American Reacts to Impossible Moments in Snooker!

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[@limpetcarre1139]

Snooker on TV is one of those games when you unintentionally flip onto a channel showing a tournament and decide to watch a couple of shots, you get hooked and end up watching it for hours.

[@devinraymond]

That's exactly how I got into snooker. Couldn't stand it.....boring. But one Sunday afternoon, many years ago - hung over - I started watching a match with O'Sullivan - followed it ever since.

[@ryanrysdale2214]

Unless you’re like me and watch snooker religiously 😆

[@MyKelvin89]

Snooker and darts for me don’t play either or follow them but if I flip over the tv and ones on I’m watching it all 😂

[@cms1138]

Came to the comments to write exactly this lol

[@ianfinney7820]

100% and it still happens now.

[@angusstanton3887]

The gentleman who sneezed before Steve Davis took his shot was none other than Eric Morcambe, a part of Morcambe and Wise comic team.

[@rufus1346]

and ernie was the ref, I remember watching that as a kid back in the 70's

[@GrimlarLex]

Ernie Wise was the ref.

[@huwdavies6650]

The legendary Morecambe and Wise!😂

[@ianlove1215]

It wasn't a proper match. Steve Davis, the other player, was a brilliant player in 1980s. This was probably part of M & W show where Steve was a guest. Also, it is a fair chance Eric didn't actually do the shot where the 3 reds went in.

[@huwdavies6650]

Morecambe and Wise are always worth watching for a good laugh as are The Two Ronnies.

[@mariospacagna2132]

One of the most amazing things to see on video is to see a snooker table set up from scratch.. the heavy slate base. The leveling of the table and fitting of the green baize which is an art in itself

[@dazediss6629]

Some of the extra tools you can use at the table; cue extension is simply a little extra bit of cue which you can screw into the end of your cue to give an extra few inches. A “rest” which is the cross shaped cue which is usually used for a long range shot which gives the cue a higher angle. And the “spider” which acts like a bridge over other balls when there’s no room to do it with your offhand.

[@ChristopherHallWayne]

Always a treat when you see the very rare extended spider, or the swan. There was one time when someone had the normal rest on top of the spider I believe, because the shot was so awkward.

[@Rabid-Pinocchio]

@@ChristopherHallWayneThere was a very cool rest attachment, invented in the UK, that was a bendable goose-neck bridge. You could bend the neck into all kinds of positions to overcome really difficult shots. search for : Rest Head, flexible, brass - snooker It is very good for American poool too,

[@chrisbrace2204]

it's the fabled "Long Rest" that apprentices are sent for on the first day of a job :-)

[@whattiler5102]

Another player that would be interesting is Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins from Northern Ireland. He was a professional from 1971 to 1997, he died in 2010. He was the most exciting player in the world of snooker in his prime and was World Champion twice. There was always an element of self-destruction about him, what with smoking very heavily, drinking bouts and sometimes chaotic personal life, but he was thrilling to watch at his best and a great crowd favourite.

[@Otacatapetl]

If you're wondering why the players wear waistcoats, it's because it was an after-dinner game played by the upper classes (originally invented by army officers). They would still be dressed for dinner so they'd remove their dinner-jackets in order to play. This would leave them with black tie and waistcoat. It's still required dress in the big tournaments.

[@aspect57]

the irony of all that. mostly when i play snooker it's against drunk arseholes in Reading.

[@Otacatapetl]

@aspect57 I'd hardly call that "one of the big tournaments".

[@aspect57]

@@Otacatapetl It's big for who gets the next round. important stuff mate. we only did high stakes :)

[@90sarcadefighter5]

It's superb to see an American loving our beloved sport. As a 42 yo that been watching and playing since around the age of 7 - 8, I can tell you it still amazes me that things happen you've never seen before 🤯 Played pool all my life also, American 9 ball, English pool etc and honest to god trying to pot on a snooker table is a completely different matter lol I'd love to see your reaction when you get to see and play on one lol - massive! Them top pros are mind-blowing. Keep up the good content matey - TC 👍

[@edj6841]

Yeh potting a ball that's not in the mouth of the pocket is hard enough, let alone managing then to perfectly put the cue ball where you need it for the next shot!

[@tigersharkzh]

I enjoy watching snooker. It has an ASMR factor to it while also having some excitement and emotional roller coaster in it. Great for winding down properly in the evening when my mind is still racing instead of winding down getting ready for a good nichts sleep.

[@aiistyt]

They guy who sneezed when his opponent was playing was not a snooker player he was probably the best loved comedian of all time in the UK

[@cmlemmus494]

I recognized him, but do you happen to know if the whole thing was a skit or was it some kind of charity game?

[@craighart9278]

​@@cmlemmus494Yeah, it was a sketch from a comedy show.

[@aiistyt]

@@cmlemmus494 The duo were known for doing sketches with famous people

[@Teppic24]

The man who sneezed was Eric Morcambe, and it wasn't a real snooker game but a comedy sketch as part of the Morcambe and Wise Show.

