Description

Snooker is a cue sport that is typicallyplayed on a table covered with a green cloth or baize, with pocketssituated in each of the four corners and a further two, commonlyreferred to as the middle, or side pockets, that sit in the middleof each of the long side cushions. The (baize) cloth on a snookertable has a directional nap running from the baulk end of the tabletowards the end with the (black ball) spot. This affects how a ballrolls depending on which direction it is hit or shot. A regular(full-size) table is 12 x 6 ft (3.7 x 1.8 m). It is played using acue and 22 snooker balls: one white cue ball, 15 red balls worthone point each, and six balls of different colours: yellow (2points), green (3), brown (4), blue (5), pink (6) and black (7). Aplayer (or team) wins a frame (individual game) of snooker byscoring more points than the opponent(s), using the cue ball to potthe red and coloured balls. A player receives additional points ifthe opponent commits a foul. If the scores are equal when all theballs have been potted, the black is placed back on its spot as atiebreaker. A player wins a match when a predetermined number offrames have been won.
Snooker, generally regarded as having been invented in India byBritish Army officers, is popular in many of the English-speakingand Commonwealth countries, with top professional players attainingmulti-million-pound career earnings from the game. The sport is nowincreasingly popular in China.