Differences between snooker and Pool
May 29, 2008
Like many people I sometimes find snooker a struggle, this is because snooker and pool are very different. I thought I would give some information about the differences in the equipment, so maybe next time you play snooker you will realize why its so much harder to master.
Table Size
Pool Tables – Regulation pool tables 8 X 4.6 foot long, however the normal standard pub tables you may be used to playing on are only 7 x 4 foot long.
Snooker Tables – The official size for a British snooker table is 12 x 6 feet, much larger than a pool table
Pockets
Pool Tables – Corner pockets tend by be smaller than middle pockets.
Snooker Tables – Corner pockets and side pockets are the same size, they are however a lot smaller than pool table pockets.
Table Height
Snooker tables are a few inches higher than pool tables with British tables being roughly 2″ higher than American tables
Ball sizes
Snooker balls are considerably smaller than pool balls. Pool bales are around 2 and a quarter inches, where as snooker balls are only 2 and an eight of an inch.
Cues
Snooker cues generally have smaller tips than pool cues, this is so they are more accurate. Due to the small size of the tip they take time to master
So there we have it the most reason people are better at pool than snooker are:
- Snooker tables are larger
- The pockets are tighter
- The tables are higher
- The balls are smaller
- The cue tips are smaller and harder to master
The best way to get better at snooker is simple practice, practice and more practice
Mitchell makes it three in a row
May 27, 2008
Michell Mann has amazingly managed to complete his third tournament victory in less than 2 months by winning the premier league singles trophy. 16 year old Michell’s good consistent performances have made him one of the best players in his age group. More impressive than his wins was the nature of his victories. Mitchell scored a superb break of 104 in his first frame, and manged to win the final within just two visits.
It looks like the future of snooker is bright, with plenty more stars rising through the youth levels. Lets hope they can keep it up and maybe eventually take the professional game by storm.
Carter Wins Huangshan Cup
May 26, 2008
Ali Carter his has won second title after beating Marco Fu 5-3 in the Huangshan cup in China. Carter who was recently comfortably beaten in the World Championship final by Ronnie O’Sullivan only agreed to compete in the Chinese tournament when Ronnie O’Sullivan pulled out.
The final was a tight with the players levelled at 3-3 going into the final session. In the last two frames however Carter moved up a gear and managed to win the match 5-3. Carter would have been pleased with his performance after the dissapointing defeat to Ronnie in the World Championships. This win should help Carter too put that defeat behind him and move on.
On a more sombre note Ding Jun Hui donated his £10,000 prize money for making it to the semi finals to the Chinese earthquake relief
Wayne Cooper defends Yorkshire and Bradford titles
May 23, 2008
Wayne Cooper has managed to successfully defend both his Bradford and Yorkshire titles last weekend. Wayne beat Jonathon Bigley during on the way to winning the Yorkshire title, after a nervy start Cooper managed to get an easy 4-1 victory.
Wayne had previously won the title twice, but this was the first time he has managed to win the titles back to back having won it last year.
This victory have Wayne extra confidence going into the Yorkshire invitational knockouts which he managed to breeze past beating all his opponents 2-0.
Cooper then made it three out of three by winning the Bradford title. Cooper was playing some fantastic snooker witnessed by a good sized Bradford crowd. Following his title victories Wayne has made it into the records books as the only player to have won the title eight times.
Cooper will now be joining the professional players after winning nearly all the amateur tournaments bar the English championships.
Wii snooker game to include a Wii cue!
May 21, 2008
The crazy people at Nintendo have built a cue which can be used in conjunction with the new World Championship snooker game for the Wii. They are hoping that this Wii cue will bring the snooker gaming experience to life, and help to increase the popularity of snooker games.
The Wii cue allows users to participate in the game at their home like they never could before. The people at Nintendo have stated that the Wii cue ‘allows you to take shots more accurately than ever before’
The cue however doesn’t look that much like a snooker cue, it looks quite big and blocky. Have a look for yourself on the image below.