[@mattwainwright9198]

Another great snooker video, Ian! It's so fantastic to be able to watch your journey, and descent into addiction, down the rabbit hole of our great sport. I've loved snooker since I was about 7 years old and some school mates introduced me to the sport one rainy lunchtime in school when we weren't allowed to go outside. We had a tiny little table, maybe only a couple of feet long, in the classroom and after playing for maybe only half an hour I was hooked. 23 years later, coming up on my 30th birthday and I absolutely live for snooker, it is one of the most important things in my life and it puts such a big smile on my face to see someone else discovering it's brilliance! Keep the snooker videos coming mate! 👍

[@CobraChicken101]

I dont think Mark Selby was starstruck Ian. He's a 4 time world champion himself 😂. These are all top players that have played eachother many times over the years. A Lot depends on form, even ronny has had losing streaks.

[@brentmeistergeneral1054]

Selby is as close as Ronnie has to a nemesis. He did defeat Ronnie in the World Championship Final one year (2014 I think) and his style of play (lots of safety focusing on trying to keep Ronnie at bay) has been successful at times (notably this year when not only did he deal Ronnie a rare defeat but actually won 6-0). They have had great battles though particularly the semi final of 2020 world Championship which went to a deciding frame (well worth watching btw).😢

[@Georgeionescu205]

​@@brentmeistergeneral1054they hate each other

[@philjones45]

At his best Selby frightens Ronnie more than any other player. During a recent world final, Ronnie utterly panicked playing Selby. Ronnie has had many personal demons over the years. There's a great documentary about him on Amazon Prime which discusses his issues. Ronnie's father spent many years in prison for murder. He was a bit of a London gangster.

[@thomasfranz6467]

Yeah, pretty sure it's just frustration at that point, if the opponent gets lucky like that, especially with Ronnie. But with most of these top players, if they hit a good day, they can beat anyone in these tournaments, and then sometimes they just don't get into play.

[@IWrocker]

I wasn't speaking for Selby though lmao

[@johnm8224]

If the cueball leaves the table, it's a foul, giving the other player the appropriate number of points. In accidentally chipping the white off, Ronnie O'Sullivan left himself more points behind than he could score, thus losing the frame.

[@theallseeingmaster]

Ronnie made a fabulous shot making the pink and freeing the black for an easy pot... which he blew. That is what you missed, that is what you didn't know.

[@wclarke101]

When the black is the only ball remaining and a foul is committed, the 7 foul points are awarded to the opponent and then the frame ends immediately. No more shots can be taken. Ronnie was 4 points ahead before the foul, so he would've only been 3 points behind after it. But because of the rule I've just mentioned, the frame ended.

[@StraitKnopfler]

@@wclarke101Absolutely this. It's also the reason a player can claim the frame if they are ahead by more than 7 points and the black is the only ball remaining. It's not possible for the player behind to get more than 7 points because of the aforementioned rule; one foul and it's over.

[@IWrocker]

I gathered that, I was more asking Why he did it on purpose potentially

[@handecuber8490]

​@@StraitKnopflerI think that the rule applies when the frame is on while the black was on the table. So for example if someone was on a maximum and fouled the last black, they would not lose the frame.

[@JamesHyde1986]

You need to check out ‘Ronnie O’Sullivan American Hustle’. He went around the States learning about Pool but then also playing Pool legends at both Billiards and Pool, and visiting a few bars and hustling the locals 😂

[@ianh3366]

I'd strongly recommend Ronnie's documentary too - The Edge of Everything

[@Rabid-Pinocchio]

Thanks for the referance James. I'm going to go check that out right now. Cheers.

[@peterwilkins7013]

The TV company I used to work for produced that. Ronnie came into our office in the UK to do some filming for it. We had a custom pool table built for some promo shots which ended up in the office, and he played a few rounds with us.

[@craighart9278]

Yeah, it's worth a watch.

[@sneakyfox4651]

The helping tools are called the Rest, the Long Rest, the Spider, and the Swan. The normal Rest is used quite often, whereas the others are almost never used.

[@danielward7008]

I love how quickly you've fallen in love with this game. Top level snooker really is a thing of beauty, and sometimes comedy.

[@SomKing123]

I'm watching snooker quite often on Europsport. I like it, it's interisting sport.

[@paulguise698]

I hate when its on Eurosport, when they go for adverts right in the middle of a frame, I watched it once between frames, they went for adverts they lasted about 8 minutes, I thought the players were on a mid session interval, when the ads finished Ronnie O'Sullivan was on a 40 break

[@SomKing123]

@@paulguise698 in Slovakia there are no other channels where we can watch it.

[@paulguise698]

@@SomKing123Sorry Som, I didn't realize

[@sharkey9]

@@paulguise698 Usually there is no ad on Eurosport during a frame if it's live.

