Not to ruffle any feathers?

Question

I just want to make an observation about Snooker. First, let me say that I acknolwedge the skill involved and the difficulty in pocketing balls. I know the tables are very large and the pockets are very small. Still, nobody wants to acknowledge that snooker is a slop game. You never have to call anything. Additionally, there's no cushion requirement for a legal shot. I'm not saying it happens all of the time, but to be sure, there are flukes in snooker, just as in some pool games. Does anyone else see my point? M.D.-BCA Instructor/Referee.

Answer 1

I see your point very well. And I can see Randy's point. But playing in England by their rules may be slightly different (although not supposed to be) in the US.

It's like any game. Even a 9-ball Pros's event will be played by different rules depending on what venue they are at.

As far as snooker being the greatest game on felt requiring skill, intelligence and strategy... I've played about 25 different games on a pool table and everyone required a certain amount of skill, intelligence and strategy. And everyone, including snooker, have "lucky" shots.

The only way to eliminate "luck" or "slop" shots is to call everything. Every kiss, every carom... everything.

Answer 2

They may as well jump on both of us But even on the pro level I think its 20% good old fashiond poke & hope

I can tell by the pos. of the cue they were not thinking they could make it

Not to mention the look on their face

I turned some heads at Bogies a few weeks back

I was waiting on mama to go to the powder room  so i just thought maybe so I just banged a 7 rail kick on the pink it went in the side pocket like a bulletta couple of the players came over and started hand shaking all kinds of s**+-- I couldnt get a game for 2 hrs

But yes I agree 100%

Answer 3

Snooker is truly a great, intelligent game - it combines skill and strategy like no other billiard table game.

At the start of the game the white (cueball) is placed anywhere inside the 'D' and player 1 'breaks'

The 'Break'

The first shot must contact a red before any other ball - or a foul is called.

Ideally - player 1 will pot (pocket/sink) 1 or more reds - but in snooker this is very hard, and rare, the more common alternative is to play a 'saftey' shot, clipping the 'pack' (of reds) - and returning the white to the top (right hand/balk) end of the table - again, ideally behind a colour.

From this point, players score points by potting balls, and from 'fouls' committed by their opponents.

Play alternates between the two players - excepting that when a player pots a valid ball - he recives another turn.

The sequence that the balls must be potted in is:-

Any red

Any chosen colour

Any red

Any chosen colour

Repeat - until no reds remain.

when each colour is potted, it is replaced on its own spot.

then:-

Yellow,green,brown,blue,pink,black

(during this stage the colours do NOT come back up - unless they have been potted as part of a foul, for example, out of sequence)

Fouls

Failure to strike a red (before any other ball) - penalty four points

The penalty is increased to 5, 6 or 7 if, instead of a red, the cue-ball strikes a colour.

Failure to strike a valid colour also carries a penalty of four points, or more (to the value of the colour hit or the colour that was supposed to be hit). Also, if you have just sunk a red and may now shoot at any colour, the colour that you first hit is the one you must sink - sinking a different one is a foul.

Snookers

It should be obvious from the above, that often a player can score more points by forcing his opponenet into an 'awkward' (or impossible) situation - the act of so doing being a 'snooker'

Other rules

There are a number of other minor rules - you are unlikely to see some of them occur at all when playing a professional.

*Footnote:-There are two minor rules (free ball) and respotting of the black upon a draw.

Yellow 2 points

Green 3 points

Brown 4 points

Blue 5 points

Pink 6 points

Black 7 points

I have played  snooker for over 5 decades using " British Gentlemans Rules" There are  no "slop shots" in  this particular game. Where did you play this game, under what  rules   and with whom? Pehaps only a few of the rudimentary elements were present in your game... in pool  the obj balls are vocally "called" shots, Brit gent rules we are honest and do not require such and do consider  wrongly potted balls as point  reducing penalties or fouls, though it is quite rare indeed  for one to actually foul in this manner... pool is s fun fast game I do  appreciate a good game now n then, its justt    a bit ackward  for a minute till I get used to the small tables and those giant pots to put the balls in I do get a  sniker out of   how many umm professional pool players take shots  completely miss by hitting a rail etc and somehow manage to get the ball in anyway, or  when a pool pro on tv bacnks a ball and it bounces in the mouth of the pot for several goes untill gravity and luck  allow it to fall n people  say ohh wasn t that agreat shot. Snooker tables are not that forgiving and require  exact  angles, speed, and  absolute  ball control.. welll to each their own I  guess huh!

like you said umm not to ruffle any feathers  but....