I do think however that this is a clever idea by Nintendo, which will help bring more sales of their snooker games than ever before. It also makes the game of snooker a bit sexier and a bit more appealing.
Hopefully this game will get more youngsters into the game and help increase the popularity of snooker even further
Tony Drago to play at sports bar in Bourne
May 19, 2008
Tony Drago has agreed to make an appearance at Southside sports bar in Bourne on the 26th of May. Drago is very popular amongst snooker fans for his gung-ho approach to snooker. Drago who still plays snooker and pool at the highest level is known as being one of the fastest snooker players in the world.
In fact Drago has still recorded the fastest ever century break, taking just 210 seconds to complete a century. The event will see Drago play an exhibition match at both snooker and american pool
Although Drago has a remarkable talent to pay both snooker and play at a high level very quickly, he has yet to win any major snooker events. Mainly due to his fast brave tactics and lack of safety play which you need to win tournaments at the highest level.
His appearance however will be a fantastic opportunity to play against the talented Drago in a one of match of pool or snooker.
I have included a video of Tony Drago making his fastest ever TV break below for your enjoyment
Ding to donate tournament bonus to quake relief
May 16, 2008
Ding Junhui has kindly promised that he will be donating all his snooker bonuses from the 2008 Huangshan Cup Snooker championships to the China quake relief fund.
Ding was surprised at the amount of devastation the quake had made on some parts of his country. Ding was the first to admit that his power to help is limited, but if everybody gives a little they can make a difference.
Ding will get the chance during the tournament to play against such snooker aces as Mark Williams and Stephen Hendry, a prospect he is excited about. Ding hopes to progress to the end parts of the tournament, which will not only help is snooker career but hopefully create more bonuses for the quake relief fund.
Davis and Taylor to appear at the Grand Theatre
May 15, 2008
Both Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor have agreed to appear at Blackpool’s Grand Theatre on Sunday 20th July in a show called ‘a load of balls’. The show will look back at the legends fantastic snooker careers, which for Davis is still going strong.
Steve Davis is still the most successful snooker player ever, this was largely due to his dominance of the game during the 1980′s. His appetite for snooker is still strong and he is still regularly competing in all the major tournaments, Davis has even managed to maintain one of the worlds top 16 players.
Dennis Taylor is perhaps best known for his massive glasses, and his celebration when beating Davis in the memorable 1985 black ball final. Taylor is also known for having a great sense of humour, and he still regularly appears as a commentator on BBC snooker.
There appearance in the show called ‘a load of balls’ should make for a great day out for old and young snooker fans alike.
Fans get the chance to play snooker against Mark Selby
May 13, 2008
On Saturday may 17th snooker fans will get the fantastic change to play against world number 4 Mark Selby. Mark Selby is the current UK masters champion and Welsh open champion, so this will be a great opportunity for a snooker fan to pit his wits against one of the worlds best.
Mark Selby will be participating in an exhibition match in Harborough. The lucky people who managed to there names in the draw will be picked from a hat to play a frame against the star.
The hosting venue the Cannon Snooker Club is also hosting a raffle, with the top prize being snooker cues and signed photographs.
O’Sullivan to attend International game in China
May 12, 2008
O’Sullivan has agreed to compete in a International tournament in China called the 2008 Huangshan Cup . This capture will no doubt please the Chinese snooker community as it will help attract worldwide attention to the game in the far east.
The tournament itself consists of two-day and three-day competitions and starts on May 14th 2008. So far the tournament has attracted home grown players such as Lian Wenbo and Ding Junhui. The best Chinese players will compete for 4 seats to play the top world snooker players, which so far include Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Williams and Stephen Hendry.
The Chinese secretary general Zhang Feng stated he is very pleased that Ronnie O’Sullivan has decided to join the tournament. With Ronnie’s exiting and unpredictable game his presence will surely only further promote the already very popular game in China.
After Ronnie’s recent excellent performances at the World Championships at the crucible, I would not put it past him to win this 5 day tournament in China at the expense of an up and coming Chinese star.
