Maximum Break in Snooker

Factual Questions
1

For years I have muddled through life believing that the maximum break in snooker is 147.

Yesterday I read in a book (by George MacDonald Fraser) that the maximum theoretical break is 155. From what was written, I gather that a 155 break is almost certain never to happen, but that it is possible within the rules.

Any ideas how one would do this?

2

Check out

http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~hermunar/Snooker/Plr/records.shtml

A veritable wealth of info on snooker records. It explains how the maximum theoretical break is 155, and how to accomplish it. I have no idea what any of it means, because I’m not from wherever the hell they play snooker.

3

Iguana Boy, I can’t help with the snooker but George MacDonald Frazer(sp?) is a favorite of mine. What book did you read this in? Have you read the “Flashman” books?

4

I was at a university once that had a couple of snooker tables in addition to the pool tables in the student union. Every so often you’d see somebody trying to play pool on the snooker tables, probably wondering why they weren’t playing very well, and why the markings on the table were so funny.

(a snooker table is slightly bigger, and snooker balls are smaller than pool balls. Snooker pockets have sharp, rather than rounded, corners. A pool ball will actually fit into the pockets, but it is way more difficult than sinking them on a pool table.)

They also had a three-cushion billiards table. You’d see people get their rack of balls at the counter, plop them down on the billiard table, then do a double take as they noticed the lack of pockets …

Lessee, 15 + 7*15 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 = 147, without exceptional circumstances. Yup.

(basic idea of snooker - you have 15 red balls, and balls numbered 2 through 7. Potting a red ball gives you a point and the right to shoot a numbered ball for that many points. The numbered balls come back out on their spots again after being sunk until all the red balls are gone, then the numbered balls are sunk in rotation.)

5

I suppose in theory you can get 155 if your opponent not only makes a foul stroke but also snookers you behind a colour while all the reds are still on the table. In these circumstances, you can either force your opponent to play again or you can select a free ball. A free ball means choosing one of the colours to act as a red, except in this case the ball is replaced on the table after potting it. That’s how you get sixteen ‘reds’ and hence a 155 break. This is extremely unlikely to happen. I can’t think of a single professional player who managed to get a free ball while all the reds were on the table, and I can only think of 5 televised 147 breaks (Davis, Thorburn, Watanna, Hendry, White) in the last twenty years, although there’s probably been a couple more (I think Hendry has two).

6

From the link I provided earlier, which apparently has not been read by posters between then and now.

7

Aha!!

Thank you all, now I understand.

LouisB, this was in one of the McAuslan books (McAuslan in the Rough) which, to me are his best works. I have read only one of the Flashman books, although my brother has read more.
I’ve also read The Pyrates, which really appealed to my sense of humour.

PS I know GMF’s son! But only through my work, and I don’t really know him that well.