Snooker Game - History

The history of the snooker game begins at the end of the 19th century, at a British army base in India and continues, in the meantime, until our computerized days of online snooker. Some facts on the history of the snooker game:

Snooker Game Ancestor

The snooker game had evolved of a variant of known back then as "black ball". The ancestor of the snooker game featured a group of 15 red balls and one black ball. The players had to score points by potting the reds and the black ball alternately; the player with the highest score won the game.

Birth of the Snooker Game

The birth of the snooker game is credited to Colonel Sir Neville Francis Fitzgerald Chamberlain. The English Colonel, who was stationed in Jabalpur, India during the 1870s, like other British army representatives in his situation were spending their pastime playing black ball and other billiard games. It is believed that by coming up with the idea to add more colored ball to the popular billiard game Colonel Chamberlain brought the snooker game to the world.

Why "Snooker"?

From about 1875 and on, the formerly known as black ball was played with 15 red balls, 1 black ball, 1 green ball and 1 pink ball. The game became known as "snooker" when army officers used to call snookers (which meant rookie in British army slang) to inexperienced players who've failed in potting the balls according to the new game rules.

Development of the Snooker Game

The next step in the development of the snooker game begins in a meeting of our acquaintance Colonel Chamberlain and the well known English billiard player John Roberts. When the latter visited India, Colonel Chamberlain had exposed his new invention to him. Back in England, Roberts introduced the snooker game to his colleagues from the English pro billiard world.

First Snooker Championship

It took about 30 years for the snooker game to be recognized as a professional sport instead of a pastime recreation. In 1927, Joe Davis, the snooker player who is known as the father of snooker, had put together the first World Snooker Championship (and won the title for about 20 years in a row�)

Golden Age of Snooker

The era known as the golden age of the snooker game in the UK was in the 1970s and 1980s. During that period of time, Snooker World Championship were broadcast on the BBC and drawing as much spectators as soccer games and snooker players such as Steve Davis, Dennis Taylor, Jimmy White, Stephen Hendry and more were making millions and making more television appearances than the prime minister.

More Pool Articles

History of the Snooker Game

Women in Billiard

9-ball Pool Tournaments

9-ball and Other Pool Games



Pool Rules |  Contact |  Pool Games |  Pool Tournaments |  Pool Halls