2005 United States National Snooker Championship final report

[Colin Colenso]

Yes, these breaks of 30's, 40's and one 50+ from so many frames indicate that these players will be no where near contention even in the amateur ISBF events.

It is possible, though I think it highly unlikely that the tables were very difficult.

The last local snooker event I played in in Shanghai, after my first visit to the table my opponent knocked in a 133 clearance. There were a few centuries in that small tournament. Probably 20 breaks over 50.

 

[raemondo]

question, does anybody know what color you can pot 3 times in a row without a foul being committed? and how?
thanks

You can't, that's a foul.

 

[bgb]

You can't, that's a foul.

No, if your opponent fouls and leaves you snookered on the last red, you are awarded a free ball, so if you nominate yellow it (in effect) becomes a red. You can then shoot the yellow and the last red in on the same shot, if like the red was over the hole or something and the yellow followed it in. The yellow respots and now you pot it as the 'color after a red'. It respots again and then you shoot it as the last yellow. Total score for the three shots is 6: 2 points for making the red and the yellow on the first shot (since the yellow was playing as a red, it only counts as 1), 2 points for the next yellow, counting as itself, and then 2 points for the next yellow, counting as the last yellow.

Never in the history of mankind has the word 'yellow' been typed so many times in a single paragraph.

Another fun quiz is: what's the smallest possible break score for a total clearance, i.e. where all the balls were made in one trip to the table.

 

[TheOne]

No, if your opponent fouls and leaves you snookered on the last red, you are awarded a free ball, so if you nominate yellow it (in effect) becomes a red. You can then shoot the yellow and the last red in on the same shot, if like the red was over the hole or something and the yellow followed it in. The yellow respots and now you pot it as the 'color after a red'. It respots again and then you shoot it as the last yellow. Total score for the three shots is 6: 2 points for making the red and the yellow on the first shot (since the yellow was playing as a red, it only counts as 1), 2 points for the next yellow, counting as itself, and then 2 points for the next yellow, counting as the last yellow.

Never in the history of mankind has the word 'yellow' been typed so many times in a single paragraph.

Another fun quiz is: what's the smallest possible break score for a total clearance, i.e. where all the balls were made in one trip to the table.

I like the yellow one, I think the lowest possible break has been touched on before in the infamous snooker v pool threads. lowest possible is:

15 (all the reds potted in one shot!!!%^%E^$) + 2 (yellow) + 27 (all the colours) = 44

Im guessing nobody has ever done this though? It would be interesting to know what the lowest ever break is though?

 

[Boro Nut]

It would be interesting to know what the lowest ever break is though?

Zero obvioulsy. I suspect you mean lowest total clearance score. I suspect it would be seven away.

Boro Nut

 

[bgb]

I like the yellow one, I think the lowest possible break has been touched on before in the infamous snooker v pool threads. lowest possible is:

15 (all the reds potted in one shot!!!%^%E^$) + 2 (yellow) + 27 (all the colours) = 44

Im guessing nobody has ever done this though? It would be interesting to know what the lowest ever break is though?

Close, but there's some other trick to it, actually. I can't remember what it is though. Maybe later.

How about: What are the only two questions that a referee is required by the rules to answer if a player asks him (or her)?

 

[Boro Nut]

How about: What are the only two questions that a referee is required by the rules to answer if a player asks him (or her)?

I suspect you are looking for the answer
(1) Which balls are touching the cue ball.
(2) If colour blind, what colour the balls are.
but in fact the referee is required to answer any question of fact relating to play, or decide any question of rules between the players.

 

[unknownpro]

what makes you think that, Ive never run a 147 on any table, my highest is sadly only 139 clearance

I know one thing though the pro table in my home town that the pros practice on is set up tighter than any table Ive ever seen. Most people would struggle to pot the cueball down the rail and the pros used to pot the reds downt he rail with pace like it was so easy. But then when two of them where ex top ten in the world and another couple are top 50 I guess thats why!

You misunderstand. When I say impossible, I mean impossible as in cannot be done shooting the cueball down the rail or rolling it with your hand or whatever due to the age and disrepair of the rails making it actually physically impossible.

