Playing snooker?

Question

I currently play billards (pub style) on my table at home with high/low numbered balls, how do I play snooker, and what balls do I need to buy for this game?

Answer 1

The Table

Snooker table, drawn to scaleSnooker is played on a rectangular 6' by 12' (about 1.83m by 3.66m) table with six pockets, one at each corner and one in the middle of each long side. At one end of the table (the 'Baulk End') is the so-called 'baulk line', which is 29 inches from the baulk end cushion. A semicircle of radius 11½ inches, called the "D", is drawn behind this line, centred on the middle of the line. The cushion on the other side of the table is known as the 'Top Cushion'.

At the beginning of a frame, the balls are set up in the arrangement shown. The six colours (a term referring to all coloured balls but the white and the reds) are placed on their own spots. On the baulk line, looking up the table from the 'baulk end', the yellow ball is located where the "D" meets the line on the right, the green ball where the "D" meets the line on the left, and the brown ball in the middle of the line. This order is often remembered using the mnemonic 'God Bless You', the first letter of each word being the first letter of the three colours. At the exact centre of the table sits the blue ball. Further up the table is the pink ball, which sits midway between the blue spot and the top cushion, followed by the red balls, arranged in a tightly-packed triangle behind the pink (the apex must be as close as possible to the pink ball without touching it). Finally, the black ball is placed on a spot 12¾ inches from the top cushion.

Because of the large size of "full sized" snooker tables, smaller tables are common in domestic situations and other situations where space is limited. These are often around 6 feet in length, and all the dimensions and markings are scaled down accordingly. The balls used are sometimes also scaled down.

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Objective
The objective of the game of snooker is to strike the white cue ball with a cue in the direction of other object-balls and to pot these object balls in one of the six pockets. This must be done according to the rules of the game, which are described below. By potting object balls points can be scored. The player who scores most points wins the frame, and the player who wins most frames wins the match.

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A snooker match
A snooker match usually consists of an odd fixed number of frames. A frame begins with setting up the balls as described above. A frame ends when all balls are potted, or when one of the players gives up because he is too far behind in score to equal or beat the score of the other player.

A match ends when one of the players has won the majority of the set number of frames and the other player can therefore not equal this. For example, when a match consists of 19 frames, the match ends when one of the players has reached 10 frames.

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Gameplay
At the beginning of each frame the balls are set up by the referee as explained. This will be followed by a "break-off" shot, on which the players take turns. At the break-off, the white cue ball can be placed anywhere inside the "D", although it is common for players to start by placing the ball on the line, between the brown ball and either the green or yellow ball.

Players take turns in visiting the table. When one player is at the table, the other cannot play. A "break" is a number of points scored by one player in one single visit to the table. A player's turn and break end, when he fails to pot a ball, when he does something against the rules of the game, which is called a foul or when a frame has ended.

When a player strikes the white, according to the rules of the game the white can only first hit certain object balls. If the white first hits another ball, this is considered a foul. The ball or balls that can be hit first by the white in a certain stroke are called the ball(s)-on for that particular stroke. The balls-on are the only balls that can be potted by a player. The player receives points for this. If another ball not-on is potted, this is considered a foul.

The game of snooker generally consists of two phases. The first phase is the situation in which there are still red balls on the table. In the first phase, at the beginning of a player's turn, the balls "on" are all remaining red balls. The player must therefore attempt to first hit and pot one or more red balls. For every red ball potted, the player will receive 1 point. When a red has been potted, it will stay off the table and the player can continue his break. If no red has been potted or a foul has been made, the other play will come into play.

In case one or more red balls have been potted, the player can continue his break. This time one of the six colours (yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black) is the ball "on". Only one of these can be the ball "on" and the rules of the game state that a player must nominate his desired colour to the referee although often it is clear which ball the striker is playing and it is not necessary to nominate.

When the nominated colour is potted, the player will be awarded the correct number of points (Yellow, 2; Green, 3; Brown, 4; Blue, 5; Pink, 6; Black, 7). The colour is then taken out of the pocket by the referee and placed on its original spot. If that spot is covered by another ball, the ball is placed on the highest available spot. If there is no available spot, it is placed as close to its own spot as possible in a direct line between that spot and the top cushion, without touching another ball. If there is no room this side of the spot, it will be placed as close to the spot as possible in a straight line towards the bottom cushion, without touching another ball.

Because only one of the colours is the ball "on", it is a foul to first hit multiple colours (and reds) at the same time, or pot more than one colour (or red).

If a player fails to pot a ball "on", it being a red or nominated colour, the other player will come into play and the balls "on" are always the reds, as long as there are still reds on the table.

The alternation between red balls and colours ends when all reds have been potted and the second phase begins. In this phase, all colours have to be potted in the correct order (yellow, then green, then brown, then blue, then pink, then black). They also become the ball "on" in that order. During this phase, when potted, the colours stay down and are not replaced on the table, unless a foul is made when potting the colour and the colour is respotted.

