Pool Or Snooker?

[gilbis]

Being an Englishman I play alot of pool and snooker. I believe snooker requires more skill but enjoy pool immensely as a social game and as a tactical game. Just wondered if snooker is played very much across other countries as I would assume pool would be more played than snooker generally.
I think snooker is an untapped sport in many countries and maybe its popularity has dwindled due to the amount of pool played.
Check out some tips below

Ian
http://www.snookercoaching.limewebs.com/

 

[RunoutJJ]

Two complelety different games but i love them both the same :grin:

 

[MarcusG19]

I believe snooker requires more skill

i hate hearing that.

but snooker is an old man's game where i'm from. Not alot of young guys playing, one of the issues is that a lot of these older guys don't seem to want us in the snooker hall. They hate when we go there and run high numbers. Not all of them mind you.

it has died down i think b/c of the difficulty of potting balls. The most basic part of the game is to hard a game for non-pool players to enjoy.

 

[SPINDOKTOR]

Snooooker

I love to play snooker, I just wish more halls around the USA would support it, The problem with playing snooker in the usa is finding a place to actually play D:

FOR REAL I inquired the world snooker association at one time offering to set up a hall and promote snooker but to my surprise they actually didn't seem to care which disappointed me very greatly

 

[Scott Lee]

gilbis...Snooker is played in the UK, Canada, and India. Pool is played in nearly EVERY country on the globe. Let me start off by saying I enjoy snooker, and have a respectable high break of 122. IMO snooker is "victorian", and consequently suffering popularity even where it IS played. Pool, on the other hand, is like the old U.S.A. Wild West...exciting and lots of drama...hence it's popularity on the rise throughout the world. IMO both games require excellent strokes and clear thought process. Pool is likely more difficult than snooker, simply because there are almost infinite varieties of it, each requiring different skills and strategies. Cheers!

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Being an Englishman I play alot of pool and snooker. I believe snooker requires more skill but enjoy pool immensely as a social game and as a tactical game. Just wondered if snooker is played very much across other countries as I would assume pool would be more played than snooker generally.
I think snooker is an untapped sport in many countries and maybe its popularity has dwindled due to the amount of pool played.
Check out some tips below

Ian
http://www.snookercoaching.limewebs.com/

 

[SPINDOKTOR]

Nice break btw ^^ and I agree with the exception and Scott u should know, on a high run like a century break, come on the drama couldnt be much more lool and imho Snooker is 8 ball, its also, straight pool, as well as 9 ball this game DEMANDS a game seriously anyone that has skill playing only snooker would have strategy and run out skills to play any us game...but hey thats just me....

gilbis...Snooker is played in the UK, Canada, and India. Pool is played in nearly EVERY country on the globe. Let me start off by saying I enjoy snooker, and have a respectable high break of 122. IMO snooker is "victorian", and consequently suffering popularity even where it IS played. Pool, on the other hand, is like the old U.S.A. Wild West...exciting and lots of drama...hence it's popularity on the rise throughout the world. IMO both games require excellent strokes and clear thought process. Pool is likely more difficult than snooker, simply because there are almost infinite varieties of it, each requiring different skills and strategies. Cheers!

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

 

[Cameron Smith]

Snooker suffers entirely because of it's difficulty. With the exception of serious players and older fans, the only people who play are the ones who enjoy the added challenge. Without regular coverage of tournaments in many countries we don't have the top players inspiring people to play.

Though I do not agree that snooker is more difficult than 14.1 for example. A 200 ball run is every bit as difficult (or even more so) than a 147.

 

[Blackball75]

I believe snooker requires more skill

Yup. Or at least, a lot more dedication/practice in order to get "good".

 

[Pushout]

Having played a bit of Snooker, they are two different games that require mechanics to be somewhat different also. I like the game and used to play it quite a bit on a 5 x 10. The room I played in didn't get a 6 x 12 until after I moved to South Carolina. I'd love to have access to one, Grady's outside of Columbia has a 5 x 10 but it's too far for me to go these days:sorry:

 

[Mr441]

Snooker is without a doubt the tougher game. That's why you never see a pool player cross over and even qualify for a ranking snooker event. Snooker players on the other hand are capable of doing well in a pool event: Tony Drago won a major event in Europe (world pool masters) and Ronnie O'Sulllivan has twice made it to the finals of that same event against a world class field, and truth be told he didn't look as if he was even taking it seriously. If snooker was more popular here in the U.S. I would probably be playing it exclusively.

