you wanna hit the red thinly on a breakoff shot and get the cue ball back up into baulk (behind the line with the yellow green and brown) so your opponent either can't pot any available reds, or able to hit one without leaving you a viable shot. It's coop to see someone new to the sport get so deep into it, but I'd definitely recommend watching some full frames, maybe a full short match, just to get the idea of the strategy that's at play. I hope you become a big snooker fan like us, it's one of the most elegant, respectful sports, and relaxing to watch. It's the only sport I really care for. You can have a nice long strategic safety battle, or a solid run making century breaks, they're equally entertaining
Couple of interesting things, I grew up playing pool occasionally, but when I saw a snooker table for the first time in person, the size blew my mind. And as you mentioned, despite the size, the pockets are far narrower that the classic American 8 Ball. It puts into perspective how incredibly skillful you have to be to make pots from the opposite end of the table, such a small target and very far away. You might be just in time getting into the sport actually, as the World Championships are scheduled to begin on April 20th at the famous Crucible. Definitely worth following that, I'm looking forward to it
Dude snooker is so tactical, please do a video on 'best snookers', ie where the player makes a shot and it is extremely difficult for the opponent to make the next move, eg hitting a red 'safe' and then spinning a cue ball tight near to a colour. It is magical to watch and the escapes are often even better!
For your break, aim at the edge of the pack, Allowing for drift with spin, to hit about half ball on the outer red with running side. Probably about 60-70% power. Not sure about the game mechanics,. But that's the shot to play.
My grandad used to watch Snooker and I'd watch it a little with him, but I had no idea what was what even when he explained it to me 😂 Then when he passed I'd put it on with my nan and we'd watch it together, sadly she passed just last year and I've not even watched anything snooker related until now. Refreshing 😊
It really feels like I'm playing myself. I used to play 8 ball every weekend. Snooker, I sometimes watch it after work. On Euro sports. Nice game. Greetings from Spakenburg, Netherlands.
Surprisingly entertaining. I think it is greatly aided, by you being the commentator as well. You really have an excellent voice for it. A chill and mindful experience.
The ability to position the cue ball (after your shot) in order to set up the next shot (or even the next series of shots) is the true indicator of a good player.
There is an ex-World Champion, Stephen Hendry, who has a great snooker YT channel where he not only gives snooker tips but also plays frames with various celebrities, sportsmen and other Snooker legends. Well worth checking out as not only are the interviews/games fun, his advice is top notch. He even does some videos with pool. It's called "Stephen Hendry's Cue Tips" and maybe check out the videos he's done with Ronnie O'Sullivan (the guy you watched doing that fastest 147 break) - I highly recommend reacting to the video "Can Ronnie O'Sullivan Defeat the Tough Table Challenge?" it's only 6min but really cool, not so much because of the performance but more the conversation. There's also a good, short compilation video worth checking out called "Stephen Asks the Greatest Players for their Ultimate Snooker Tips", but there's loads of great ones to check out on there. Good videos and they'll give you some background in the game and introduce you to more of the players too.
@IWrocker Quite right and a highly recommended watch, undoubtedly the best snooker related YT channel. FYI Stephen Hendry is a seven times world champion who dominated the 1990s. Regarded by most as the greatest player of all time before Ronnie O'Sullivan. In the sim you played the physics seemed a bit off, the way the balls just kept rolling at the end wasn't right.
Love this! Thanks for not editing - went to see Jimmy White play an exhibition match back in the 80's - still loving snooker all these years later. So glad you've discovered this great game. Maybe you might like to look at a video showing how the tables are built - I think you'd like that too.
It's good to see you followed the suggestion to try out Cue Club 2. I would like to offer a few remarks about the game itself: 1. Your remark about the computer being not too good at snooker is true. Even on the highest difficulty level it tends to make highly questionable shots quite often. Exception: if the computer is snookered, that is they don't have a direct shot towards a ball on, their cue ball seems to have sat nav, even on the lowest difficulty. The computer's significantly better at playing pool though. 2. In the game settings, there's an option to show the value of the ball you're pointing at with the aiming circle. To explain the situation when you accidentally hit the green instead of the yellow: normally that would've been a "foul and a miss", for not hitting the yellow first and the ref judging that you didn't make a good enough effort to hit the yellow. This means that the opposing player has 3 options instead of 2: play from where the balls are, make you play again from where the balls are, and make you play again from where the balls were (the extra option). In this case, a "free ball" was awarded as well. This means that the opposing player can nominate a different colour to pot, and it gets the points value of the ball on for this shot. The "free ball" was awarded because it was not possible to direct hit both edges of the ball on from the position of the balls on the table. Also, two small bits of final advice: 1. Learn to play around with spin on the cue ball, especially back spin, it helps a lot. Once you have more of a feeling for that, you'll be able to run up half centuries (break of 50) and centuries (break of 100). 2. Chalk your cue tip at least every 3 shots. It affects cue ball behaviour in the game.
Well done on your win👍👍 If you get a streak it's called a 'break' not a 'rally'. You should listen carefully to any commentary on a match when watching, as they often explain how and why a particular shot is made.
So, as someone who plays snooker in real life and on video games. When you break the idea is to hit the edge of the red and get the cueball back to where the yellow, green and brown are. It isn't just about potting balls you need to be tactical too. And the colours, black is 7, pink 6, blue 5, brown 4, green 3, and yellow 2. Each red is 1 and when the final red is potted you can pot any colour you like. But after that colour it's yellow, green, brown blue pink and then black in that order. Hope that helps :)
I'm not even a particularly active snooker fan these days but this video has made me realise just how deeply the sequence red-yellow-green-brown-blue-pink-black is scorched into my psyche.
A couple of tips for the future. 1. The break you made, I feel, was too hard. It made all the reds spread widely across the table. This inhibits your next shot on a colour as there are more reds in the way. 2. Learn how to control the white ball with various levels of spin. & don't be afraid to use less power when hitting the ball. If you control the white, you control the game. 3. If you can't see a pot, don't be afraid to use your shot to mess up your opponents next shot. As with #2, if you control where the white ends up, you control the table. & getting your opponent snookered can even lead to you getting more points from their fouls. But as a brand new player you did brilliantly.
Playing a video game is a great way to get familiar with the rules and concept of snooker. Definitely try get yourself on a real table with a buddy though. That's when it really hits home what a difficult game it is.. and also when your jaw hits the floor watching people like Ronnie.
I'm a Brit and was brought up on the game because of my father. It's ridiculously difficult even if you're a haft decent pool player. I liken it to golf in that if your tee shot is slightly off line, by the time the ball lands you're way off where you want to be. If you get a long pot slightly off, you can miss by miles when it reaches the pocket. Great game to play with a good friend.
