How Long Does a Professional Snooker Game Last

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You just bought a home pool table, and you are now ready to have a few friends over for a game of snooker. Or you have been playing friendly matches, and now you are ready to battle it out with the professional. Whatever the case, there many things about snooker that you need to know including timing and rules.

So, how long will a professional snooker game last? Ideally, there is no set time for a snooker game. There are certain factors that will affect time such as player experience, number of frames and other game conditions as will be discussed later in the article. Depending on these conditions, it won’t be surprising to see a game lasting for as little as 5 minutes or as long as 1 hour or even more.

This article will look at the conditions determining the longevity of a snooker game, how to play, the rules of snooker, and other related questions. Keep reading for a deeper insight.

Factors Affecting the Longevity of a Snooker Game

As already mentioned, three main factors can dictate how long a game of snooker will take as discussed below.

Player’s experience– a game played by professionals may take shorter time than one played by amateurs. This can be explained by the fact that professionals are used to the game, they have better control of the ball, and potting for them is easier.

Number of frames– the amount of frames being played determines the amount of time the overall game will last. Obviously, the less the frames, the less time it will take.
Game conditions– some game conditions include safety play and difficult object ball placement. Now if the players are using such kind of strategies, then the game might take longer than expected.

There are further factors that might affect the longevity of a snooker game such as unusual conditions on the table, poor ambiance, unscheduled breaks, or even unclear placements.

The factors mentioned above are the reasons we cannot determine the precise time a snooker game can take.

A Brief History of Snooker

Snooker was a 19^th century invention. It simply came up by changing a few rules in the game of billiards. For example, billiards uses only red balls but in snooker colored balls are also used alongside the red ones.

The game later became popular in England, and several clubs could be seen practicing it.

How to Play the Game

Before we get to how the game is played, let’s first understand the terms we are bound to encounter as well as the ball values.

Snooker Ball Terminology

Cue ball-this is the white ball, one you hit with the cue stick
Red- this one refers to the 15 red balls

Color- the ball that is neither white nor red
Pot- this is rolling the ball into any of the pockets
Ball on- the target ball to be hit by the cue ball

Foul-to go against any rule of the game
Snookered- inability to hit the ball on with the cue ball

Snooker ball Values

Below are the snooker balls along with their corresponding values.

All the reds equal to one point
Yellow-two
Green-3

Brown-4
Blue-5
Pink-6

Black-7

Gameplay

Ideally, when playing snooker, the goal is scoring more points than the opponent is. This is through potting the balls in the right order. When breaking, the player should pot a red ball, and if it does not happen, at least the shot must be without any foul. After pocketing a red, you then shoot any of the six but not a red. This process will go on until the player fails to pot the right ball. The opponent takes over.

Once all the reds have been potted, the colored balls are then potted starting with the yellow, which has the smallest value, ending with black, which has the largest value.

The winner is the one with more points when all balls have been potted. In the case of a tie, the black ball will be put back in position to play as a tiebreaker.

Additionally, a win can be declared before end of the game if the balls remaining don’t have enough points to beat an opponent.

In case you play foul, your opponent earns some points.

How to Improve Your Game to Become an Expert

Becoming an expert in the game of snooker is easy, if you are committed. Below are some points to note.

Try to practice at least every day of the week. Make it a routine and soon you are going to shine at a table full of professionals.
Compete with people. This way you will face new challenges, which will lead to game improvements.

Practice many long-potting routines to improve your accuracy.
Before any match, do a bit of warm up and stay relaxed. You will realize how this works magic once the game begins.

Related Questions

What is the difference between pool and snooker?

Pool game is played using 9 to 15 numbered balls and a cue ball. There are six pockets. A snooker table is bigger than one for pool. There are 15 plain red balls, six numbered ones and one cue ball.

What happens if you play foul in a snooker game?

There are various fouls in a snooker game. For instance, if you strike and the cue ball does not hit the ball ON first, it is considered a foul. If you pocket any other ball other than the ball on, the opponent takes the points on that ball. If you touch any ball on the table, the opponent will be awarded the points on that ball or for points. If the cue ball does not hit anything on the table, again, that is a foul and your opponent takes the stage. Any foul committed on a snooker game come with a penalty.

How is a win determined in a snooker game?

The player with the most points at the end of the game is the winner. Alternatively, if the balls left on the table do not have enough points to overtake the leading opponent, then a win is declared.