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Are you up for a game of snooker? In the United States, there are plenty of people who have not heard of this fantastic game based on billiards. All over the rest of the world, players choose snooker as the game of choice in billiards halls and pool rooms. And on the telly in England, it is the most watched sports program. So Americans are somewhat behind in recognizing this game. Snooker has its roots as a simple variation on pool. In the beginning, it was known as "pyramid pool", a new vesion of "black" or "life" games already being played. But Sir Neville Chamberlain modified the game around 1875, and its popularity took off sharply. Soldiers in England loved the new game, and helped spread it around the world. Today it is even more popular in modern England. Learning to play snooker can seem complex to beginners, but the basic rules are fairly simple. The most complicated step is setting the table: * Snooker is played on 6 feet by 12 feet traditional billiards tables. * Snooker balls make up a set of 22. Fifteen red balls are the minions of the game, while the white cue ball is used to strike with. And one ball of each of 6 colors: blue, brown, black, pink, green, and yellow. * The green, brown, and yellow balls are placed side by side (to remember the order, use the acronym "God Bless You") at one end of the table, approximately six inches apart. The blue ball is placed in the exact center of the table. The pink ball is set between the blue ball and the top cushion at the far end of the table. The black ball goes on a marked spot located at about 12 3/4 inches from the top cushion. * The fifteen red balls are set in the triangle rack and placed immediately behind the pink ball. The apex ('point') of the red triangle should come as close as possible to the pink ball, without actually touching it. Once the balls are properly set, the game can begin. The breaking player strikes the triangle of red balls. When a player sinks a red ball, he or she is then free to shoot and sink any one of the six colored balls. The yellow ball is worth two points, the green is worth three, the brown ball is worth four, the blue is five, the pink is six, and the black is worth seven points. When a colored ball has been sunk, the point is scored and the ball is retrieved and re-spotted on the table. When you have mastered the basic rules of snooker, you can try one of the many varieties of game play. Although newcomers can easily play snooker, it is a game that's typically reserved for more experienced billiards players. Therefore, it's best to have an experienced snooker player explain the rules to you. Snooker has been a popular sport in England and other parts of the world for more than a century, and with good reason. It's fun, skillful and relatively easy to play. If you have a regulation size table, consider investing in set of snooker balls, and add a whole new dimension to your game playing.
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Author Barbara Miller loves writing for a variety of web magazines, on travel tips and fishing sports recreation topics. Get a unique version of this article from our snooker article directory
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