Snooker terminology..... 1. Scratch = In Off (i.e white went IN the pocket OFF another ball) 2. Rally = Break (the number of points scored in one visit to the table) i.e You had a Break of 16 for potting 2 x red and 2 x black... 3. When you are blocked on the ball you want to hit you are "snookered". 4. Rails are cussions in snooker 5. To "sink" a ball is to "pot" a ball in snooker. 6. A 147 is often called a "maximum" I'm sure there are others you need to learn 😉....... Nice to see you enjoying the game though.
If you want the order of the balls, here goes: Red - 1 point, Yellow - 2 points, Green - 3 points, Brown - 4 points, Blue - 5 points, Pink - 6 points, and Black - 7 points. So 15 Reds plus every color you manage to pot. Good luck. BTW, after the Reds are done, the points, in order, must be potted. Great job, man.
On snooker when you open, you avoid opening all the balls, it's a very tactical game. If you open the balls, your opponent will just wreck you 😂 basically you open, touch a red and try to make Q ball come to where it started
True, especially a skilful player, they can clear up and keep you seated, but if playing for fun and who you are playing against isn't too good, it's fine to open the reds up just to speed up the game.
Controlling the white ball and getting it to finish in the correct position for the next shot is vital in snooker. Potting a ball without having to worry about the next shot is a world away from having to connect with the white ball at the top /side/ bottom in order to perfectly control it's movement after the shot. It is also far more difficult to pot a ball when not connecting with the white cue ball dead centre when you are you cueing.
How much do I love snooker? Your first snooker video popped up on my feed because of the amount of snooker I watch on UA-cam and I've just laid in bed for an hour watching all your snooker videos and now I've subscribed to watch any future snooker videos you do. How much do I love snooker? I will watch literally anything to do with snooker!
That’s awesome, I had no idea about the sport a couple weeks ago but now I’m really loving it. I can’t promise a snooker video every day, but a couple times a week would be great as I learn about it 🎉 Thanks by the way, welcome aboard 😎👍
Well there’s something I never thought would happen, I’ve just watched an American play a frame of snooker….. and thoroughly enjoyed it. Great effort. Just remember you don’t always have to pot a ball on your go. The best players make it super hard for their opponent when it’s their turn. Also bear in mind where the cue ball will end up after you’ve played your shot. Going to subscribe. This’ll make a great livestream.
The physics in that game looked spot on, you could really feel the weight and momentum of the balls. The ball dropping into the pocket looked a bit slow but nothing I could pick in game play looked at all uncanny valley like.
Before playing Pool or Snooker, learn technique by playing Billiards (two Cue balls and one red). If you are proficient at Billiards, all other games become much easier to win.
I had already noticed this, but you remarked on it yourself at 25:45 That's an unrealistically fast cloth, like ice! Fast cloth meaning low rolling resistance to the balls. But this looks like every shot has a tail wind! Another thing I noticed is when the balls go in the pockets, like they lower on a cushion of air, rather than gravity-drop!
What you are doing is using the principle of Billiards where you only have 3 balls on the table . White and Yellow and Red . One player uses the white , other player uses yellow and the red is the object ball . What you where doing is using the other balls to make the shot . Billiards makes you a much better player because you need to know how to pot and go in off both balls to score . Having played Billiards myself in competition it really increases the fun value of the game .
if you have a hard time remembering the value of the colors you can have this in mind: You already know that black is the highest value (7) so from there they start to lose value as you go up the table: pink is right above and is 6 points then is blue in the middle worth 5 and the 3 lowest values are at the top of the table Yellow (2) Green (3) and Brown (4). The idea is to stay at the bottom of the table (where the red usually are) and score with the high value colors. High values are spread apart at the bottom half while low values are grouped together at the top half. Another way to look at it is if you go from Brown (4) which is at the top middle they increase by one as you go down.
I've been watching Snooker casually for decades. Last summer I finally tried it with my wife. Took us 2h to finish the game and a lot of gymnastics but I loved it !
Well played, hope you can manage to play as well in reality, great commentary and understanding, BTW, the free ball wasn't a correct decision by the computer, but a good simulation overall 👍
The break-off in snooker is a safety shot. Professionals usually aim to clip off either side of the bottom of the pack of reds with running side. The cue ball then strikes the top cushion near a corner pocket, the side cushion, then runs underneath the blue to the opposite side cushion. The purpose is to make the cue ball come to rest somewhere on the bottom cushion, hopefully obscuring the reds with one of the three baulk colours. Smashing into the reds is not something you will see often, as if you fail to pot a red, then your opponent will more than likely clear up.
In snooker, you don't aim to pot off the break. The idea is hit the outside red ball with running side spin to throw the white around 3-4 cushions to leave it safe on the baulk cushion.
Funny thing, i literally said the same "snooker is an arcade chess game played with cueballs", when i first watched it at Eurosport channel. Player have to came up with the right move, but than he must perform it on the table. By my experience at the snooker table, playing it is like playing two different pool games at once. First you sinking only 8-ball alternately with one pointers, than you can play regular 8-ball game. Margin of error is very slim, due to the sizes of table, cueballs and pockets. And you constantly struggling to position white cueball where you want it to be, by performing easy, mild or even advanced trick shots. I highly recommend to play this game on a real table. It's challenging, it's hard, but man... it's fun.
In the 1980s there were a few players from Canada - Cliff Thorburn was a world champion and scored the first 147 at the World Championships and there were others like Bill Werbinuik (who used to drink several pints during a game for his nerves 😂). Recently though there haven't been any notable players from North America (to my knowledge). There has however been a huge surge in players from China and now there are many Chinese players near the top of the sport.
Ian, the idea of Snooker is a mix of potting and strategy, what you did when you potted the pink, you left yourself Snookered with the yellow. That is what you want to do to your opponent, make things difficult for them, don't hand them the game. With the break you want to catch the last red in the pack, you don't want to open the pack up if at all possible, you want the cue ball back down to the top end of the table, and even better is if you can get it behind the yellow, green or brown. Watch more Snooker videos to get the idea of how the game plays. My only claim to fame is I played Stephen Hendry, 4 or 5 times when we were both teenagers, even back then he was a nice guy, we knew he was very talented but back when you're 13 you don't think the guy you are playing is going to have seven world champion titles.
Notes on general terminology and other bits... You don't 'scratch', you 'go in off' It's not a 'run', it's a 'break'. Players usually have at least 3 frames of play and the player who wins is the one with the most frames on the scoreboard at the end of play You don't say '1 forty 7' it's just 1-4-7. The reason why your avatar opponent potted the brown is because he had a 'free ball'. This is due to him not being able to see both sides of the object ball which, in that situation was the yellow. By both sides I mean he needs to be able to clip the edge of the object ball on both sides. If that view is obstucted then a free ball is called by the ref.
