football, rubgy, cricket...snooker!

It’s that time of year again, the two-week run to England’s May Bank Holiday, and it means only one thing to a young man dreaming of sport – The World Snooker Championships at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. This marathon begins with sixteen players in the first round contesting best-of-19 frame matches, and builds to a four-session, two-day, best-of-37 frame championship final.

It was during my first tour in England (1990-1992) that I was introduced to snooker. When I finally sat down to watch the late-night wrap-ups from the major tournaments I couldn’t believe what I was watching. The 1992 Final between Stephen Hendry and Jimmy White was what really put me over the edge. I’d bet 20 pounds on Jimmy White winning it all, and he didn’t let me down as he jumped to 14-8 lead, was one ball away from 15-8, and kerrang...he missed. Hendry stepped up, claimed that frame, and then blasted through the next 9 to win it, 18-14. Hendry eventually won 7 of the 10 World Championships contested in the 1990s, is probably the most successful player ever, and is currently ranked #1 in the world.

Snooker is a devilish 3-D kind of chess. The huge table and straight pocket jaws make shots extremely refined. Players have more angles, screw (we call it english), speed, and cueing implements than you can imagine. The defensive ability (called ‘safety’) of some of the players is astonishing. My friend Buzz and I headed up to the Crucible for the 1998, 1999, and 2000 events, and I remember a frame in the 1998 Finals where Ken Doherty and Mark Williams played safety after safety until they finally agreed to re-rack the balls.

As if anyone cares, here are the (very) basics of the game.

- when you step to the table you must pocket a red ball first (they are left off the table)
- after a red, any other color must be pocketed (they are replaced on their spots)
- another red ball
- another (any) color, until you miss
- each red = 1 point
- the colors in point order (2,3,4,5,6,7): yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, black
- when your opponent misses, you’re up
- colored balls pocketed in order, lowest-to-highest value, to end frame
- most points wins the frame

Since every red ball that has been pocketed essentially removes a total of 8 points from the table (that red and the assumed follow-up 7-point black), the scores don't add up to the maximum amount on the table at the start of the frame. The highest possible total that can be achieved in a single visit, with all reds still on the table, is 147 points: 15 reds, followed by 15 blacks (alternating red-black), and all the colors in order at the end (36 consecutive shots). It’s rare in competition (it’s only happened five times at the Crucible) and takes some luck and a good run of balls. If Steve Davis were compiling a 147 it would take about three hours…he's very deliberate. On the other hand, if you’re Ronnie O’Sullivan in 1997 it takes about 5 minutes, which is diabolical. Here’s Ronnie making the legendary ‘maximum’ during an early round match that year. The video cuts in after he’s already potted a few reds and blacks during this visit to the table. Enjoy.