Snookerpool

RubixOne

Member
I made some clarifications to the free shot rule to remove ambiguity and bring it in line with the free shot rule from blackball. Rules file is already updated.
 

RubixOne

Member
I've been debating for a while whether the area for cue balls in hand should be the break box or the kitchen. I've decided to use the full kitchen area since it is easier to remember where the kitchen area is and it doesn't have too much impact on the game. Rules file and pictures are already updated.
 
Last edited:

gerryf

Well-known member
6-red snooker has both professional and amateur rules.

In the official rules for the amateur game, I understand it's like professional snooker except there is no miss rule, and all fouls are cue-ball-in-hand anywhere on the table. Pretty simple.
 

eastcoast_chris

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
One question, do you have to contact a rail? (with cue ball or an object ball) ?

Didn't see that in your post.

I like the idea, but can see it being very easy to run a lot.... maybe not?

I once put snooker balls on a 4.5x9 and ran a century in the second game. Was fun, but not too challenging.
 

RubixOne

Member
One question, do you have to contact a rail? (with cue ball or an object ball) ?

Didn't see that in your post.

I like the idea, but can see it being very easy to run a lot.... maybe not?

I once put snooker balls on a 4.5x9 and ran a century in the second game. Was fun, but not too challenging.
There is no requirement to hit the rail. Same goes for normal snooker.

The advantage of having the break off in Snookerpool is, if not nonexistant (as in normal snooker), severely diminished.

  • First of all, in both games, potting multiple balls is almost always a bad idea (except when multiple doubles are potted during a free shot) because you'll either (a) lose out on eight potential points for each single potted after the first single, or (b) end up committing a foul due to potting a ball not on. This means that in order to truly run out the table in Snookerpool, you need to, at the very least, make 8 successful shots in a row (the first shot potting all nine singles at once, potting a nominated double, and then pocketing the doubles in ascending order).
  • Second, because of the way the singles are set up, the cue ball tends to remain on the foot side of the table after the break shot. Furthermore, the singles will often move the 15 from its spot, block the cue ball's path to the 15, and/or block the 15's path to the pocket, increasing the difficulty of running out the table.
 
Last edited:

DaveK

Still crazy after all these years
Silver Member
I have put together an Official Rules of Snookerpool document adapted from the official WPBSA snooker ruleset. This document is meant for use in professional competitions.
Are there Snookerpool profession competitions ? I thought this was a game you recently made up.

Dave
 

gerryf

Well-known member
I haven't seen it, but there's a new event called Snooker The 900 underway.

Each match is 900 seconds long (15 minutes)
20 second shot clock
A ball must hit the rail (or pocket) on every shot. i.e. no run-up shots etc.
All fouls are cue ball in hand.

Reviews so far are pretty positive. Rules are pretty simple.

Edit: 96 players in this event. "In all the 900 Snooker Legends will see 25 sessions of snooker broadcast Monday to Wednesday every night at 10pm with £6,000 per week in prize money - the eight weekly winners will then contest the Grand Final on 16 November in a one-off special"
 
Last edited:

RubixOne

Member
Are there Snookerpool profession competitions ? I thought this was a game you recently made up.

Dave
Currently, no. The Official Rules of Snookerpool file is a ruleset file that I made which is meant to be used if a professional Snookerpool competition does take place.
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I haven't seen it, but there's a new event called Snooker The 900 underway.

Each match is 900 seconds long (15 minutes)
20 second shot clock
A ball must hit the rail (or pocket) on every shot. i.e. no run-up shots etc.
All fouls are cue ball in hand.

Reviews so far are pretty positive. Rules are pretty simple.

Edit: 96 players in this event. "In all the 900 Snooker Legends will see 25 sessions of snooker broadcast Monday to Wednesday every night at 10pm with £6,000 per week in prize money - the eight weekly winners will then contest the Grand Final on 16 November in a one-off special"
That sounds more or less like the Coral snooker shoot-out that WST runs every year. Here's Ronnie O':

Edit: I see that the sponsor for the shoot out this season is BetVictor -- January in Leicester. It's a ranking event.
 

gerryf

Well-known member
That sounds more or less like the Coral snooker shoot-out that WST runs every year. Here's Ronnie O':

Edit: I see that the sponsor for the shoot out this season is BetVictor -- January in Leicester. It's a ranking event.
I had heard of the Shootout but hadn't watched it. It has a 10-minute match with a 15 second shot clock, that goes to 10 seconds for the last five minutes.

