Why Not Try Snooker Instead?
by Colette Thyman
Care for a game of snooker? In America, many people haven't even heard of this variation on billiards. Players in other parts of the world opt for snooker as their game of choice at pool halls and billiards rooms. Snooker is actually the most widely watched television sports program in England, but Americans are only beginning to recognize the game.
Snooker began as a simple variation of the game of pool. It was originally called "pyramid pool", and was merely a different version of "life" or "black" games already in use. In 1875, Sir Neville Chamberlain modified the game, and it took off in popularity. English soldiers loved to play the new game, and it enjoyed a steady increase in popularity up to the present day's peak in modern England.
Newcomers may find it a bit intimidating to learn snooker, but the actual rules are not that complicated. Perhaps the most difficult part is setting the table properly:
* Snooker tables are full sized billiards tables measuring 6 feet by 12 feet.
* Snooker balls come in standard sets of 22 balls. Each includes a white "cue" ball, and one each of green, black, blue, brown, yellow, and pink. Finally, there are 15 red balls in each set.
* The green, brown, yellow balls are placed at one end of the table, with a 6 inch gap between them. The blue ball goes in the dead center of the table. Pink splits the distance between the blue ball and the end of the table cushion on the far side. The black ball gets its own special spot, marked about 13 inches from the far cushion.
* A triangular rack or form is used to place the 15 red balls, which go directly behind the pink ball. Don't touch the pink ball with the point of the triangle, but come as close as possible.
Once the balls are properly set, the game can begin. The breaking player strikes the triangle of red balls. When a player sinks a red ball, he or she is then free to shoot and sink any one of the six colored balls. The yellow ball is worth two points, the green is worth three, the brown ball is worth four, the blue is five, the pink is six, and the black is worth seven points. When a colored ball has been sunk, the point is scored and the ball is retrieved and re-spotted on the table.
There are also varieties of snooker that you can try out after you have mastered the basic game. As you can see, snooker is not terribly complex, but it can still be a drag on the fun part of the game for newcomers trying too remember all the rules, so it is best to have an experienced player explain the snooker rules to you.
For more than a century, snooker has been a beloved sport in England and many other countries. And with good reason! It is fun, easy to play, and yet demanding of skills as one progresses. If you already own a regulation sized pool table, why not get a set of snooker balls, and add a new game to your repertoire?
Barbara Miller writes for a variety of Internet sites, on amusement recreation and parks and recreation themes. Don't reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.
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