This was so fun to watch. I'm a big Ronnie fan and have been to watch the Masters at Ally Pally as it's not far from where I live. One tip: Think about your positioning of the cue ball for your second shot before playing a red. If you don't have a good second shot it's better to play a safety shot. Please make more of these, I'd watch it for hours 👍🏾
Pretty good for 1st go, the secret of course is to be thinking 3 or 4 shots ahead, and playing for position as well as pots. :) enjoying your snooker journey
Snooker simulations sure have come on a long way since I tried one on a Sinclair Spectrum! And yes; the physics are something that can be modeled pretty acurately. Even to the point of making things behave as they do in the real world; i.e. allowing for the imperfections that make simply applying the 'standard' physics equations not quite true to life. But one thing they can't model are the physical aspects. How do you hold the cue? How steady is your bridge hand? How can you gague shot strength consistently? And the sheer physical presence of such a big table. Even the balls seem larger the you'd expect irl. (That's what she said.) If you really want to experience how hard it is to do what life-long masters make look so simple, the _only_ way is to try the real thing yourself. And that applies to practically any sport. In fact, to _any_ form of human endeavour where some people achieve amazing results. Really enjoying your enthusiasm. And that first black pot was just astonishing. 😅😅😅😅
I agree with you about the ball speed. Even before you mentioned it there were a few occasions when it seemed to me that the cue ball was running a lot further after impact than was natural...
Well played, glad you enjoyed. As you said, play it like chess, table awareness for position on your next few shots in advance whilst nullifying your opponents options should you miss. Something important to look into is the safety aspect/plays of snooker which can be decisive in winning a frame.
I'm always fascinated at the skill of the pros in knowing exactly where the white (cue ball) will be after they have hit another ball. O'Sullivan's 147 was a master class in doing it.
snooker tables use a thinner felt then pool and snooker balls are smaller and lighter so they glide more on the table if you rewatch the 147 video and just look how little force is used in snooker
@@tikkabrno american pool balls are 2 1⁄4 inch. rest of the world use 2 inch to 2 1⁄8 inch 12ft snooker tables use 2 1⁄8 inch 9ft snooker tables use 2 inch balls but americans can be used to 2 inch balls if they play kelly pool not sure how common it is in America i know its illegal in some parts of the US and canada or at least used to be
As a kid who had grown up playing pool in pubs, trying to play on the much bigger snooker table in my local social club was a massive step up. All the angles changed, the cloth played differently as did the balls, but most of all it was just being able to get to the cue ball because of the size.
In the "free ball" situation at the final yellow. When you foul, the opposing player needs to be able to hit the very edges of both sides of their next ball. It looked like the brown prevented being able to hit the left edge of the yellow. In that case you can pot any ball for the value of the original nominated ball. (If you get a free ball on reds you pot another colour for one point and then another colour after that because the first one was a red effectively, you can pot the same colour twice in that case) Also: A red can't block the edge of another red.
There used to be a song called snooker loopy aung by the players in the 80s that gives you a way of remembering the colours. It went " Pot the red, and screw back, for the yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black"
14:19 ideally you would be potting the red but also focusing on getting the cue ball back out for the black. Not just in a position to pot the black but in a position to also get on the next red etc etc. Always try and think at least 2 shots ahead of your current one when building a break.
At 19:37 - This is the moment when players choose to try and snooker their opponent, which means to put the white ball somewhere where the opponent will find it very hard to hit any red. In this case, as you didn't have a definite line on the coloured balls and might miss, you could call for example 'Brown' as your choice of colour and hit the white so it just touches the brown and is stuck behind it, leaving a very hard shot for your opponent. If the opponent fails to hit any reds, you'd get 4 points for the foul, or more ifhe hit the blue (5 points ), Pink (6) or black (7). PLUS, if there was no good shot available to you after the opponent's foul, you could ask for the ball to be replaced where it was and make the opponent try again. This could be repeated until he manages to hit a ball and also leave you a good shot. But you got the yellow so no need! The biggest skill is working out a shot that not only pots the ball but sets you up nicely for the next shot.
I think it would be interesting to watch you learn how to play this simulation game. How to think 2 or three shots ahead. How to position the cue ball for the next shot, how to use top and bottom spin.....
Well played. You hit some cool shots there. Remember, it's super important where the cue balls end up with regards to the next shot. I used to play snooker all the time, but my eyes simply aren't up to it anymore. Keep playing man, you seemed to get a great kick out of it. Besides, as names go, 'Wrocker' sounds like it belongs on a snooker table!
When breaking in snooker, the aim is to get the white ball back into the baulk area behind the three colours and ideally hard against the rear cushion to make your opponent's next shot as difficult as possible. The way to do that is to try to just to try to clip one of the outer rear reds of the 'pack'. That doesn't spread the red balls too much which, if they are spread around, usually offers your opponent a route into making a break. Unlike pool, you shouldn't spread the red balls or try to pot from the break. Generally, you will give your opponent an opportunity. if you don't think that you can make a shot you attempt to deny your opponent a chance with his next shot. A good player considers shots two to three ahead so that he can position his cue ball to make his next shot asier, that's how Ronnie manages to clear a table quickly, he knows what this nt shot will be. The colours start a black and reduce in value down to the yello which is worth 2.
I visited the Llechwedd quarry in Blanaufestiniog, Wales where the slate mines supplied the slate for Snooker Tables. This was the early seventies so they were only just turning into a tourist attraction from being an active mine. They're called quarries but it's really a mine. I was shown his to split slate by a guy in his late fifties at a guess who'd worked there all his life. Fascinating place.
The black is 7, pink 6, blue 5 their position on the table counts down the value. To positon Green 3, Brown 4, and Yellow 2, on the table, just remember 'God Bless You - GBY.'
Ronnie O'Sullivan's a professional Snooker player since the age of 16. He's the goat. As impressive as his games are, it can sometimes become boring to see him just clean frame after frame 😁 Simple important tactic in Snooker is to take care of the while ball's position for the next shot, even more so than regular pool b/c of the points of the coloured balls. That's why they all players stay near the black, pink and blue during the game.
When you get the absolute basics, you move on to positioning the cue ball for the following shot. When you don't really have a shot, you have to start thinking about safety play, so you don't leave a wide open table to your opponent to clean up.
That was fun! It gives you a chance to learn the game, the way it's played anyway. Gaining the skills in real life will be trickier, and nerves play a big part, but yes, this was a great start! As you know the red ball is one point, and the black is seven. Below the black is the pink, 6, and blue is 5. Then the three in a row, green, brown, yellow. Yellow 2, green 3, brown 5.
I get the feel that this sim is easier than real snooker.... first time I played snooker after years of playing pool it felt like golf. btw, keep the table tidy.
