Snooker is an indoor game popular in many countries across the world. This cue sport has its origins in England. The term snooker was credited to be coined by an English army officer named Neville Chamberlain. This game became a popular club sports across the British colonies worldwide. Snooker is a variation of another cue sport, Billiards.
The game of Snooker is played in a specially designed table. The Snooker table has 6 pockets in it. This game is played with a stick called cue, a cue ball, 15 red-colored balls, and 6 balls of various colors. The object of a Snooker frame is to win more points than the opponent. A specified number of frames constitute a match. The first edition of World Snooker Championship was held in 1927. In the initial stages, Snooker was a pastime rather than a competitive sport. But gradually, Snooker became a popular professional sport. It gained popularity in the commonwealth countries and other English-speaking countries worldwide.
Modern Snooker tables are similar to Billiards tables. Snooker tables are made from wood. The wooden table is covered by a cloth made of pure wool. The pocket size of the Snooker table also is standardized by the governing body of the sport.
The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association is the governing body of professional Snooker. The rules of modern Snooker game are controlled and regulated by this body. International Billiards and Snooker Federation takes care of the amateur version of the game. World Championship is the most prestigious Snooker Tournament in the world. It is an annual event. Joe Davis has won this tournament a record 15 times. A few players over the years have dominated the game of Snooker. Steve Davis has won it 6 times through the 80’s. Ray Reardon has won it 6 times during the 70’s, and Stephen Hendry has won it 7 times during the 90’s.
The other prestigious tournaments include Grand Prix, Malta Cup, UK Championship, China Open, Welsh Open, Northern Ireland Trophy, Masters, Pot Black, and Premier League. Over the past few decades, Snooker has become a highly professional sport with a lot at stake including a lot of money and prestige. It is a game of skill and concentration. A snooker player requires extraordinary levels of concentration to excel in the sport. Closely fought Snooker matches can be quite taxing and a Snooker player should be able to cope with it. Professional Snooker matches are highly competitive and tests the mental strengths of the players. Of late, Snooker has also attracted players from non-traditional Snooker countries. This has transformed it into a truly global sport. With increasing prize money every year, the interest in the game is growing tremendously and even the youngsters too are getting attracted to it.