[@zero5uk]

Ronnie has more than a few quirks. In his match today all he had to do was roll a black in to win the decider, but because that would have left him snookered on the next ball (yellow), he chose to blast it and missed. He has a purity and mastery he wants to win by, and just rolling it in and being snookered wouldn't fit that in his mind. He doesn't put players back into snookered positions when it's obviously the best thing to do to win a frame. He wants to win in a certain way that satisfies himself. So against D.Dale the embarrassed reaction of fluking such position to win the frame annoyed him so he played the final pot emotionally. It's what makes him so exhilarating to watch. A true one-off for his sport.

[@CatholicSatan]

I am old enough to remember when snooker first started to be televised in the UK... and most people back then did not have colour TVs! Colour TV broadcasts had only been introduced less than 2 years previously, so the commentators had to say what colour the snooker balls were. The idea for the show, btw, was by one David Attenborough (yes, he of the famous nature programs). Ironically, the show was called "Pot Black".

[@hughgolo8660]

"and for those of you who are watching in black and white, the pink is next to the green."

[@brendanm6921]

Interesting, indeed. Thanks for sharing. Did you also know that Attenborough is the one who came up with the idea of making tennis balls yellow as they used to be white which caused them to blend in with the grass courts on black and white screens?

[@astrecks]

@@hughgolo8660 The original colour of the brown ball was much darker, and, for viewers watching on early colour TVs, it could look like a red ball.

[@Squant]

@@hughgolo8660 Thanks grandad, it's been a good ten minutes since somebody regaled us with that one.

[@tiomkinnyborg2289]

Additionally Snooker was promoted by the BBC to encourage the uptake of color TVs.

[@SteveG-k8q]

Snooker is a bit addictive, I have a feeling your gonna get hooked 😂

[@robgilmour2172]

I cannot recall any other Americans reacting to snooker and embracing the game (sport) with such enthusiasm & appreciation of the difficulty of what these top pros are doing.

[@ukdnbmarsh]

one of the guys commentating there is John Virgo - a trickshot specialist, worth checking out some his stuff

[@DazManCat]

Not to mention he is famous for his impersonations of other players

[@YummyBrummy]

World championship coming in April. Will be televised from the usual place at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

[@bshaw9374]

It would be interesting to know how much (if any) coverage there is of the World Championships in the US. Can you watch live?

[@JayGasEssex]

@@bshaw9374 BBC iplayer + vpn wink wink...

[@philipebbrell2793]

​@@bshaw9374Discovery plus has coverage of the World Open, so they might have the World Championship on in April.

[@sharkey9]

@@bshaw9374 There's always some guys on YT streaming those events live. Sometimes they been taking down for legal reasons but usually you'll find some other stream.

[@cy8646]

Judd Trump and Neil Robertson are two players I could watch all day. You might enjoy their highlight reels.

[@callumcampbell4746]

Snooker is the closest you’ll ever get to real real life magic. Their ability to guide the ball is insane

[@MrMattie725]

I have to recommend some matches from the last World Championship in April. The things Brecel, current champion, did was wild. And he has a very fast and risky playstyle!

[@de44dva]

It was crazy. He came unprepared. Had very few practice and matches. Played very terrible in the beginning of each match and was 5 frames or more down. Then he started playing all or nothing and ended up winning. After every match he took a plane back home to Belgium to go party with his new girlfriend. And he became world champion.

[@PatrickVandepitte-s3i]

he even said he was drunk

[@kimbirch1202]

Because snooker tables are so large, and the pockets so small, your cue action needs to be perfect. The amount of spin the pros put on the cue ball to set up for the next shot is amazing.

[@MrMassivefavour]

Ronnine playig remarkably well with both hands is pretty special. Means his rest work (playing using the rest or the "spider" like on the clip here) is minimal

[@stuey-77]

The last game with the white going in was currently 4 frames (games) each in a best of nine (the scoreboard shows the frames each has won and the total frames to play in brackets), so he didn't just lose the game, but the match too.

[@stevenoliver8570]

After Ronnie hit the black and the white left the table dale got 7 points and because the white left the table dale has a free ball

[@DBS6567]

love that you got the comedy sketch in there, @ 2.30

[@BernardWilkinson]

The thing you need to remember about Snooker is that these games go on for hours. The mental resilience these players have when they have to concentrate for such long periods is immense.

[@DazManCat]

Loving that your getting into snooker. Few names for you . Steve Davis - king of the 80s, Steven Hendry - king of the 90s Plus Ronnie you already know... These are the greatest ever inn the game....also you have to take a look at the guy who is possibly even more popular than Ronnie, Jimmy White. White is quite possibly the greatest in terms of cue ball control. Ignore the fact he never won the world championship he was in 6 finals, won nearly everything else.

[@seanters]

Ronnie's known for doing things like that, he once walk out of a match half way through when he was getting battered of Stephen hendry, look it up the look on hendry face is priceless.

[@chrissmith8773]

There is a rule that only comes into play when there is only the black ball left (and the frame score is such that either player can win by potting the black). At this point, any foul on the black, such as forcing the white off the table results in instant loss of frame. That was the situation between O’Sullivan and Dale.

