Crazy Snooker

[Skybird]

2015, World Grand Prix. By now a famous frame.

I like Snooker. When I stumble about it on TV, usually I get hooked for an hour or so.

I also like tactical raffinesse, tactical playing.

But this...?




Do not stop after the pink finally got potted. The good stuff keeps coming!



And when a few pottings later you think that at least now thankfully its finally over, don't stop, for the good stuff still keeps coming! They keep on fighting until the very end, even with minimalistic options.


For those not knowing the rules: the basic idea is that red and coloured balls have to be played in turns: red-coloured-red-coloured. Coloured balls get replaced on the table when they got potted and count 2-7 points, reds stay off the table and count all 1. Thats the basic idea. You do not want to make shots where you have to turn over the right to play on, opponent scoring that way, when you cannot continue with a legal shot yourself: you thus play the white ball in a way that makes it difficult for the opponent to continue when you cannot pot yourself and therefor emjst end. When the turn is up to you, you have to start with a red. - Thats why they do not pot the pink ball.


Snooker it is called when the opponent cannot make a legal shot: he cannot even touch a red. Scores 4 penalty points for his opponent then wo can also chose to play on, or force the palyer to try new, from old position. They say player A snookers player B, it is not unfair, but a game element totally okay. A player can catch up this way with an opponent with a leading score even if there are not enough potting points left on the table anymore.

[Jimbuna]

Love the game, played snooker and pool since my mid teens but not so much these days.

I also remember watching that game back in the day.

Fantastic stuff, thanks for sharing

[Skybird]

I like Snooker as well, to me its the queen of all billiard games, I like it even better than Carambolage. But I absolutely suck at it. The first time I stood beside such a table, I was intimidated. Heck, those things are huge!
I was an okay player with usual 8 ball pool in my university years. But that does not compare to Snooker. For those not knowing, the tables can be more than twice as big, the pockets are tighter and the balls are slightly smaller. Its not twice as difficult - it several times more difficult than any pool. What pro snooker player can do, borders magic in my eyes. These days I just play Virtual Pool 4, including Snooker. Saves me the pain in my back...

[Jimbuna]

Master the art of positional play and you are well down the road to being a competent player.

[Skybird]

Your forgot to mention the need for mastering the art of potting first.


I suck at all aspects of snooker. But I still can admire it.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Your forgot to mention the need for mastering the art of potting first.

In truth you shouldn't be playing if your potting skills are crap and I've met many great potters who couldn't position the cue ball into the most favourable potting position and met very few who excelled in positional play but were poor at potting.

Just my personal experience.