So with snooker, when you break especially, you don't want to open the pack (the group of reds) as you can't really predict where the balls will go, so the game plan is to hit on of the back corners of the red to reduce how open the reds are. That way your opponent has less chance of getting a free shot. Snooker is very much about playing safety shots, very tactical indeed!
Yeah, if you're playing competitively, you want to keep the red balls bunched together, unless you're playing for fun, then you can open the balls up on the break to speed up the game.
Also yeah, to what he said about the balls rolling a lot more, that's accurate to a real table, the balls roll a lot more on snooker compared to pool, and I would say mastering the pace and setting up is among the more difficult things to learn with snooker, master those two and the game becomes much easier.
So about 10% power snicking red not belting it like 9 ball 😂
@@tikkabrno Yes thats right. However getting that cue ball in to a position for the next good shot is harder than it looks for those just starting out. When I break the reds they are still bunched together for the most part. After the 5th red is down, breaking the reds is better, but not to the point they go all over the table, try keep them as far down the table as you can, as this opens up the black ball after each shot.
@@paul1979uk2000 I definately agree with you on if playing for fun, then yes you can break the reds up quite well, and to make a Competative break, which isn't always that easy, you just barely touch the furthest out red on either side, so the cue ball hits it, bounces off the sides and returns back up, preferably behind a yellow or so.
@@paul1979uk2000 Yeah, I was going to say, but you already said it.
If you're playing seriously and professionally, then you want to gradually open the pack bit by bit.
But when you're playing with your mates in the pub then, screw it, whack the cue ball into the reds to split 'em!
Because it's more fun, and if no-one there is a serious professional player, they're not going to be precise enough, most likely, to take advantage of it anyway.
Q/ How addictive is snooker?
Me/ I just watched an American guy who has never played snooker before, play a computer simulated game THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH and was I totally in to the game.
Love it, that’s how I’m already feeling about it… it’s oddly satisfying to play and especially watch as well 🎉😎
@@IWrocker Real world, though.... You can't make perfect movements, no aiding arrows of where balls will go, and an opponent that tries to make your shot as hard as possible. Good Luck finding a IRL game, you will both enjoy it and get frustrated about it.
@@IWrockerYou think this is fun to watch? As a child my family used to watch a snooker show on TV in black and white. When the family saw it on a relative's recently purchased colour (color) television for the first time it really was the most magical experience. Within a few months my father had arranged for the first colour TV to be installed in the house. This was about 1972. Watching grown men hit a white ball into balls of various shades of grey was fairly tedious. Watching all the colours whizz around on green baize was a fantasy world. I'm pretty sure that the snooker show at the time, "Pot Black", being on air at the time a lot of families switched over to colour TV cemented an affection for the sport in the collective psyche of the British nation for the next fifty years and counting!
@@chloewilliams1112 ..ah yes. The late, great 'Whispering' Ted Lowe and his famous line: "and for those of you who are watching in black and white, the pink is next to the green."
@@chloewilliams1112the classic quote of for those watching In black and white, the pink is next to the green
The one thing you can do to improve your game massively is to think about where you want to leave the cue ball for your next shot. Top players are thinking 5-6 shots ahead!
💯% . If after potting a Red Ball, if there is No Colour possible, you want to leave the cue ball in a position of safety that makes it difficult for your opponent to pot his next shot. As you rightly said, these top players are thinking several shots ahead. It's like playing Chess, only with Balls 👍
I just wrote that, then read this! =)
No one think 5-6 shots ahead. 2/3 max. You might be thinking about a particular ball you have to move in 5/6 shots but you won't start positioning for it until 2/3 shots beforehand
@@101RadioheadCovers I plan about 2 shots ahead at the most, but try my best to position the ball to where I need it for a colour. 90% Of the time it works out.
Exactly what I was gonna say, positioning of and control of the white (cue ball) is crucial.
Essentially it's a lot of stun and screw shots.
Also, if the object ball touches the cushion (rail) as it rolls toward the pocket it won't go in. Which is not the case on an American pool table where the pockets are like buckets in comparison. Snooker requires extreme accuracy.
Definitely try and find a real table to have a go on, you'll be even more shocked by the size of table and how difficult the game actually is.
The BBC series Pot Black is credited with producing one of the most memorable British sports quotes. Commentator Ted Lowe, aware that not all viewers had colour televisions at the time, said "Steve is going for the pink ball - and for those of you who are watching in black and white, the pink is next to the green.
😂😂😂
In context, not at all odd, because the colours are usually on their spots and always replaced there after potting, so if there was a ball on the green spot it was 99.9% likely to be the green.
If the green was on its spot it would be a rational explanation.
I remember that years ago 😂😂😂
@@top40researcher31 There were no purples, it was Black and White, they were all shades of grey. Also for the other guy, the balls weren't on their spots, the clue should be that the pink was behind the green on a small black and white screen you didn't know which was which, this shouldn't and does not need debate, its a thing that happened.
“Am I going to win my first snooker game” as he immediately snookers himself 😂
One good thing about playing snooker is after a few frames you can go to the pub and smoke everybody on the pool tables because it feels like your playing on a postage stamp👍
You're not allowed to smoke in pubs anymore. Sorry couldn't resist 😀
I love doing that ... few hours of snooker then hustle the teeny tiny midget tables and become a god
@jsim5475 And positioning the cue ball for the next shot suddenly becomes optional. Because everything is only a few inches from a pocket.
(Ok; not entirely true. And with only a few balls left, you sometimes have to be a bit careful. But it's _comparatively_ optional.)
The major problem in switching from snooker to pool is that the physics on a pool table rarely 'work' like they should. It's far, far harder to find a straight, level, even, flat pool table with predictable cushions.
@@GrumpyOldGit-zk1kwMy thoughts exactly.
You beat me to it. (And you're not allowed to beat up people in pubs, either.)
Also the pockets will seem like buckets. Occasionally I have a few sessions on a championship snooker table and when I play back at my club the pockets also seem like buckets.
"Ooh, and, that's a bad miss..." Anyone who use to watch that Mitchell and Webb look know.
Indeed, in turn, Ted Lowe!
“That Mitchell and Webb Sound - Complete Series 1-5” is on Audible for a single credit. Well worth grabbing. 14 hours of their hilarity. I listen to it a couple of times a year and it always makes me laugh.
Foe me, and I am probably much older than you the phrase is, "that's not so good" (usually compared the the last shot).
Unlike Pool where you try to pot a ball when you break, with snooker you must try to barely touch the outside red and get the cue ball back down to the other end of the table. It’s best to leave the red balls in the triangle shape as much as possible as a loose red is easier for your opponent to pot.