What's the best brand of snooker table, and what do they go for? Can you get a 14 footer still so I can look down on all the 12 footer hacks? All this talk about snooker has got me itching to play some. Guess I'll go down to the local pool hall, where there are several snooker tables. I must be in England, and just have amnesia or something cause they are said not to exist here in the good old USA.

unknownpro

 

[bgb]

I suspect you are looking for the answer
(1) Which balls are touching the cue ball.
(2) If colour blind, what colour the balls are.
but in fact the referee is required to answer any question of fact relating to play, or decide any question of rules between the players.

In snooker the referee is required by the rules to answer either of the following two questions:

1) is the cue ball in the 'D'? (after a foul where the player has ball-in-hand)
2) what color is this? (in the case of a color-blind player)

They must be answered if asked. No other question MUST be answered, though often the referee uses his or her own discretion about some comments by players. However, if a ref calls a foul and a player says something like, "why is that a foul?" the referee doesn't have to answer if he doesn't want to.

 

[raemondo]

This is a good one; you are right though. I've never had such a situation come up actually. In fact, at the intermediate level I play at, we never even use the free ball rule all that much.

No, if your opponent fouls and leaves you snookered on the last red, you are awarded a free ball, so if you nominate yellow it (in effect) becomes a red. You can then shoot the yellow and the last red in on the same shot, if like the red was over the hole or something and the yellow followed it in. The yellow respots and now you pot it as the 'color after a red'. It respots again and then you shoot it as the last yellow. Total score for the three shots is 6: 2 points for making the red and the yellow on the first shot (since the yellow was playing as a red, it only counts as 1), 2 points for the next yellow, counting as itself, and then 2 points for the next yellow, counting as the last yellow.

Never in the history of mankind has the word 'yellow' been typed so many times in a single paragraph.

Another fun quiz is: what's the smallest possible break score for a total clearance, i.e. where all the balls were made in one trip to the table.

 

[Boro Nut]

In snooker the referee is required by the rules to answer either of the following two questions:

1) is the cue ball in the 'D'? (after a foul where the player has ball-in-hand)

I disagree. It is the player's responsibility to place the cue ball in the 'D' legally, and the referee is expressly forbidden from indicating that a foul stroke is about to be played. I think you are confusing the rule in billiards when the referee must state when asked if a ball is in baulk (ie is not playable from hand) or not, but that does not apply to snooker.

Boro Nut

 

[Gabber]

Almost

I like the yellow one, I think the lowest possible break has been touched on before in the infamous snooker v pool threads. lowest possible is:

15 (all the reds potted in one shot!!!%^%E^$) + 2 (yellow) + 27 (all the colours) = 44

Im guessing nobody has ever done this though? It would be interesting to know what the lowest ever break is though?

The lowest total clearance is 37. 15 reds+2= 17
Clear the colors and scratch on the black! 20+17= 37.

G aka Q

 

[TheOne]

The lowest total clearance is 37. 15 reds+2= 17
Clear the colors and scratch on the black! 20+17= 37.

G aka Q

Yeah actually thought about it last night when I was playing snooker with an old friend. Just to add that the black doesn't respot because there's obviously not enough points on the table and you're not allowed to carry on on the black unless you can atleast tie. I always thought this was not fair because you could always get a snooker by hiding the cue ball behind the jaws of the pocket!

 

[Boro Nut]

I always thought this was not fair because you could always get a snooker by hiding the cue ball behind the jaws of the pocket!

You know full well Craig that you can only snooker behind a ball that is not on. Anything else is not a snooker. It's a bummer.

Having checked the IBSF website it would appear that bgb is in fact correct on his 'two questions' question and I was wrgn....I was wogrn.... I was wgron....

It's no good. I still can't bring myself to say it.

Boro Nut

 

[TheOne]

You know full well Craig that you can only snooker behind a ball that is not on. Anything else is not a snooker. It's a bummer.

Having checked the IBSF website it would appear that bgb is in fact correct on his 'two questions' question and I was wrgn....I was wogrn.... I was wgron....

It's no good. I still can't bring myself to say it.

Boro Nut

Yeah but personally nothing is more satisfying than after a long session trying to nestle each of your balls behind a tit? Very tiring of course but worth a bash!

 

[bgb]

Yeah actually thought about it last night when I was playing snooker with an old friend. Just to add that the black doesn't respot because there's obviously not enough points on the table and you're not allowed to carry on on the black unless you can atleast tie. I always thought this was not fair because you could always get a snooker by hiding the cue ball behind the jaws of the pocket!

That's true but i think took into account the fact that, in theory, a player could delay the game virtually forever trying to get a 'cushion snooker'.