The main goal of snooker is to score points by potting balls in a specific sequence. Players use the white cue ball to pocket the colored balls in the correct order, aiming to pot all the balls on the table and accumulate the highest score possible.
The Snooker Table:
A snooker table is larger than a regular pool table, measuring approximately 12 feet long and 6 feet wide. The surface is covered with green baize, and it features six pockets: four at the corners and two in the middle.
Basic Rules and Gameplay:
- Potting the Balls: The game starts with 15 red balls, each worth one point, and six colored balls: yellow (2 points), green (3 points), brown (4 points), blue (5 points), pink (6 points), and black (7 points). The player must first pot a red ball, followed by a colored ball. After a colored ball is potted, it is returned to its designated spot on the table. The player continues alternating between potting red and colored balls until all red balls are potted.
- Clearance Phase: Once all the red balls are cleared, the player must pot the colored balls in the order of their point value, from yellow to black.
- Fouls and Penalties: Snooker has strict rules regarding fouls, such as potting the cue ball, failing to hit any ball with a shot, hitting the wrong ball, or not hitting the ball "on." When a foul occurs, the opponent is awarded penalty points, and they may request that the balls be repositioned.
- Safety Play: Players may choose to play defensively by attempting to hide the cue ball or place it in a position that limits their opponent's options for the next shot.
- Winning the Game: The player with the highest score at the end of the frame or match wins.