OMG - I was so invested! 🤣I'm sure the neighbours wondered why I was yelling out colours. Well done, Ian 👍
You were correct, your opponent was awarded a free shot because you fouled and left him without a clear shot on his next ball. In which case the referee awards a "free ball" and the other player can nominate any ball to take instead of their normal ball. The free ball awards points as if it was the normal ball (not its own value), and is replaced if potted.
In this case, the ball on was the yellow, which you failed to hit (a foul), and left your opponent without a clear shot on the yellow. He was awarded a free ball, and nominated the brown. He potted the brown, and was awarded 2 points (the value of the yellow ball). The brown was replaced, and the yellow became the ball on again.
Thanks for confirming that 👍😎
@@IWrockerBy the way - the pink went onto the blue spot just before this. That’s because there’s a rule where if the coloured ball spot is blocked by another ball it goes to the next highest available spot, so because the pink = 6 and the blue = 5, when the cue ball was blocking the pink from being respotted it went down to the blue. If there’s a situation where no spots are available the ball goes as close to its own spot as possible in line with the middle of the table.
It’s a good one to know if you’re going to get into watching the sport.
Also, in professional matches a free ball counts as a red. So when he potted the brown it would’ve been 1 point and then when he potted the yellow that would’ve counted and his colour - the yellow would’ve then been respotted and then you go yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, black. Not sure what this games ruleset is.
And about the cloth thing - no irl table I’ve ever played on is as ‘slidey’ as the one in game. The cloths are fast but the balls don’t roll forever like there 😂
Thank you for not editing it down! Loved watching every second!
Glad to hear that 🎉
Mate, as a Brit who loves both snooker and pool a great deal, I adore the open-minded way you've approached all this! If you're ever in the UK I'll buy you a pint at my local and play you a game! ❤️
Love that, I hope to take your offer someday 🎉😎
Not sure how much those setting will change things but those pockets were very accommodating. On a real table and a lot of those shots you made are just bouncing out. Beyond being narrow, the cushions are rounded so the ball doesn't funnel in like on a pool table, so if you make any significant contact with the cushion the ball's not going in... To give a sense of difficulty, pool you can generally play okay-ish while drunk but I've seen drunk novice people in pubs take over an hour to finish a frame of snooker. (the old guys who play drink small glasses of beer)
Did anyone here grow up watching the Big Break hosted by Jim Davidson.
There’s quite a few episodes on YT and it’s very nostalgic.
As a kid I always enjoyed the trick shot segment.
With the legend John Virgo, who would do impressions of other players.
Funnily enough, after watching IWrocker's other snooker videos, this blooper tape from Big Break was suggested.
Haven't laughed so hard in ages 😆 ua-cam.com/video/0Z2Cb-P-wNk/v-deo.html
Never missed it.
Pot the red and screw back for the yellow, green brown, blue, pink and black.
We're all snooker nuts are we, we're all snooker loopy 😁
That’s was Saturday evening’s theme tune 😂👏
@@liamstrange4939 not the big break theme, but the chaz and dave song with the snooker players back in the day 😁
ua-cam.com/video/NXcbyxFNCSc/v-deo.htmlsi=uy_XQhwB45_kCzuZ - Only way I used to be able to remember the order of the colours lol
Points value for context and needs to be taken in order.
Yellow 2
Green 3
Brown 4
Blue 5
Pink 6
Black 7
Once the table is cleared up you clear the balls in this order. Even though you would think since the brown is between the yellow and green you would do them like 1 2 3, but you do the 2 outside balls then the middle.
Also it’s not all about smashing the pack open like pool, it’s best to keep the pack in relative order so you can play it neat and tidy and when it comes a time you play off the red or the black into the pack to open the balls up once there is less on the table. Very tactical and hard game, thanks for your coverage. New sub earned!
I love your enthusiasm, not just for this game, but your general willingness to try new stuff.
The computer experience is way more forgiving than real balls on a real table.
As the others said, you wanna hit the red thinly on a breakoff shot and get the cue ball back up into baulk (behind the line with the yellow green and brown) so your opponent either can't pot any available reds, or able to hit one without leaving you a viable shot.
It's coop to see someone new to the sport get so deep into it, but I'd definitely recommend watching some full frames, maybe a full short match, just to get the idea of the strategy that's at play.
I hope you become a big snooker fan like us, it's one of the most elegant, respectful sports, and relaxing to watch. It's the only sport I really care for.
You can have a nice long strategic safety battle, or a solid run making century breaks, they're equally entertaining
Couple of interesting things, I grew up playing pool occasionally, but when I saw a snooker table for the first time in person, the size blew my mind.
And as you mentioned, despite the size, the pockets are far narrower that the classic American 8 Ball. It puts into perspective how incredibly skillful you have to be to make pots from the opposite end of the table, such a small target and very far away.
You might be just in time getting into the sport actually, as the World Championships are scheduled to begin on April 20th at the famous Crucible. Definitely worth following that, I'm looking forward to it
Dude snooker is so tactical, please do a video on 'best snookers', ie where the player makes a shot and it is extremely difficult for the opponent to make the next move, eg hitting a red 'safe' and then spinning a cue ball tight near to a colour. It is magical to watch and the escapes are often even better!
For your break, aim at the edge of the pack, Allowing for drift with spin, to hit about half ball on the outer red with running side. Probably about 60-70% power. Not sure about the game mechanics,. But that's the shot to play.
Hit the cue ball low for backspin. Hit the ball high if you want it to roll on forward.
My grandad used to watch Snooker and I'd watch it a little with him, but I had no idea what was what even when he explained it to me 😂 Then when he passed I'd put it on with my nan and we'd watch it together, sadly she passed just last year and I've not even watched anything snooker related until now. Refreshing 😊
‘Where’s the cue ball going, WHERE’S THE CUE BALL GOING?!?’
It really feels like I'm playing myself. I used to play 8 ball every weekend. Snooker, I sometimes watch it after work. On Euro sports. Nice game. Greetings from Spakenburg, Netherlands.
I enjoyed this a much! and watched it all through :)
Surprisingly entertaining. I think it is greatly aided, by you being the commentator as well. You really have an excellent voice for it. A chill and mindful experience.
The ability to position the cue ball (after your shot) in order to set up the next shot (or even the next series of shots) is the true indicator of a good player.
The thing that makes Ronnie so good is not just his shot making but his cue ball control, putting the cue where its needed for the next shop.
