Snooker has been a beloved sport since its refinement in the late 19th century, and it continues to bring hours of entertainment to pros and casual players alike—it’s even a fun sport for spectators. If you’ve ever stopped and wondered where snooker came from and how it became the widely known, globally played game it is today, then you’ll find the answer here. From snooker’s early origins to its formal competitions, here is the history of this popular cue game.
Possible Origins
The earliest versions of snooker and billiards can be traced to the 16th century. Royalty and wealthy individuals played games with many similarities to these cue games. It had some differences from today, including no pockets, meaning the balls in play would fall to the floor after being sunk. In addition to the lack of pockets, early cue tables had no rails or cushions, and the balls were made of ivory, adding to the game’s prestige and reputation as a ‘gentleman’s game’.
A Soldier’s Pastime
By the early 19th century, this ‘gentleman’s game’ was picked up by the British Armed Forces officers stationed in the Indian town of Jabalpur, where they would play the game in their free time. Games were played by two people and usually using three balls, including two cue balls. But as with many games and entertainment, ranging from soccer, which evolved into a professional sport, to casual casinos that offer tons of new slots and features, the billiards-like game quickly evolved to better challenge and engage players.
Game Variations Emerge
The game’s evolution brought about new game variations, including life pool and black pool. The life pool variation introduced the idea of using 15 red balls and a single white cue ball. These would be arranged in a pyramid before the first break, with players getting a point for every red ball successfully hit into a pocket. The black pool version was adopted from the life pool version. This variation introduced a black ball to the pyramid, earning more points than the others when pocketed.
The Name ‘Snooker’ Is Given and Rules Refined
The black pool game caught the attention of Lieutenant Neville Chamberlain, who is credited with making snooker into the game recognised today and naming it. He added new colours to the game, each worth different points. Chamberlain had heard the term ‘snooker’ used to describe new cadets at one of his stations. He is said to have called players of his updated version of the game ‘snookers’ as they were new to playing it, and from there, the name stuck.
After discovering and modifying the game in Jabalpur, Chamberlain was transferred to the Ootacamund. Here, he refined the rules of play, officially posting them at the Ootacamund Club, where they were followed by the British Army and club members, leading to the game spreading throughout India and being brought back to England. The club still stands today and is commonly known as the ‘Ooty’. It commemorates the posting of the rules in its billiards room, celebrating its role in bringing snooker to the world.
Snooker Championships Form
Not long after the rules were refined, snooker competitions began, though it did take some time before snooker governing bodies formed and formally recognised these competitions. The English Amateur Championship was formed in 1919, and the Professional World Championship was formed in 1927 by Joe Davis. Davis, a billiard player turned snooker player, became one of snooker’s greats, winning every world championship until 1946, the time of his retirement. Shortly after his retirement, the sport went through a period of turmoil. The game’s players and main governing bodies were in a longstanding disagreement, and the sport started to lose popularity.
Snooker Gets Televised and Rises to Fame
The loss of popularity was reversed in 1969 with the launch of Pot Black, a televised weekly snooker tournament on the BBC. The BBC was looking for a series to showcase the newly debuted colour broadcasting, and snooker’s variety of colours on the table was considered an excellent option. Thanks to the BBC series, snooker went through a resurgence, and the game and its professional players skyrocketed to fame.
Noteworthy players whose names have become part of snooker’s televised history include Ray Reardon and Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins. However, Higgins garnered the most attention in the broadcasts with his charismatic, bad-boy behaviour and snooker skills, which earned him two major championship wins. He’s credited with being the ‘snooker superstar’ who popularised the game by organisations like the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA). Pot Black remained on the air until the mid-1980s and had a few one-off events in the early 1990s.
While running, Pot Black helped pave the way for other major snooker events, including the Masters Tournament and the World Snooker Tour.
Snooker Today
While snooker may not have a headline-making weekly series, it still draws spectators and is a thriving sport with professional-level tournaments. The World Snooker Tour is offering a record-setting prize of £19 million for its 2024/2025 season, and it anticipates having millions of viewers from around the world tuning in. The sport’s continued popularity was unexpected, with many predicting it would disappear by the end of the 2010s.
The sport is particularly popular across Asia, with the Hong Kong Masters having broken the world record for the largest live snooker audience in 2022. China has the most snooker players in the world, and the number of professional players outnumbers the total number of players in the rest of the world.
Beyond the formal, organised playing of snooker, it’s still a fun casual option for many people who participate in the game with family and friends at the many snooker clubs and tables available across the UK and many other places worldwide.
Wrap-Up
From its early versions in India to its worldwide presence today, snooker has been a sport that keeps regaining popularity. It continues to entertain as a spectator sport and casual pastime, remaining relevant and enjoyable for countless people internationally.