I understand it's pretty popular.

For a local club to try to run such an event, either Shootout, or 900, to avoid the requirement for a referee on all tables, the chess-clock might be a good alternative, and each player has to spot their own colored balls. Might need some tweaking to figure out how to set up the timings.

A good simple option.
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
.... For a local club to try to run such an event, either Shootout, or 900, to avoid the requirement for a referee on all tables, the chess-clock might be a good alternative, and each player has to spot their own colored balls. Might need some tweaking to figure out how to set up the timings.
...
It would be interesting to see if the lack of a per-shot limit causes any problems. I suppose you might have to award a certain number of points per minute of remaining time if one player runs out. Or, just let the player with time continue alone at the table until he runs out. Spot-'em-yourself would encourage a certain liveliness. (y)
 

mista335

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This is more or less how I've played it except I added more "reds" meaning stripes from another ball set I have. Which means you have 10 "reds" which is just about right for a 9 or 8 foot table.

 

RubixOne

Member
I've been pondering for a while now whether it is easier to remember the number of digits on each ball or the ball patterns. After asking a few people I know, I've decided to use the ball patterns instead to make the easier to get into. The following has changed as a result.
  • The solid balls (numbered 1-8) are worth one point each
  • The striped balls (numbered 9-15) are worth their numerical value minus seven (9-ball 2, 10-ball 3, 11-ball 4, 12-ball 5, 13-ball 6, 14-ball 7, and 15-ball 8)
  • Fouls award 5 points and a free shot to the opponent
 

Renegade_56

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've been pondering for a while now whether it is easier to remember the number of digits on each ball or the ball patterns. After asking a few people I know, I've decided to use the ball patterns instead to make the easier to get into. The following has changed as a result.
  • The solid balls (numbered 1-8) are worth one point each
  • The striped balls (numbered 9-15) are worth their numerical value minus seven (9-ball 2, 10-ball 3, 11-ball 4, 12-ball 5, 13-ball 6, 14-ball 7, and 15-ball 8)
  • Fouls award 5 points and a free shot to the opponent
it just keeps getting better
 

gerryf

Well-known member
It would be interesting to see if the lack of a per-shot limit causes any problems. I suppose you might have to award a certain number of points per minute of remaining time if one player runs out. Or, just let the player with time continue alone at the table until he runs out. Spot-'em-yourself would encourage a certain liveliness. (y)
It occurs to me that just having the Shootout/900 rules 'ball-must-hit-the-rail' and 'ball-in-hand for all fouls' will speed the game up a lot, and there's probably no need for a shot clock or frame clock. Six reds is only a maximum of 18 shots, and 10 reds is a maximum of 26 shots. A good player could get to 'snookers needed' in only 10 or 20 shots.
 

RubixOne

Member
It occurs to me that just having the Shootout/900 rules 'ball-must-hit-the-rail' and 'ball-in-hand for all fouls' will speed the game up a lot, and there's probably no need for a shot clock or frame clock. Six reds is only a maximum of 18 shots, and 10 reds is a maximum of 26 shots. A good player could get to 'snookers needed' in only 10 or 20 shots.
The current rules for handling fouls do seem to slow the game down a bit. I will be testing a version that allows balls in hand anywhere on the table after a foul soon.

Edit: I also thought about a simpler variable penalty value for fouls as well, namely, four points or the value of the highest valued ball that is "on" or could be "on," whichever is higher, which the highest penalty value taking priority. Other balls involve in a foul stroke don't matter in this system.
 
Last edited:

RubixOne

Member
After pondering for a bit on how to speed the game up, I have decided to get rid of the free shot rule and award a ball-in-hand anywhere on the table after a foul (this does not affect which balls are on at the start of the turn). To make the game a little less predictable when a foul occurs, I decided to change the penalty values to either four points or the value of the highest valued object ball that is hit first, whichever is higher.
 
Last edited:

RubixOne

Member
Turns out the foul ending the frame when only the black is left is needed to make sure the game ends in a timely manner, even for really incompetent players. So I have decided to include that rule in Snookerpool, but not the rule allowing players to claim a frame, since such situations are already covered by the concession rules.
 
Top