When all colours are potted, the frame is over and the player who has scored most points has won the frame. When only the black remains, the difference in score is more than the 7 points the black is worth, and the striker decides that the 7 points of the black are of no value to him or his break, the frame is also ended. When a foul is made on the black, the frame also ends.

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Fouls
A foul is a shot or action by the striker which is against the rules of the game.

When a foul is made during a shot, the player's turn is ended and he will receive no points for the foul shot. The other player will receive penalty points.

Common fouls are:

first hitting a ball "not-on" with the cue ball
potting a ball "not-on"
potting the white (in-off)
hitting another ball than the white with the cue
making a ball land off the table
touching a ball with something else than the tip of the cue
playing a "push shot" - a shot where the cue, cue ball and object ball are in simultaneous contact
playing a "jump shot", which is where the cue ball leaves the bed of the table and jumps over a ball (even if touching it in the process) before first hitting another ball
playing a shot with both feet off the ground
Whereas in other games, such as pool, if the cue ball is touched with the tip of the cue when it is in baulk after being potted then a foul is committed, in snooker if the cue ball is touched with the tip after being potted and in the D, a foul is not committed as long as the referee is satisfied that the player was only positioning the ball, and not playing, or preparing to play, a shot.

When a foul is made, the other player will receive penalty points. Penalty points are at least 4 points and at most 7 points. The number of penalty-points is the value of the ball "on", or any of the "foul" balls, whichever is highest. When more than one foul is made, the penalty is not the added total, but the most highly valued foul.

The foul of not hitting the ball "on" first is the most common foul. The name of the game originally comes from the verb "snooker" which means to bully, or to put in trouble. Players can put other players in trouble by making sure they can not hit the ball(s) "on" in a direct line from the next shot. This is called a "snooker".

Since players receive points for fouls by their opponents, snookering your opponent is a possible way to win a frame when potting all the balls on the table would be insufficient for you to win.

If a player commits a foul, and his opponent considers that position left is unattractive, he may request that the offender play again from that position.

If a foul has been committed by not hitting a ball "on" first, or at all, and the referee judges that the player has not made the best possible effort to hit a ball "on", and neither of the players are in need of snookers to win the frame, then 'foul, and a miss' is called and the other player may request that all balls on the table are returned to their position before the foul, and the opponent play the shot again. (In top class play, this will usually require only the cue ball and a couple of other balls to be moved). It should be noted that this rule is often applied less stringently, if at all, in amateur matches.

When a player leaves an opponent unable to hit both sides of at least one ball "on" after a foul, the other player will receive a free ball. This means any colour can be nominated and played as the ball "on". The number of points for potting the free ball is not the worth of the nominated ball but of the original ball "on". For example, is the ball "on" is a red, and the free ball is a pink, the player will receive one point for potting the pink. after potting the free ball as a red, a player can nominate and pot a colour as usual.

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The end of a frame
A frame normally ends in one of four ways:

a concession, when one player gives up due to being too far behind to have a realistic chance of winning the frame.
when the pink is potted and the difference between the players' scores is more than 7 points. The frame is over and, while the striker may pot the black (for a clearance break, for example), no further shots are allowed.
the black is potted AND the 7 points scored puts one player ahead
a foul on the black AND the 7-point penalty puts one player ahead. (It is sometimes wrongly assumed that play continues after a foul on the black if there is then less than seven points in the scores. This is not the case: the player who has made such a foul has lost the frame.)
If, however, the black is fouled and the 7-point penalty brings the scores level, the black is respotted. Play continues from in-hand, with the players tossing a coin for the choice of playing first or making the opponent play first. Potting or fouling a respotted black ends the frame.

Occasionally, but very rarely, a player will forfeit a frame due to a failure to hit a ball "on" three times in a row (provided the player was not snookered, in which case the player has as many opportunities as is required); and should a player refuse to take his turn at any stage, the referee would have the right to declare the frame over. This would be a most unlikely occurrence.

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Highest break
The highest break that can be made under normal circumstances is 147. To achieve that, the player must pot all 15 reds, with the black after every red, followed by potting the six remaining colours. This "maximum break" of 147 rarely occurs in match play.

If an opponent fouls before any balls are potted, and leaves the player a free ball, the player can then nominate a colour and play it as a red ball. Then, black can be nominated as the next colour. This means it is actually possible to score the value of 16 "reds" and blacks, which equals 155 points. This has never been done. The highest break in tournament play is 149, the highest break in professional matchplay is 148. (see also highest snooker break).