[@grahamers]

Yes, but the question wasn't "what is the rule." It was WHY did he do that on such an easy shot?

[@Rabid-Pinocchio]

You have this rule close to right. The rule is that a foul on the Black when only the Black is left on the table is game over. So, for example, lets say that I have 9 points advantage with only the Black the Black is worth 7, so, I foul on the black which technically means that with the 7 point foul I now have only a 2 point advantage and the other guy/girl could theoretically sink the Black and win by 5. However, because I fouled the black with the Black being the only ball left the frame/game is over and I win by 2 points. The only time that you will see a respotted Black is if a player sinks the Black resulting in a tie. Other than that a player in the deficit can only win if sinking the Black will give him/her a higher score than their opponent but bear in mind that the player who has more than 7 points can just slam the cue-ball into a pocket and that's that.

[@vijay-c]

​@@grahamersIt was a genuine mistake on such an easy shot. Million to one shot that any pro screws it up, that's why it's on a video about million to one shots. The context is that he's still emotional from a difficult pink ball iirc.

[@grahamers]

@@vijay-c Thanks! Seems overrated in a collection of "impossible moments" as the video describes them. I thought I was missing something but it turns out to be rather mundane.

[@MalHope-j9z]

' When Snooker Ruled The World.' Is worth watching...

[@stumccabe]

Ian, the snooker world championship is from 20 April to 6 May 2024 - it's worth watching. Also I believe there are several places in Chicago with snooker tables - you really need to try it out and appreciate the 12 foot table.

[@perceptoshmegington3371]

There are numerous 4-point penalties in snooker, stuff like: Missing Potting the cue ball Cue ball leaving the table The tool he rests on is just called the "rest".

[@stephenlee5929]

The big rest is normally (often) referred to as 'the furniture'. It used to come as a set, the long rest and a long cue, that long cue does not have a tip attached. These days players use their own cur with an extension attached.

[@DanceySteveYNWA]

​@@stephenlee5929it's called the 'fishing tackle ' up north

[@johnloony68]

2:29 that's not a real game - it's a comedy sketch with Morecambe (the other player) and Wise (the umpire)

[@optimusmaximus9646]

Yes, I remember this sketch. Morecomb and Wise were a great comedy duo from yesteryear. Morecomb wasn't too shabby with the old snooker cue, either.

[@mattpotter8725]

Referee not umpire!!!

[@jamesbuckingham.2935]

Watching the bit of the player using the rest with his leg up on the table reminds me of a classic remark from the commentator. The player in question was Fred Davis by then in his 70s and who was a right handed player. The commentator said “ Fred is getting on a bit so finds it difficult to get his leg over so is using his left hand instead.”

[@waggafletcher]

"You've been snookered" is a popular phrase in Oz to describe someone who is cornered. "Tonald Drump has snookered himself with the law", to put it into an American idiom.

[@TukikoTroy]

Does anyone remember back in the days of black and white TV? The programme was 'Pot Black'.

[@roberttaylor2058]

Your enthusiasm for snooker is amazing. Snooker is also one of the few top sports that is still available to watch live on terrestrial UK TV

[@harpmangaz]

The shootout as you mentioned is ten minutes per frame but also for the first five minutes the players get 15 seconds for each shot which is then reduced to 10 seconds for the second half, plus the audience are allowed to shout out at the players during the frame.

[@ReiverGames]

2 things, I wouldn't really call this a highlight video. There are a lot more flukes than actual highlights here. Also, the most important thing to do, watch the cue ball. That's how you can tell a fluke or not. The cue ball control is the biggest thing.

[@multiversal2023]

Lovin the snooker content mate

[@herrdoktorjohan]

Re the situation at 3:40, Ronnie's been a temperamental player for most of career like in this case, and in this situation one of snooker's non-standard rules comes into play. If only the black ball is left on the table, the frame will end(*) if either the black ball is potted, or a foul has been committed. This is to avoid needlessly drawing out the final phase of a frame. The upshot of this is that a frame is called in favour of the player with the higher points total when only the black ball is left and the score difference is more than 7. In this case, Ronnie was 59-55 up when he committed the foul, the cue ball ending up off the table bed (if the . The foul awarded 7 points to Dominic Dale, putting the score at 59-62 and ending the game with a win for Dominic. (*) If the score is tied after that, the black ball gets put back on its spot, the white is put in the D, and a coin is tossed to determine which player starts. Play continues until the black ball is potted or a foul is committed as per the above rule.

