Snooker

How to Play Snooker

Snooker is an extremely popular billiards game in England and its former colonies. Snooker is also widely played in China. Like many other billiards games besides eight-ball and nine-ball, snooker is less popular in the United States.

Snooker Equipment

Snooker is played on a felt- or baize-covered billiards table, which has six pockets much like eight-ball tables. This table has a balk line, and inside the baulk area is also a semicircle which connects to the balk line. In this semi-circle is where the cue ball is struck to start the game.

The number of balls in snooker is greater than in the popular American billiards games. There is one white cue ball, 15 red object balls and 6 object balls of varied other colors. These balls have a different point value in snooker.

The Object of Snooker

Snooker is played by single players on each side or by teams. Each team tries to score the most points in each game, usually called a frame. This is done by pocketing the colored balls with the cue ball. In snooker and other English billiards games, pocketing the ball is often referred to as potting.

The balls are potted in a specified order.

Snooker Balls

Each red ball counts one point if it is pocketed. The colored balls each count an individual point value. Here is a chart of the various point values.

Ball Color Point Values in Snooker

Yellow 2
Green 3
Brown 4
Blue 5
Pink 6
Black 7

Racking the Balls in Snooker

The 15 red balls are racked together on the spot as if it the game was eight-ball. The colored balls are spotted at other places around the table.

The pink ball is placed at the tip of the rack, just in front of the red balls. The black ball is placed a certain distance behind the rack of red balls.

The blue ball is placed in the center of the table, on an imaginary line between the two side pockets. the red, brown and yellow balls are place on the baulk line, with the red and yellow ball placed on the points where the semicircle meets the balk line, and the brown ball placed on the balk line halfway between the red and yellow balls.

Potting the Balls in Snooker

A player must pot a red ball, receiving a point for doing so. Once a red ball is pocketed, the player then aims for a colored ball. Any colored ball can be chosen. If that ball is pocketed, then the player returns that ball to it original starting point on the table. Potted red balls remain in the pockets until the end of the game.

If a colored ball is pocketed, then the player must then target another red ball. The player continues to shoot until he or she cannot pocket the ball being aimed at. It is then the opponent's turn.

This process continues until all of the red balls are off the table. At this point, the colored balls should still be on the table. The players then aim to pot the colored balls. They must pocket them in order, from the lowest-value ball to the highest-value ball.

After the game is over, the player with the highest point total wins the game.

The Break

The break in snooker is the total number of points scored successfully by a player on one turn. The maximum number of points a player can score on a break is 147, which is called the maximum or simply 147.

The maximum is scored by pocketing all 15 red balls on one turn, while pocketing the black ball between each red ball. Finally, the same player would need to pocket the colored balls in consecutive order to perform the 147. This is difficult, though not impossible.

Snooker Fouls

Fouls committed in Snooker not only end one player's turn, but bestows penalty points on one's opponent. There are a number of fouls in snooker.

On and Not-On Balls in Snooker

Not-on shots are the most common foul in snooker. "On" balls are those which the player is trying to hit in that turn. When a red ball must be pocketed, then all red balls are "on". When a colored ball must be pocketed, then all colored balls are on that shot.

Top Ten List of Snooker Fouls

  1. To hit a not-on ball first with the cue ball is a foul. 
  2. To pot a not-on ball is a foul.
  3. Pocketing the cue ball is a foul.
  4. To hit any colored ball or red ball with the cue is illegal.
  5. Knocking any ball off the table is a penalty.
  6. Striking or touching the cue ball with anything besides the top of the cue stick. 
  7. Pushing the cue ball with the cue stick is a foul.
  8. Double hitting the cue ball with the cue stick is illegal.
  9. Jumping a ball in any way is considered a foul.
  10. If the player makes a shot while both feet are off the ground, this is a foul in snooker.

Penalty Points in Snooker

Players are penalized between 4 points and 7 points for committing a foul. The penalty value depends on the point value of the ball in question. For instance, fouls committed on the red balls, or the yellow, green or brown balls, then the penalty is four points. If the foul is one the blue ball, it is worth 5 points. If the foul is on the pink ball, this is worth 6 points. Finally, if the foul is on the black ball, a player is given a seven-point penalty.

In other words, fouls cost the point value of the ball in question, or a minimum of 4 points.

If two fouls are committed on one shot, then only the largest penalty point value is assessed.

Ending a Snooker Game

There are several way that a snooker game ends.

If the black ball is the last remaining ball on the table is pocketed, and the score is not tied, then the snooker frame is over and a winner is determined.

If the black ball is fouled on the shot and the penalty places one player ahead, then the frame is over. The player who makes the foul loses the frame.

Strangely, if the black ball is pocketed or fouled and the score is brought even, the frame does not end. Instead, the black is respotted and the game continues in-hand. The opponents toss coin to decide which selects who goes first. If the ball is fouled or potted at this point, it ends the frame.

If the pink ball is pocketed and the difference in the two sides' scores is more than seven points, then the frame is over. One side is too far ahead at this point.

A player may concede in a game. This happens if that player is too far behind mathematically to win the frame. If a player refuses to take a turn at any point, then the judge can declare the frame over and award the win to the other player.

Occasionally, if a player doesn't hit the on-ball three times in a row, the frame is declared over and the opponent wins. If the object ball is snookered, this rule does not apply.

Snookering Balls

Snooker takes it name from the practice of hiding target balls between not-on balls. If this kind of defensive play happens, then the shooter is said to be snookered. This is often the aim of players in snooker, to force the opponent to make shots when they are snookered.

A VERY Short History of Snooker

It is said that snooker was invented in the 19th century by British officers in India. Snooker spread to other parts of the British Empire and grew in popularity in many of its dominions. In many parts of the former British Empire, snooker remains a popular billiards game.