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

The size of the table is a limiting factor, at least here in the U.S.A. That's why bar boxes are so popular. A room owner can put in more revenue generating seven footers relative to 9 footers and even more compared to snooker tables. And room owners would have to begin offering snooker tables in order for the game to have a chance to catch on.

 

[MarcusG19]

Snooker is 8 ball, its also, straight pool, as well as 9 ball this game DEMANDS a game seriously anyone that has skill playing only snooker would have strategy and run out skills to play any us game

snooker is NOTHING like 9 ball or any rotation pool, besides the fact u need to pot balls i guess.
I know many snooker players who will crush me on the 12 footer, but dont have a chance in a race of 9 ball.

 

[The Machine]

Two different games

I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Scott Lee. The only point that I would clarify is that 9 ball is the pool game I am comparing. To compete at an extremely high level in 9 ball requires a much different kind of control. Snooker is a game of potting accuracy. 9 ball is a game of control. I played snooker for my first 2-3 years in pocket billiards, and could run a century at will. It took 8 years to become expert at 9 ball, even with the decent snooker backround and skill.

The fact that the pockets are larger in comparison to the diameter of the balls means that there are more options as to HOW to pot the ball in "pool" games. Which opens up more in the game.

I do remember watching Steve Davis come back from 8-1 down in a race to 9 against Efren Reyes tho, a number of years ago. Snooker players have skills, there is no doubt. Of course, Efren got up 8-1, and missed an extremely easy 5 to let Steve in.

They are both different games. You must practice and play to be good.

 

[Blackball75]

Snooker is a game of potting accuracy.

AND cue-ball control for breakbuilding.

AND strategy/pattern play for the same reason.

I'm a pretty good potter, but I'm mediocre at best on a 12ft table when it comes to making runs. The reason is snooker is more than just about potting, it's also about positioning and breakbuilding.

 

[Underclocked]

Snooker is a game of finesse as well as accuracy. It's lack of popularity (and even disappearance from large areas) is very disappointing to me. I grew up playing on 5x10 tables - we had eight excellent tables in two rooms in this small town (where I've returned to live it out). There were also four pool tables for the kiddies and the very old men to use. :grin: I graduated to the snooker tables as soon as I was able.

Would still play snooker today if there was an open table within 25 miles. As it is, there is only one bar table (terrible little pool table) in the entire county I live in. Opening a new room is something I've considered but it just doesn't make sense economically right now.

Snooker is a beautiful game (as is 14-1 on a good pool table).

 

[Rethunk]

I think snooker is an untapped sport in many countries and maybe its popularity has dwindled due to the amount of pool played.
Check out some tips below

http://www.snookercoaching.limewebs.com/

Howdy, Ian.

Last year I made several hundred calls trying to find snooker tables in the U.S. Many times I was told that the pool hall once had a snooker table, but the table had been sold or put into storage. The reasons given were similar to those already mentioned in other replies above, namely:

- Very few people know how to play snooker.
- The snooker table took up too much room, and removing it meant being able to bring in one or two pool tables that would see more use.

The problem I originally wanted to address with findsnooker.com was that there may be snooker players out there, but they might not know where to play. If it weren't for people like Underclocked (whose PM of leads I'm still working on), putting together the website would have been more difficult and less enjoyable.


Now that there's a 6 x 12 snooker table within reasonable driving distance of Boston, I'm going to promote the table and see what can be done to encourage players from the region to play snooker.
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=78055&page=3

If a pool room in the U.S. has any snooker tables, it's most likely to have only one table. That makes it difficult to start a league or host tournaments. With that in mind, there are still ways to encourage competitive players to play snooker.