I proper laughed out loud when you sank that first black 😂
There is an ex-World Champion, Stephen Hendry, who has a great snooker YT channel where he not only gives snooker tips but also plays frames with various celebrities, sportsmen and other Snooker legends. Well worth checking out as not only are the interviews/games fun, his advice is top notch. He even does some videos with pool. It's called "Stephen Hendry's Cue Tips" and maybe check out the videos he's done with Ronnie O'Sullivan (the guy you watched doing that fastest 147 break) - I highly recommend reacting to the video "Can Ronnie O'Sullivan Defeat the Tough Table Challenge?" it's only 6min but really cool, not so much because of the performance but more the conversation. There's also a good, short compilation video worth checking out called "Stephen Asks the Greatest Players for their Ultimate Snooker Tips", but there's loads of great ones to check out on there. Good videos and they'll give you some background in the game and introduce you to more of the players too.
@IWrocker Quite right and a highly recommended watch, undoubtedly the best snooker related YT channel.
FYI Stephen Hendry is a seven times world champion who dominated the 1990s. Regarded by most as the greatest player of all time before Ronnie O'Sullivan.
In the sim you played the physics seemed a bit off, the way the balls just kept rolling at the end wasn't right.
Hendry was brilliant but he was the bane of my existence. I was a massive Jimmy White fan. Nuff said!
Love this! Thanks for not editing - went to see Jimmy White play an exhibition match back in the 80's - still loving snooker all these years later.
So glad you've discovered this great game. Maybe you might like to look at a video showing how the tables are built - I think you'd like that too.
Snooker is like eating at a first class restaurant with a great chef. Pool billard is like eating at a diner's. Both have its merits. I enjoy both.
Great analogy 🎉
A diner's what?
Well done. Watch some classic snooker games and you learn more about strategy etc. 👍
"we can hit this one and hope for the best" - Ah, I see you've stumbled on my snooker strategy.
It's good to see you followed the suggestion to try out Cue Club 2. I would like to offer a few remarks about the game itself:
1. Your remark about the computer being not too good at snooker is true. Even on the highest difficulty level it tends to make highly questionable shots quite often. Exception: if the computer is snookered, that is they don't have a direct shot towards a ball on, their cue ball seems to have sat nav, even on the lowest difficulty. The computer's significantly better at playing pool though.
2. In the game settings, there's an option to show the value of the ball you're pointing at with the aiming circle.
To explain the situation when you accidentally hit the green instead of the yellow: normally that would've been a "foul and a miss", for not hitting the yellow first and the ref judging that you didn't make a good enough effort to hit the yellow.
This means that the opposing player has 3 options instead of 2: play from where the balls are, make you play again from where the balls are, and make you play again from where the balls were (the extra option).
In this case, a "free ball" was awarded as well. This means that the opposing player can nominate a different colour to pot, and it gets the points value of the ball on for this shot. The "free ball" was awarded because it was not possible to direct hit both edges of the ball on from the position of the balls on the table.
Also, two small bits of final advice:
1. Learn to play around with spin on the cue ball, especially back spin, it helps a lot. Once you have more of a feeling for that, you'll be able to run up half centuries (break of 50) and centuries (break of 100).
2. Chalk your cue tip at least every 3 shots. It affects cue ball behaviour in the game.
Excellent information 🎉 Thank You so much
Well done on your win👍👍 If you get a streak it's called a 'break' not a 'rally'. You should listen carefully to any commentary on a match when watching, as they often explain how and why a particular shot is made.
So, as someone who plays snooker in real life and on video games. When you break the idea is to hit the edge of the red and get the cueball back to where the yellow, green and brown are. It isn't just about potting balls you need to be tactical too. And the colours, black is 7, pink 6, blue 5, brown 4, green 3, and yellow 2. Each red is 1 and when the final red is potted you can pot any colour you like. But after that colour it's yellow, green, brown blue pink and then black in that order. Hope that helps :)
I'm not even a particularly active snooker fan these days but this video has made me realise just how deeply the sequence red-yellow-green-brown-blue-pink-black is scorched into my psyche.
A couple of tips for the future.
1. The break you made, I feel, was too hard. It made all the reds spread widely across the table. This inhibits your next shot on a colour as there are more reds in the way.
2. Learn how to control the white ball with various levels of spin. & don't be afraid to use less power when hitting the ball. If you control the white, you control the game.
3. If you can't see a pot, don't be afraid to use your shot to mess up your opponents next shot. As with #2, if you control where the white ends up, you control the table. & getting your opponent snookered can even lead to you getting more points from their fouls.
But as a brand new player you did brilliantly.
I laughed so hard when you fluked that black. Good to see an American being so enthusiastic about snooker
Playing a video game is a great way to get familiar with the rules and concept of snooker. Definitely try get yourself on a real table with a buddy though. That's when it really hits home what a difficult game it is.. and also when your jaw hits the floor watching people like Ronnie.
I'm a Brit and was brought up on the game because of my father. It's ridiculously difficult even if you're a haft decent pool player. I liken it to golf in that if your tee shot is slightly off line, by the time the ball lands you're way off where you want to be. If you get a long pot slightly off, you can miss by miles when it reaches the pocket. Great game to play with a good friend.
Snooker terminology.....
1. Scratch = In Off (i.e white went IN the pocket OFF another ball)
2. Rally = Break (the number of points scored in one visit to the table) i.e You had a Break of 16 for potting 2 x red and 2 x black...
3. When you are blocked on the ball you want to hit you are "snookered".
4. Rails are cussions in snooker
5. To "sink" a ball is to "pot" a ball in snooker.
6. A 147 is often called a "maximum"
I'm sure there are others you need to learn 😉....... Nice to see you enjoying the game though.
If you want the order of the balls, here goes: Red - 1 point, Yellow - 2 points, Green - 3 points, Brown - 4 points, Blue - 5 points, Pink - 6 points, and Black - 7 points. So 15 Reds plus every color you manage to pot. Good luck. BTW, after the Reds are done, the points, in order, must be potted. Great job, man.
On snooker when you open, you avoid opening all the balls, it's a very tactical game. If you open the balls, your opponent will just wreck you 😂 basically you open, touch a red and try to make Q ball come to where it started
and whathever you do , don't catch the blue
True, especially a skilful player, they can clear up and keep you seated, but if playing for fun and who you are playing against isn't too good, it's fine to open the reds up just to speed up the game.
Cue ball, please. We're trying to be educational here. 🙂
@@RichSmith77yep, and it's a break, not a ralleigh! give the man some time. i'm just happy he likes it
@@josvercaemer264 My comment wasn't aimed at IWrocker, but OP. ("Q ball")
That was a ton of fun to watch - 32 minutes were flying by!
Controlling the white ball and getting it to finish in the correct position for the next shot is vital in snooker. Potting a ball without having to worry about the next shot is a world away from having to connect with the white ball at the top /side/ bottom in order to perfectly control it's movement after the shot. It is also far more difficult to pot a ball when not connecting with the white cue ball dead centre when you are you cueing.