[@Mozartkugel]

Ronnie O‘Sullivan may be the best ever but he’s still underachieved considering his raw talent. Imagine being cursed to be the best of all time at something you actually dislike. (He claims to love Snooker but craps on it every chance he gets.) If a player with real passion for this game like Alan McManus or Joe Perry had this guy’s natural gift they would have won at least 3-4 World Championships more. His attitude often gets the better of him. He can be the best sportsman in one match and a real prick in the next one. Still many of the top players are not „star struck“ when they play him. To them it’s the biggest challenge in the game so most of them enjoy it. The guy at 6:00 for example is Mark Selby, arguably O’Sullivan‘s toughest rival for the last 10 years. He certainly isn’t impressed by Ronnie’s fluke after he himself fluked a snooker. He’s pissed, and with good reason. 😂 The two have a quite a rivalry going. If you like Snooker, do not only look at O‘ Sullivan but also at other current top players like Selby (4x World Champion), Higgins (4x WC), M. Williams (3x WC), Judd Trump (1x WC), Neil Robertson (1x WC and best ever non-Brit), Ding Junhui (best chinese player ever), Shaun Murphy (1x WC) and many others, including legends of the game like Hendry, Davis, A. Higgins, Jimmy White or Paul Hunter. 👍

[@DazManCat]

Paul Hunter RIP was stupidly talented until he was taken from us at such a young age :(

[@dzzope]

7:29 He is using a rest. Not only is he using a rest but both the rest and que have an extension on them for max reach.

[@stevedarragh]

The rest shots are very difficult. That's why Ronnie O had a great advantage being able to play with either hand. He rarely took a rest and just changed angle from the opposite side with his left hand.

[@raverdeath100]

the tool used for cueing long distance is called a rest. there are 3 types - Rest is used for the basic X shaped rest for normal cueing, the Bridge or Arch has 3 cueing points, one centre and one either side and is designed for putting spin on the cue ball. the third rest is called the Spider or Swan. it's like the Arch but has one cue point extended about 4 or 5 inches beyond the stand. it's used for cueing over other balls that are close to the cue ball.

[@tonyjohnson1405]

Extension rest very difficult to handle

[@danbrown784]

the long pole that the player is using at 7;33 is called as RESTt as he is resting the cue on it to gain stability but also in crease his reach to take the shot

[@Clyde7709]

Made me laugh when you said Selby must be star struck by Ronnie. You would not be Marks mate right now. His response would start and finish with an f.

[@IWrocker]

Everyone misunderstood.. I meant as a generic random opponent perspective.. Playing Ronnie would be crazy. Obviously not all top pros would be so struck and intimidated lol

[@CobraChicken101]

​​@@IWrockerah well i'm happy i wasnt the only one that misunderstood 😂. But yes, us mere mortals would not stand a chance even he came straight from a 3 day bender. 😊

[@Clyde7709]

Just English humour. I found it funny in a good way. Ronnie is the all time great imo.

[@md-sl1io]

seems like the only sport where your opponant will be glad to see u do well

[@ShenLong991]

The last one even was a little more, (Judd) Trump already needed a succesfull Snooker, so by potting the cueball by his opponent got him extra 5 points (a foul with involvement with the blue ball) to get the needed extra points for a win of the frame. Trump was 20 points behind, but there where only 18 points left on the table.

[@nikkicalow7819]

ronnie o'sullivan look was like " sit back down son i aint finished yet "

[@agricolaurbanus6209]

5:05 Higgins gave that cueball a right-backward effet to make the red's rebound angle sharper. He also decided to hit the red directly in the center.

[@stu-272]

You should watch the last frame in the 1985 World Snooker Championship between dennis Taylor and steve davis. Its hype as snooker gets imo. Snookers and safetys, not the best snooker ever played but just hype

[@heffo67]

If you do intend watching a tournament, your timing is immense. The World Snooker Championship starts on April 20th and finishes on May 6th. It is a fantastic watch. Matches are long and played over morning, afternoon and evening sessions (if you watch you'll pick up the format easily). The standard is usually very high. I watch snooker all year round but I get giddy thinking about the 'big one'. Like a child on xmas eve! It has everything and the venue makes it. It's fairly small. The crowd are on top of the players. The atmosphere is electric and the tension is palpable. I have attended a few matches there but only the early rounds. How a player can hold a cue in that setting with the world watching, not too mind play as well as they do is beyond me! Some of the best entertainment is in deciding frames, like say when the score is 12-12 first to 13. Because it means so much to them, both players get nervous and start missing easy shots. Which builds the tension further casing more mistakes. It's just wonderful but I'd imagine it's torture for the players. Do everything in your power to watch it. I guarantee you'll love it. By the time the final rolls around you will be hooked for life.

[@daveaglasgow]

Funny because you have no idea who the others are, when you talked about o Sullivan being dominant, he was playing selby, who dominated the game for a good number of years. Also John Higgins who was on this started professionally the same year (1992) as O'Sullivan and between the 2 of them they dominated the sport for most of their careers and are still playing at the top 32 years later. Selby was one of only a few players who really broke that dominance.

[@bernardedge3278]

Just a couple of explanations to the points raised. The tool used to support the cue is called a rest and there are different ones available. A player cannot climb onto the table as one foot must stay in contact with the floor! A ‘snooker’ is where a player does not have a direct shot at any ball he is required to play next. The term ‘snookered’ has crept into general use for other situations where someone is in a difficult situation, such as cars being parked too close in front and behind so you can’t get yours out!