• Prominently display the name of the person with the highest break.
• Display the names of players with breaks of 50 points or higher.
• Display the names of players with century breaks. A player's first century break should be worth a free beer (at the very least).
• During the awards banquet for the 8-ball and/or 9-ball league, be sure to give out at least one award for snooker.
• For the sake of time, try a Six Reds tournament (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six-red_snooker)
• Try a round-robin tournament that lasts several weeks and allows for flexibility in scheduling matches.

There's a need to attract newbies to snooker. I like the idea of having the rules of the games displayed on the wall next to the table. There are posters that show basic 3-cushion shots:
http://professorqball.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=30&osCsid=1d722os3b9n4nb5eg62atbpoe4

The rules of snooker appear on the back page of the menu at Coat of Arms pub in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
http://www.coatofarmspub.com/aboutus.htm

My idea is to have a graphic artist create a simplified, possibly wordless (!) poster illustrating the key rules of snooker. A challenge, but feasible.
Nigel Holmes's Wordless Diagrams is a good reference for a simple and uncluttered style:
http://www.nigelholmes.com/wordless/index.htm


One or more of these ideas might work. I'm going to get started next week.

 

[Luxury]

I have played lots of snooker and enjoyed it. I believe pool isn't more popular here in the USA because it is too hard for beginners to get into it. (I said the same about tennis when I was the top player my freshman year and being made fun of by the tackle football players.)

I go to an all ages pool venue often and watch the kids trying to pocket balls and the games take forever.

I would love to see how long it took two beginners to finish a snooker game on a 6x12.

On second thought...

 

[raybo147]

I have been living in Philly now for 13 years ( I am 37) but before that I played snooker pretty much every day for I guess 10 years in Northern Ireland. The problem for me is not having anybody to play really. There is one table near me but it is in pretty terrible shape with no real competitive players. I have won 3 junior national titles in Ireland and I have followed the US national scene over here. I applaud what people like Alan Morris is doing but my problem is even though I know the level of these US guys is well within my reach, I can't find the motivation to practice on a horrible table by myself to get ready. In Ireland I played with 2 other guys on my 3 man bar team who both have hit multiple 147's. That's what kept me sharp. I have pretty much given up on the game to be honest. It hurts me to say that because I don't find pool nearly as enjoyable. Maybe one of these years I will crash the US nationals as it would be nice to play in a tournament again...... one of these years!

 

[gunzby]

I have actually never played snooker, but would love to try. I tend to enjoy the old games most as my favorite game is 14.1 and I am usually the only person in the hall playing it at any point in time.

I would guess that snooker is mainly a western European game. I will also throw a guess that 3c is the soccer of pool.

 

[memikey]

gilbis...Snooker is played in the UK, Canada, and India. Pool is played in nearly EVERY country on the globe. Let me start off by saying I enjoy snooker, and have a respectable high break of 122. IMO snooker is "victorian", and consequently suffering popularity even where it IS played. Pool, on the other hand, is like the old U.S.A. Wild West...exciting and lots of drama...hence it's popularity on the rise throughout the world. IMO both games require excellent strokes and clear thought process. Pool is likely more difficult than snooker, simply because there are almost infinite varieties of it, each requiring different skills and strategies. Cheers!

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Sorry Scott but snooker is played quite a lot in far more countries than those three, including China which is a major source of sponsorship. Even a tiny outback like the UAE has resident foreign snooker coaches and an international snooker team, as do several other Middle East countries.

As it happens English Billiards (on the 12 x 6 snooker table) is actually more popular in India than snooker.

I would also disagree that (professional) pool is on the rise in a world sense. Other than via a few individual rich benefactors who simply love the game, sponsorship is getting harder and harder to find and spectators would rather watch paint dry. Go to any country you like and you will find pool players moaning that there is still not enough interest or money in the game. That includes all the "english pool" playing countriies too. It isn't surprising, as a spectator sport it offers zilch to anyone other than daft lovers of the game like us. Even players who lose in the quarters and semis of big events rarely stay to watch the final, what hope for any audience other than committed hard core railbirds?

Truth is both snooker and pool are dying slow deaths, far too many other rivals for the public's leisure time in this modern world. Wish it was different but that's the way it is.

As to some posters who claim that snooker is an old man's sport they should perhaps take a peek at the Uk where there are hundreds of kids under 15 who have made century breaks.