How much do I love snooker? Your first snooker video popped up on my feed because of the amount of snooker I watch on UA-cam and I've just laid in bed for an hour watching all your snooker videos and now I've subscribed to watch any future snooker videos you do. How much do I love snooker? I will watch literally anything to do with snooker!
That’s awesome, I had no idea about the sport a couple weeks ago but now I’m really loving it. I can’t promise a snooker video every day, but a couple times a week would be great as I learn about it 🎉
Thanks by the way, welcome aboard 😎👍
Well there’s something I never thought would happen, I’ve just watched an American play a frame of snooker….. and thoroughly enjoyed it. Great effort.
Just remember you don’t always have to pot a ball on your go. The best players make it super hard for their opponent when it’s their turn. Also bear in mind where the cue ball will end up after you’ve played your shot.
Going to subscribe. This’ll make a great livestream.
Awesome to hear. Thank You 🎉
The physics in that game looked spot on, you could really feel the weight and momentum of the balls.
The ball dropping into the pocket looked a bit slow but nothing I could pick in game play looked at all uncanny valley like.
Before playing Pool or Snooker, learn technique by playing Billiards (two Cue balls and one red). If you are proficient at Billiards, all other games become much easier to win.
I had already noticed this, but you remarked on it yourself at 25:45
That's an unrealistically fast cloth, like ice! Fast cloth meaning low rolling resistance to the balls. But this looks like every shot has a tail wind!
Another thing I noticed is when the balls go in the pockets, like they lower on a cushion of air, rather than gravity-drop!
What you are doing is using the principle of Billiards where you only have 3 balls on the table . White and Yellow and Red . One player uses the white , other player uses yellow and the red is the object ball . What you where doing is using the other balls to make the shot . Billiards makes you a much better player because you need to know how to pot and go in off both balls to score . Having played Billiards myself in competition it really increases the fun value of the game .
if you have a hard time remembering the value of the colors you can have this in mind: You already know that black is the highest value (7) so from there they start to lose value as you go up the table: pink is right above and is 6 points then is blue in the middle worth 5 and the 3 lowest values are at the top of the table Yellow (2) Green (3) and Brown (4). The idea is to stay at the bottom of the table (where the red usually are) and score with the high value colors. High values are spread apart at the bottom half while low values are grouped together at the top half. Another way to look at it is if you go from Brown (4) which is at the top middle they increase by one as you go down.
When placing the green, brown. yellow ball we remember the adage "God Bless You" to place them correctly left to right.
I've been watching Snooker casually for decades. Last summer I finally tried it with my wife. Took us 2h to finish the game and a lot of gymnastics but I loved it !
Well played, hope you can manage to play as well in reality, great commentary and understanding, BTW, the free ball wasn't a correct decision by the computer, but a good simulation overall 👍
The break-off in snooker is a safety shot. Professionals usually aim to clip off either side of the bottom of the pack of reds with running side. The cue ball then strikes the top cushion near a corner pocket, the side cushion, then runs underneath the blue to the opposite side cushion. The purpose is to make the cue ball come to rest somewhere on the bottom cushion, hopefully obscuring the reds with one of the three baulk colours. Smashing into the reds is not something you will see often, as if you fail to pot a red, then your opponent will more than likely clear up.
Well played. I'm in the UK and really like Pool, but am completely addicted to snooker, so I'm really enjoying your enthusasm
In snooker, you don't aim to pot off the break. The idea is hit the outside red ball with running side spin to throw the white around 3-4 cushions to leave it safe on the baulk cushion.
Funny thing, i literally said the same "snooker is an arcade chess game played with cueballs", when i first watched it at Eurosport channel. Player have to came up with the right move, but than he must perform it on the table.
By my experience at the snooker table, playing it is like playing two different pool games at once. First you sinking only 8-ball alternately with one pointers, than you can play regular 8-ball game. Margin of error is very slim, due to the sizes of table, cueballs and pockets. And you constantly struggling to position white cueball where you want it to be, by performing easy, mild or even advanced trick shots.
I highly recommend to play this game on a real table. It's challenging, it's hard, but man... it's fun.
In the 1980s there were a few players from Canada - Cliff Thorburn was a world champion and scored the first 147 at the World Championships and there were others like Bill Werbinuik (who used to drink several pints during a game for his nerves 😂). Recently though there haven't been any notable players from North America (to my knowledge). There has however been a huge surge in players from China and now there are many Chinese players near the top of the sport.
Kirk Stevens?
Well done, Ian. A lot of beginners luck, but hey, it's part of the game.
Ian, the idea of Snooker is a mix of potting and strategy, what you did when you potted the pink, you left yourself Snookered with the yellow. That is what you want to do to your opponent, make things difficult for them, don't hand them the game.
With the break you want to catch the last red in the pack, you don't want to open the pack up if at all possible, you want the cue ball back down to the top end of the table, and even better is if you can get it behind the yellow, green or brown. Watch more Snooker videos to get the idea of how the game plays.
My only claim to fame is I played Stephen Hendry, 4 or 5 times when we were both teenagers, even back then he was a nice guy, we knew he was very talented but back when you're 13 you don't think the guy you are playing is going to have seven world champion titles.
Notes on general terminology and other bits...
You don't 'scratch', you 'go in off'
It's not a 'run', it's a 'break'.
Players usually have at least 3 frames of play and the player who wins is the one with the most frames on the scoreboard at the end of play
You don't say '1 forty 7' it's just 1-4-7.
The reason why your avatar opponent potted the brown is because he had a 'free ball'. This is due to him not being able to see both sides of the object ball which, in that situation was the yellow. By both sides I mean he needs to be able to clip the edge of the object ball on both sides. If that view is obstucted then a free ball is called by the ref.
This was so fun to watch. I'm a big Ronnie fan and have been to watch the Masters at Ally Pally as it's not far from where I live. One tip: Think about your positioning of the cue ball for your second shot before playing a red. If you don't have a good second shot it's better to play a safety shot. Please make more of these, I'd watch it for hours 👍🏾
That was good to watch! Glad you're enjoying snooker!
Pretty good for 1st go, the secret of course is to be thinking 3 or 4 shots ahead, and playing for position as well as pots. :) enjoying your snooker journey
Yes sir! I love that American politeness.
Snooker simulations sure have come on a long way since I tried one on a Sinclair Spectrum!
And yes; the physics are something that can be modeled pretty acurately.
Even to the point of making things behave as they do in the real world; i.e. allowing for the imperfections that make simply applying the 'standard' physics equations not quite true to life.
But one thing they can't model are the physical aspects. How do you hold the cue? How steady is your bridge hand? How can you gague shot strength consistently? And the sheer physical presence of such a big table. Even the balls seem larger the you'd expect irl. (That's what she said.)
