Ronnie Sullivan

What started out as traditional billiard game turned out to be one of the most popular cue sports nowadays. Said to have been invented by British Army Officers, the history of snooker has various versions. One is when the officers playing traditional billiard game added colored balls to the red and black balls used to play pyramid pool and life pool. Another version says that a certain Sir Neville Chamberlain called his opponent a snooker when he failed to pot a ball when playing the new game. But whether snooker originated from India or anywhere else in the world, lets just be thankful to those officers for creating this game many people are enjoying right now.

People who are not into this sport may hardly tell the difference between snooker and pool since both sports use the same equipment – table, cue and balls as the most important. One way to distinguish snooker from pool is through the table used. The pockets in the snooker table are much smaller than that in the pool table hence it is harder to sink the ball. Additionally, the rails guiding the balls into the pockets of a pool table are angled while the pockets of a snooker table have curved edges. But one easy way to differentiate the tables is by simply looking at the felt that covers it. Pool tables use different range of colors while the snooker table has one official color – green. The felt is not as fuzzy than that of a pool table.

Snooker is a century-old game often played by the wealthiest members of the society in castles and mansions. Up to this day, there are those who play snooker dressed just like the way they did during the old times – waistcoats and bow ties. Some people argue that wearing formal outfit can detract spectators especially the young ones but that is not the case since it has become popular in English-speaking and Commonwealth countries and is becoming increasingly popular in China.

At first glance, playing snooker seems to be so challenging. Indeed, trying to sink a ball into small pockets is never easy. Positioning and precision are necessary in order to get the balls into the holes.

Unless you have that untapped talent in hitting things with a cue, it is not unusual to face difficulties during the initial part of training. Instead of getting put off by it, consider these difficulties as your motivation in becoming one of the best snooker players in your area, if not all over the world. Learn from the expert by watching them play and studying their moves and techniques. You can even get advice from them through interviews and their website if there is any.

There are lots of snooker enthusiasts all over the world. Some have even put up sites like this specially dedicated to the game. In here, you will find everything you need to know about snooker – history of the game, equipment needed and most of all, rules and guidelines on how to play the game. Read the instructions carefully and understand the principles behind each technique. Ask questions if you must and make sure to learn from your mistakes too.

While learning from experts is one of the most important techniques in learning how to play, it would help if you have that unwavering enthusiasm towards the game. The determination to learn and the confidence that you can learn will surely make a difference when learning how to play. Don’t be bothered by the thought of learning too fast, too soon. Just enjoy the game and eventually, you will find yourself learning and enjoying playing one of the world’s oldest cue sports – snooker.