[@phil1758]

These players play against each other so many times. They are not star struck, but they do respect each others' talent.

[@MatthewBluefox]

5:36 - When you get snookered by a fluke, you get flookered. :)

[@billyhills9933]

The sticks that are like cues that are used for long range shots are called rests. The most common is the cross-headed one but there are also types called the spider and the swan. Occasionally you will see very long versions of these rests. Their length used to require you use a very long cue that was shared but now players will have a screw-on or lock-on extension for their own cues.

[@PatrickVandepitte-s3i]

the foul Marc Allen did with the wrest,is 4 points for his opponent,and he has the choice to play on like the balls are placed,but if he doesn't the referee has to set up the table like it was just before the foul

[@sharkey9]

@@PatrickVandepitte-s3i No, the balls stay as they are. That foul was not a "miss".

[@PatrickVandepitte-s3i]

@@sharkey9 you are right,i should have pointed out if it were a foul,sorry but english isn't my mother language

[@markh3271]

@4:55 the reason for the "velocity" of the shot was in case he missed. The cue ball was stroked so as to leave it at the bottom of the table. If he missed the shot, he wanted the red ball to be hit hard enough to send it up to the top of the table.

[@maxington26]

Just so you know, the "timed" matches like the first one from Judd in the "shootout"... that's an offshoot of the main game, and not a particularly popular format with most snooker fans. It's good for entertaining moments sometimes, but not really proper snooker, and it never really caught on (also power snooker, snooker+ etc). That shot from Judd was amazing though!! Also the clip at 2:28 was from a Morcambe and Wise comedy sketch, and wasn't real. And the clip after that was for Ronnie's world-record 775th career century (100) break, beating Stephen Hendry's record, so it was snooker history in the making, which is why it was important. Full frame here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaemlJ98q8-Zqc0 Context is key!

[@Rabid-Pinocchio]

So many things to say, most of these shots are flukes so in the grand scheme of things they are not that impressive. The long 'rake' is typically called the long rest, long tackle, extended bridge. Most cues have an extension tool that fits into the but-joint or over the butt of the cue and that tool has a telescoping option which can be stretched out to elongate the cue while maintaining the same tip that he/she has been using and do not, to a great degree, affect the balance of the cue. Wait until you see an extended spider bridge. That one is a hoot to use. I've made a few suggestions in your other posts about games to watch. Here's another; "Required 4 Snookers!!! Tactical Battle." While this isn't the knock-out in 10 seconds variety it is a decent example of the safety game in action. I really hope that you will find a 12' table to play on so you can really appreciate what you are watching in terms of how difficult the tables are. I'm enjoying all of these posts LWrocker, not just snooker, your inquisitiveness is really commendable. Thanks.

[@Rassskle]

Probably should add that the table should be an English Billiards or Snooker table......the American 12' tables often have BUCKETS for pockets , and not the usual tight English pockets.

[@Rabid-Pinocchio]

@@Rassskle Hey Rass.. I lived in Michigan, Florida, and California and never saw a proper 12' table. I've only ever seen 10' tables in the US and believe me I looked and looked for them. When I encountered a 10' table sometimes they played a modified version of the game, sometimes even if the actual rules are plastered on the wall. But you are right. A responded to another of his videos and gave a little break-down of the differance between an American table and a proper snooker table, in particular the design of the 'jaw' of the pocket and the curved vs. straight-cut rail and that the physics of a snooker table is designed to 'throw' the ball out of the pocket if it is not accurately hit while a pool table, even tournament 9-ball tables are MUCH MUCH more forgiving. This is partly why I am hoping that IWrocker will find a real snooker table so that he can really appreciate what he is watching. That said, I completely agree with you Rass. Thank you for the post.

[@FlipAndLand]

At 3:45, any pro would have just tapped the ball in just to make sure it goes in. But from what I remember, Ronnie said in an interview after that sometimes you just feel like smashing it in when it seems so easy and unmissable. He fancied it. He didn't expect to miss.

[@top40researcher31]

BBC television series Pot Black is credited with producing one of the most memorable British sports quotes. Commentator Ted Lowe, aware that not all viewers had colour televisions at the time, said "Steve is going for the pink ball - and for those of you who are watching in black and white, the pink is next to the green.

[@jarvisa12345]

6:46 Using a long rest is sometimes referred to as ‘getting out the fishing tackle’.

[@robinbiddlecombe9202]

The tool for supporting the cue on those long shots is called a bridge or a rest

[@adamskowyra4044]

@IWrocker Tool you are mentioning at 7:14 is called "Telescopic rest" what is interesting because of size of the table and possibility of really awkward shots there are few more types of such tools: Rest, Spider, Extended spider and Swan neck all of those also exist in telescopic version wchich is typically used with telescopic or woodden cue extension because of distance between player and cue ball.