If you really want to experience how hard it is to do what life-long masters make look so simple, the _only_ way is to try the real thing yourself.
And that applies to practically any sport. In fact, to _any_ form of human endeavour where some people achieve amazing results.
Really enjoying your enthusiasm. And that first black pot was just astonishing. 😅😅😅😅
I agree with you about the ball speed. Even before you mentioned it there were a few occasions when it seemed to me that the cue ball was running a lot further after impact than was natural...
Yeah it was. Was wondering if was ever gonna stop at times lol.
Well played, glad you enjoyed.
As you said, play it like chess, table awareness for position on your next few shots in advance whilst nullifying your opponents options should you miss.
Something important to look into is the safety aspect/plays of snooker which can be decisive in winning a frame.
That fluke on the black😂 A player getting a fluke shot generally apologises to the other player.
🤣 🤣
🤣🤣
I'm always fascinated at the skill of the pros in knowing exactly where the white (cue ball) will be after they have hit another ball. O'Sullivan's 147 was a master class in doing it.
snooker tables use a thinner felt then pool and snooker balls are smaller and lighter so they glide more on the table if you rewatch the 147 video and just look how little force is used in snooker
Only compared to the large balls used in the USA in 9 ball etc. They aren't normal world wide. Snooker balls aren't smaller elsewhere
@@tikkabrno american pool balls are 2 1⁄4 inch. rest of the world use 2 inch to 2 1⁄8 inch
12ft snooker tables use 2 1⁄8 inch
9ft snooker tables use 2 inch balls
but americans can be used to 2 inch balls if they play kelly pool not sure how common it is in America i know its illegal in some parts of the US and canada or at least used to be
that first break lol. So nearly fouled the white into the pocket.
As a kid who had grown up playing pool in pubs, trying to play on the much bigger snooker table in my local social club was a massive step up. All the angles changed, the cloth played differently as did the balls, but most of all it was just being able to get to the cue ball because of the size.
I can't stress it enough, no matter how good at pool you are, snooker is a whole new ball game and it's ridiculously difficult.
Thats one fast table.
Safety play and que ball control is paramount.
In the "free ball" situation at the final yellow. When you foul, the opposing player needs to be able to hit the very edges of both sides of their next ball. It looked like the brown prevented being able to hit the left edge of the yellow. In that case you can pot any ball for the value of the original nominated ball. (If you get a free ball on reds you pot another colour for one point and then another colour after that because the first one was a red effectively, you can pot the same colour twice in that case) Also: A red can't block the edge of another red.
Just for info, the most famous snooker tournament takes place at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.
There used to be a song called snooker loopy aung by the players in the 80s that gives you a way of remembering the colours. It went " Pot the red, and screw back, for the yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black"
“That was a bad break. Nothing went in.” 😂👍
14:19 ideally you would be potting the red but also focusing on getting the cue ball back out for the black. Not just in a position to pot the black but in a position to also get on the next red etc etc. Always try and think at least 2 shots ahead of your current one when building a break.
At 19:37 - This is the moment when players choose to try and snooker their opponent, which means to put the white ball somewhere where the opponent will find it very hard to hit any red. In this case, as you didn't have a definite line on the coloured balls and might miss, you could call for example 'Brown' as your choice of colour and hit the white so it just touches the brown and is stuck behind it, leaving a very hard shot for your opponent. If the opponent fails to hit any reds, you'd get 4 points for the foul, or more ifhe hit the blue (5 points ), Pink (6) or black (7). PLUS, if there was no good shot available to you after the opponent's foul, you could ask for the ball to be replaced where it was and make the opponent try again. This could be repeated until he manages to hit a ball and also leave you a good shot. But you got the yellow so no need! The biggest skill is working out a shot that not only pots the ball but sets you up nicely for the next shot.
I think it would be interesting to watch you learn how to play this simulation game. How to think 2 or three shots ahead. How to position the cue ball for the next shot, how to use top and bottom spin.....
Well played. You hit some cool shots there. Remember, it's super important where the cue balls end up with regards to the next shot. I used to play snooker all the time, but my eyes simply aren't up to it anymore. Keep playing man, you seemed to get a great kick out of it. Besides, as names go, 'Wrocker' sounds like it belongs on a snooker table!
Snooker is even greater fun with a pint of beer on a nearby table.
I'm off to play snooker in my local club in an hour. Enjoyed watching you play this...do more!
When breaking in snooker, the aim is to get the white ball back into the baulk area behind the three colours and ideally hard against the rear cushion to make your opponent's next shot as difficult as possible. The way to do that is to try to just to try to clip one of the outer rear reds of the 'pack'. That doesn't spread the red balls too much which, if they are spread around, usually offers your opponent a route into making a break. Unlike pool, you shouldn't spread the red balls or try to pot from the break. Generally, you will give your opponent an opportunity. if you don't think that you can make a shot you attempt to deny your opponent a chance with his next shot. A good player considers shots two to three ahead so that he can position his cue ball to make his next shot asier, that's how Ronnie manages to clear a table quickly, he knows what this nt shot will be. The colours start a black and reduce in value down to the yello which is worth 2.
I visited the Llechwedd quarry in Blanaufestiniog, Wales where the slate mines supplied the slate for Snooker Tables. This was the early seventies so they were only just turning into a tourist attraction from being an active mine.
They're called quarries but it's really a mine.
I was shown his to split slate by a guy in his late fifties at a guess who'd worked there all his life.
Fascinating place.
The black is 7, pink 6, blue 5 their position on the table counts down the value. To positon Green 3, Brown 4, and Yellow 2, on the table, just remember 'God Bless You - GBY.'
Ronnie O'Sullivan's a professional Snooker player since the age of 16. He's the goat.
As impressive as his games are, it can sometimes become boring to see him just clean frame after frame 😁
Simple important tactic in Snooker is to take care of the while ball's position for the next shot, even more so than regular pool b/c of the points of the coloured balls. That's why they all players stay near the black, pink and blue during the game.
When you get the absolute basics, you move on to positioning the cue ball for the following shot. When you don't really have a shot, you have to start thinking about safety play, so you don't leave a wide open table to your opponent to clean up.
That was fun! It gives you a chance to learn the game, the way it's played anyway. Gaining the skills in real life will be trickier, and nerves play a big part, but yes, this was a great start! As you know the red ball is one point, and the black is seven. Below the black is the pink, 6, and blue is 5. Then the three in a row, green, brown, yellow. Yellow 2, green 3, brown 5.
I get the feel that this sim is easier than real snooker.... first time I played snooker after years of playing pool it felt like golf. btw, keep the table tidy.
First few shots doing well 👏 snooker is tough
Always try for the pink when in doubt.
Play this every other day, love the game, its calming and so cool.
Fair play, shot on the black at the start of the game was played perfectly