Snooker

Snooker is a billiards sport that is played on a large (12' X 6') baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long cushions. It is played using a cue, one white ball (the cue ball), 15 red balls and 6 colours: a yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black ball worth from two to seven points. A player wins a frame of snooker by scoring more points than his opponent, through using the cue ball to pot all the red and coloured balls. A match consists of an agreed number of frames. Snooker is particularly popular in English-speaking countries (Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia, India and South Africa), and there has recently been a surge of interest in East Asia, with players from Thailand, Hong Kong and China entering the rankings.

Notable players

Some of the most famous snooker players are:

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• Joe Davis (England), won the World Championships 15 consecutive times from 1927 to 1946
• Stephen Hendry (Scotland), won seven World Championships in the 1990s
• Steve Davis (England), won six World Championships in the 1980s; nicknamed 'The Nugget'
• Ronnie O'Sullivan (England), won two World Championships, most recently in 2004; holder of the record for fastest televised 147 break. Nicknamed 'The Rocket' due to his blisteringly fast rate of potting
• Jimmy White (England), the eternal bridesmaid, who has been runner-up in the World Championships six times. One of the most popular player the game has yet seen, also known as 'The Whirlwind'
• Ken Doherty (Republic of Ireland), won the 1997 World Championship
• Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins (Northern Ireland), brought the sport to new levels of popularity and won two World Championships, 1972 and 1982
• John Pulman (England), dominated in the 1960s
• Ray Reardon (Wales), won six World Championships, mostly in the 1970s
• John Spencer, three-times World Champion from the late 60s onwards
• Dennis Taylor (Northern Ireland), won the famous 1985 World Championship final; also famous for wearing large spectacles
• Cliff Thorburn (Canada), the only player from outside the British Isles to win the World Championship