[@Combustion47]

Ronnie went through a stage in his amazing career when he used to lose his temper and get pissed off quite regularly but chilled out again through the final stages and to this day , Best of all time

[@zebraforceone]

What's really hard to grasp from seeing it on video is the sheer size of the things, especially if you're used to playing on a pool table. They're enormous. I can hold my own at pool in the pub but I'm utterly hopeless on a snooker table. 7:11 yep lol, get yourself to a snooker hall it'll blow your mind

[@conallmclaughlin4545]

5:31 Selby was definitely not star stuck here 😂. Also he slowly taps the table with his hand twice, this and a double tap of the cue is essentially saying to your opponent, sorry I hit that amazing shot by fluke or accident

[@IWrocker]

I was speaking from the perspective of a more generic opponent haha

[@conallmclaughlin4545]

@@IWrocker got ya lol, if you want to hurt your head.... Check out billiards. It's 2 cue balls and 1 ball. It's what the snnoker table was first made for. It's a mad sport, you'd love it

[@bannjaxx]

@3:42 both players needed the black ball to win, you can only score off the final black once, Ronnie fouled when the white left the table giving his opponent the only 7 points left. The only exception to this is if, by scoring off the black, the game is tied, then the ref would re-spot the black and the white would be played from the "D".

[@tonibaker3823]

Ronnie OSullivans hardest opponent is always himself

[@straightouttacornwall]

I cant stress how difficult snooker is to other cue sports. I am just an average joe with a cue but I can pot balls fairly easily on 9 ball and 8 ball tables but cant pot a damn thing on a snooker table. I have played snooker for 25+ years on and off and still haven't beat a 40 break!

[@Jinty92]

There was a long running joke about Snooker Commentators growing up who would say trying to tell viewers where certain balls were on the table. *For those of you watching on black & white tv's the red ball is the one behind the pink* On old black & white tv's watching Snooker all the balls looked black apart from the white cue ball. To really learn and remember the order of potting all the coloured balls in correct order after all the reds have gone in, there is a comedy song by a Cockney group called Chas n Dave which was released when I was 15. It is called *Snooker Loopy* It has a chorus and comedic verses talking about famous Snooker players of the day. *Snooker Loopy nuts are we, me and him and them and me. We'll show you what we can do with a load of balls and a snooker cue. Pot the reds then screw back for the yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black. Snooker Loopy nuts are we, we're all Snooker Loopy!*

[@mattpotter8725]

The balls were various shades of grey on black and white TVs, but you're so right the commentary and unless the coloured balls (those other than the red balls) on their spots, which often they weren't, they were almost impossible to tell apart. Most of the TVs when I was growing up were colour, but you still got the odd small portable one that was black and white. I can't imagine having to have to watch snooker all the time on a black and white TV!!!

[@klaxoncow]

The long cue stick is called "a rest". There's two varieties of them as well. There's one with an X shape at the end, and you rest your cue in the top "V" part of the rest, acting like your fingers when you cue normally. But then there's the "spider rest" and that one's real interesting because it's a half circle with places to rest the cue on the upper edge. The idea with the "spider" is that if you've got to place the rest next to a ball, to cue over the top of it, then the half circle keeps off the table as much as possible, so you don't hit that ball (which would be a foul). If you're cracking out "the spider" then you've got to be real precise to not accidentally bump those balls - and you've seen how long these rest can be, so it's far too easy to swing it about and accidentally hit other balls on the table and foul. The other thing with these long shots and using the rest is the important rule: You've got to have one foot on the ground. You can lift one leg up and lean over the table, but you can't have both feet off the ground. One foot must be in contact with the floor when you make the shot, or it's a foul. Also, it's often real hard to make these shots, simply because you're not allowed to touch any of the balls - that's a foul - so you want to lean over, but there's balls in the way and you can see players arching and contorting themselves to reach over but not touch anything. Oh, and the other thing - as the video shows - is getting the rest off the table fast. Because if the balls rebound and hit the rest, that's also a foul. So once you take that shot, you want to rapidly pull the rest off the table, before any balls smack into it.

[@Ad-Free]

The thing you were asking about for awkward shots is called a "long rest", accompanied by the long cue. Nice to see you enjoying snooker so much.

[@CoolCoyote]

well selby and higgins are legends also, selby is an unlikely safety master and higgins is a bit of both safety and shooter like ronnie. so they are not star struck at all.

[@gohan661]

It's so awesome seeing someone find a new passion

[@chipsthedog1]

Talking about the size of snooker tables it's always fun after playing snooker to have a game of pool the pool table feels tiny after a couple of hours playing snooker

[@DavidBeckett-xz4lh]

This guy is legend. We should all donate and buy him a proper table and get it sent over to him. Go Fund Me for this genuinely nice American DUDE.

[@Hardysamnin]

You wont get a real sense of the skill involved until you are physically at a snooker table. It is enormous. Loving the vids btw.