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Tournaments
The most important event in professional snooker is the World Championship, held annually since 1927 (except during the Second World War and between 1958 and 1963). The tournament has been held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield (England) since 1977, and was sponsored by Embassy from 1976 to 2005. Due to the fact that tobacco companies are no longer allowed to sponsor sporting events in the United Kingdom after 2005, the World Snooker Championship had to find a new sponsor. It was announced in January 2006 that the 2006-2010 world championships would be sponsored by online casino 888.com [2].

Discussion has occurred about the whereabouts of future World Championships, focusing on the possibility of moving the tournament to another city (either in the UK or overseas), or to a bigger venue to accommodate the high spectator demand. This was concluded in 2005 with confirmation that the event will stay in Sheffield for at least a further five years. However, there are plans still to replace the Crucible in Sheffield, by building a new, high-capacity billiards arena.

The group of tournaments that come next in importance are the ranking tournaments. Players in these tournaments score world ranking points. A high ranking ensures qualification for next year's tournaments, invitations to invitational tournaments and an advantageous draw in tournaments.

Third in line are the invitational tournaments, to which most of the highest ranked players are invited. The most important tournament in this category is The Masters, which to most players is the second or third most sought-after prize.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snooker#The_game & http://www.worldsnooker.com/


EQUIPMENT
1. The Standard Table

Dimensions
(a) The playing area within the cushion faces shall measure 11 ft
8½in x 5ft 10in (3569mm x 1778mm) with a tolerance
on both dimensions of +/_ ½ in (+/_ 13mm).

Height
(b) The height of the table from the floor to the top of the cushion
Rail shall be from 2ft9½in to 2ft 10½in (851mm to 876mm).

Pocket Openings
(c)
(i) There shall be pockets at the corners (two at the Spot end known as the top pockets and two at the Baulk end known as the bottom pockets) and one each at the middle of the longer sides (known as the centre pockets).
(ii) The pocket openings shall conform to the templates authorised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA).

Baulk-line and Baulk
(d) A straight line drawn 29in (737mm) from the face of the bottom cushion and parallel to it is called the Baulk-line, and that line and the intervening space is termed the Baulk.

The "D"
(e) The "D" is a semi-circle described in Baulk with its centre at the middle of the Baulk-line and with a radius of 11½in (292mm).


Spots
(f) Four spots are marked on the centre longitudinal line of the table:
(i) the Spot (known as the Black Spot), 12¾in (324mm) from a point perpendicularly below the face of the top cushion.
(ii) The Centre Spot (known as the Blue Spot), located midway between the faces of the top and bottom cushions.
(iii) The Pyramid Spot (known as the Pink Spot), located midway between the Centre Spot and the face of the top cushion.
(iv) The Middle of the Baulk-line (known as the Brown Spot).

Two other spots used are located at the corners of the ’D’. Viewed from the Baulk end, the one on the right is known as the Yellow Spot and the one on the left as the Green Spot.

2. Balls

The balls shall be of an approved composition and shall each have a diameter of 52.5mm with a tolerance of +/- 0.05mm and:
(a) they shall be of equal weight within a tolerance of 3g per set
(b) a ball or set of balls may be changed by agreement between the players or on a decision by the referee.

The correct value for the balls are as follows


Black 7 Blue 5
Red 1 Pink 6
Yellow 2 Brown 4
Green 3



3. Cue

A cue shall be not less than 3ft (914mm) in length and shall show no substantial departure from the traditional and generally accepted shape and form.

4. Ancillary

Various cue rests, long cues (called butts and half-butts according to length), extensions and adaptors may be used by players faced with difficult positions for cueing. These may form part of the equipment normally found at the table but also include equipment introduced by either player or the referee (see also Section 3 Rule 18). All extensions, adaptors and other devices to aid cueing must be of a design approved by the WPBSA.

Answer 2

you can use any size table that you want - but competitions will use the correct size snooker table though - and you will need a set of snooker balls which contains

1 white
15 reds (worth 1 point each)
1 each of yellow (2 points), green(3), brown(4), blue(5), pink(6), black(7 points)

you can get the balls at any pool outlet or on ebay

position of balls at start:
the yellow, green and brown go on the baulkline with the brown in the centre and the yellow and green on the corners of the D

the blue goes in the dead centre of the table, the pink on the spot normally used for 8 or 9 ball in pool, all the reds on a triangle immediately behind the pink and the black about halfway between the triangle and the cushion

the basic game:
on your turn you pot red then colour then red then colour and so on replacing the coloured ball each time but not the red and adding the points to your score

when all the reds have been potted the colours must then be potted in point order (yellow, green. etc)

fouls are fairly conventional and points are deducted from your score for the foul - generally the highest point value of the ball potted in error

for a full copy of the 2006 world rules check my website http://www.ivanhoefats.com

Answer 3

I think a snooker table is different from a billiards table in that the pocket openings are less flaired. However, here is a description of the game and equipment: http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Snooker

Answer 4

Snooker requires a whole new table, with new dimensions.

Answer 5

search Wikipedia for the answer or just follow the link