- Knockout
Snooker is a cue sport traditionally played on a large, rectangular table (about 12ft x 6ft) covered with green baize and featuring six pockets — one at each corner and one at the middle of each long side. The game uses 22 balls: one white cue ball, fifteen red balls, and six coloured balls (yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, and black), each with different point values.
Players take turns using a cue to strike the white cue ball, aiming to pocket the red and coloured balls in a specific sequence. A player must first pot a red ball (worth 1 point) and then nominate and attempt to pot one of the coloured balls (worth 2–7 points depending on the colour). After potting a colour, it is replaced on the table; the red remains pocketed.
Players alternate between red and colour until all reds are potted. Then, the coloured balls are potted in order of ascending value (yellow to black) and are not replaced on the table. The frame (single game) ends when all balls are potted, or if one player concedes due to an insurmountable point difference. The winner of a match is determined by winning the most frames, often in a “best of” format (e.g., best of 19 frames in a World Championship first round).
The maximum possible score in a single break is 147 points, achieved by potting 15 reds each followed by a black, then all colours in order. Players can use strategic shots called “snookers” to make the next shot difficult for their opponent. Fouls (such as potting the cue ball or hitting the wrong ball first) result in penalty points awarded to the opponent.
🎱 In essence: Snooker combines artistry, concentration, and calculation — a sport where every shot counts.