[@OGU44]

The tools to support the cue stick on long shots is called a rest, he also uses and extension for his cue

[@Rabid-Pinocchio]

Well I am back. If you are going to be watching snooker i'd like to offer a little insight. When you look at the bottom of the screen at the numbers, the inner number is the total number of games/frames to play so if there is a 15 it would be a race to 8 (8-7 potentially). The next set of numbers is the number of games each player currently has and the outer numbers represent the current score for each player. Why is this important? As the game progresses, and more Red balls are dispensed with, the amount of potential points decreases, A snooker player will count the Reds left, multiply that by 8 (the total potential points presuming that you make all Blacks, Plus the 27 Points for the YGBBPB. So in a game where the score is let's say 18-56 with 5 Reds on the table, with 5 Reds there is a possible (5x8 + 27) So 67 Points available at that point. 67 added to the lower player's score is plenty to stay in the game because he doesn't even need all black and can comfortably out-score the guy that has 56. Now as Red's get potted/sunk the difficulty for the lower player increases and often at some point you can see that now the lower player will need hooks/snookers. When that occurs you will see a change in the lower players tactical approach because he has to make up that deficit with hooks/snookers or free balls. There is a lot more nuance to this but this should help you to have a better insight into how and why players will structure their strategic play. Oh , one other little thing because you said something that made me think that you don't yet know this. The game progresses Red+Color, Red+Color etc. with the Red's remaining in the pocket while the Colors are respotted on their respective spots. When all of the Reds have been sunk the colors must be sunk in order of value Yellow First-2Pts, Then Green-3Pts, Brown, Blue, Pink and finally Black-7Pts.

[@CarRogaming]

Snooker tables are huge, but you should keep in mind that snooker balls are also smaller than regular pool balls. A lot of people miss that. Combination of bigger table and smaller balls make the sport that more challanging that it seems. Difference is about 4.5mm.

[@mobylure]

The tool you're curious abot in 7:18 is called "Rest". There are two sizes long as in the clip and a shorter one.

[@ilaril]

I'd suggest to dive into the world of snooker. People think it's like pool, but far from it. Since you always need to start with a red one (unless a "free ball"), the start can be quite long, as both players try to hit, but also to hide the white in a position where the other player has less of a chance to hit the required ball and to pot it AND to get the white back to safety. Breaks start usually from a mistake the player made because the other player had great safety play. Edit: btw, Selby vs. O'Sullivan has players that are on top both. O'Sullivan is the #1 atm (Selby was few years on that spot) and Selby is #5 currently. They've played against esch other many times, so it's just an opponent.

[@Ruddigore]

The implement they use (the one that look like an 'X' on the end) is called a 'Cross-Headed Rest' though simply calling it a rest is fine. There are different types of rest for different situations, two common types being the 'Spider' and the 'Swan' which are both used to cue over other balls. You will also note that rests come in various lengths so that you can reach the end of the table from its opposite side, when using a long rest, you will find that the player will need to add an extension to his cue as well to give it extra length.

[@jamesdignanmusic2765]

Generally speaking, those long cue-supports are called rests or bridges. There are ones with X-shaped ends (called cross rests) and ones shaped like an arched bridge with several prongs on the top (called spider rests) there's also a third type that's very rarely used called a swan neck rest.

[@harvuk7729]

the last clip was also match point which makes it even more painful 😆

[@TheGiantKillers]

Snooker and indeed darts are quite unique British TV staples. If you fancy a new rabbit hole that is uniquely British, and not without controversy. Take a look at The Grand National. The race takes place once a year in England since 1839 and has been televised since 1960. It creates huge public interest but also a lot of controversy as many horses have been killed in the race. Today the race is greatly modified to try and make it safer but is still quite unique. If going to look at one, I'd suggest looking up 1967 [I won't say what happens in that one and keep it as a surprise] 1973 [when one horse jumps the fences like they were tiny] 1977 the only time a horse won the race for the third time. or 2001, when only two horses completed the course.

[@Mirrorgirl492]

"There's six pockets on the table, there's six pockets on the TABLE!" What a great call.

[@mrmr5580]

It's the other part of the game, getting the cue ball into a difficult position for your opponent, there's so much more to snooker than just potting balls, watch a few games and you'll probably see at least one frame where they're trying to tie each other in knots

[@davedixon2068]

the long stick with a bracket on the end is called a Rest and is in two sizes, also a player must always have one foot on the floor when playing a shot

[@felix19852]

Another Fact About the Legend "O'Sullivan is ambidextrous, as he is right-handed but can play to a high standard with his left hand and routinely alternates when needed, enabling him to attempt shots with his left hand that would otherwise require a rest or spider(the equipment from ~07:40)." (from wikipidia). It's like Bird who shot (I think a whole Game) with left without a special reason. He's like an Snookers Lebron/Jordan/Bird mix, have a look on the length of his career on the highest level, the legendary wins in big Tournament finals. Here an video Ronnie O'Sullivan having a chat on the Snooker Table with Stephen Hendry (who himself is an legendary Snooker player and most special was the Snooker-Star when Ronnie started his carrer. On top he was the opponent when Ronnie wons his first UK Championship in 1993 (you can imagine the most important national championship in Snooker). kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnu3n4WEj9mqmdk