Introduction
Snooker is one of the most popular games in the world. It is played with 1 cue ball, 6
coloured and 15 red balls on a table that has six pockets. The objective of the game is
to pocket a red ball, followed by a coloured ball then a red one, and so on and so
forth.
Have you ever wondered when and how snooker came into being? Snooker has a rich
history and has helped to inspire the careers of many young men and women. In this
article, we will have a closer look at the past, present, and future of this exciting
game.
The Past
The 1880s saw the introduction of the first slot machine that resembled the video
slots we play today at platincasino.co.uk/slots-games/list. At around the same time
British Army officer, lieutenant Neville Chamberlain invented the game of snooker
while stationed in India. While experimenting with an existing form of billiards,
Chamberlain threw additional coloured balls on to the table and snooker was born.
At that time, “snookers” was a slang word used in the British army to describe
inexperienced military recruits. Chamberlain noted that all the players of his new
game were snookers at it, and the name stuck. Later in the 1890s, John Roberts, the
British Billiards champion, visited Chamberlain, played the game and vowed to
introduce it back in England. The game took a while to become popular, but in 1916
the English Amateur Championship — the first official snooker competition — was
inaugurated.
Just over 10 years later, in 1927, the first professional event took place. Since then,
the popularity of snooker has continued to grow. The World Snooker Championships
are watched by millions around the world. Competitions such as this have helped
cement stars such as Steve Davis, Alex “Hurricane” Higgins, Ray Reardon, Jimmy
White and Stephen Hendry, as icons of the game.
However, in the late 2000s, a ban on advertising of tobacco in sports initially reduced
the sponsorship available for snooker. Nevertheless, its popularity bounced back in
2010 and the game has returned in full swing.
Many Snooker events are currently sponsored by betting firms and online betting is very popular. Casinos are also very popular and there are some brand new uk casinos to look at.
The Present
Nowadays, snooker is a very popular global sport, with its tentacles extending into
new frontiers. More than 120 million people across the world play the game, and over
500 million watch its action on TV. While some people play snooker as a pastime,
others have made a career by playing it professionally. Three of the current top
players are Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Selby and Judd Trump.
Trump, for example, is the current world champion. He has three titles to his name
and has appeared in several quarter-finals and semi-finals in various competitions.
O’Sullivan, however, rose through the amateur levels, turning professional in 1992,
aged just 16. He won 73 out of his first 76 qualifying matches. He won his first global
championship title in 2001 and went on to do the same in 2004, 2008 and 2012.
Currently, there are more than 20 tournaments that have helped to increase the
popularity of this game. The biggest of them all is the World Snooker Championships
which is watched by millions of fans across the entire world. In this tournament, the
best snooker players compete for a prize that’s usually £500,000.
The Future
Going forward in 2020 and beyond, we’re likely to see the popularity of snooker rising
even higher. We are also likely to see the game featuring in future Olympic Games.
Although the World Professional Snooker and Billiards Association submitted a bid
for this, so far it has not been successful.
Concerning players, we are still going to see more action from Judd Trump. In fact,
we won’t be surprised if he wins another big championship soon. Apart from him, we
will definitely see new young players coming into the scene. One of the most
promising stars is Ding Junhui. Having won 11 ranking titles and made one semi-final
appearance, he has the potential to be a great player.
Another potential star is Xiao Guodong who is the current Chinese number two. The
25-year-old attained his first rankings in the Shanghai Masters, meaning we will see
more great action from him in the future. Other snooker players who are also very
promising include Michael White and Steve Maguire.
Conclusion
The game of snooker has truly come of age. Today, players can either play it as a
hobby or create a career out of it. Fans from all over the world can follow the action
thanks to the large numbers of televised tournaments that are held for the sport.
In many countries, there are snooker clubs where amateur players can play the game.
While some halls impose an annual membership fee, others allow table hire for a
small charge. This has, in turn, helped to make the game accessible to everyone, with
a resulting rise in the popularity stakes.