In snooker, a break is the total point score achieved by a player in a single visit to the table. A player's proficiency at building big breaks, particularly century breaks (scores over 100), is widely used as a measure of their overall skill.

Maximum break without fouls

The highest snooker break possible without the benefit of an opponent's foul is 147. This is known as a maximum break (or simply a maximum) and also regularly called a 147 (or orally a one-four-seven). The 147 is amassed by potting all 15 reds with 15 blacks for 120 points then all six colours for a further 27 points. The highest break possible is 155. This can only occur while all 15 reds are still on the table. If an opponent fouls but leaves the player snookered on all 15 reds then he may elect any other ball as a red; this is called a "free ball". By potting that free ball followed by a colour, then all of the reds followed by blacks, then all six colours, the player achieves a break of more than 147. If the free ball is followed by a black, and the player goes on to clear the table following all the reds by blacks, the total score for the break is 155.

Breaks exceeding 147

At least five breaks in excess of 147 have been recorded. A 149 by Tony Drago in West Norwood, London in 1998 is recorded by the Guinness Book of Records as the highest in this category. In that match Drago was foul snookered and chose the brown as the free ball, to score one point. He then potted the brown again, for four more points, before potting 13 reds and 13 blacks, a red and a pink, a red and a blue, then all the colours. In October 2004, during qualifying for the UK Championship, Jamie Burnett achieved a 148 against Leo Fernandez, becoming the first player to achieve a break of more than 147 in a professional match.¹ Jamie Cope was reported to have made a break of 155 in a practice frame in 2005.²

Prizes

In professional tournaments, there is usually a substantial prize awarded to any player achieving a 147 break, typically as an amount containing "147", e.g. UK£147, £1470, £14700 or £147,000 depending on the prestige of the tournament. As an extreme case, Ronnie O'Sullivan's 1997 maximum earned him £165,000 (£147,000 of this was for making the 147 break and another £18,000 was for achieving the highest break of the tournament).

List of official maximum 147s

* Televised.

List of most 147s

Records and Trivia

• The first maximum compiled in professional competition was made by John Spencer in 1979. It was not officially ratified due to oversized pockets.

• The first televised 147 was by Steve Davis in the 1982 Lada Classic.

• In 1983, Cliff Thorburn became the first player to make a maximum break at the World Championships, a feat that has since been repeated by Jimmy White, Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O'Sullivan (three times), Mark Williams and Ali Carter.

• On April 28, 2008 Ronnie O'Sullivan made his ninth 147 break made in competition during the 888.com World Snooker Championships. It was the final frame of the match which he won 13 frames to 7. This break also set a new record for the number of maximums made in professional competition.

• On April 29, 2008 Ali Carter made his first 147 break against Peter Ebdon in their quarter-final match of the 2008 888.com World Snooker Championship. This was the first time a 147 break had been made twice in the same World Championship, following Ronnie O'Sullivan's maximum during the previous day's play.

• Ronnie O'Sullivan made a 147 at the 2007 Irish Masters but since the pockets on the table did not conform to the specified standard it is not included in his official tally. The sponsors also defaulted on the maximum break prize.

• Ronnie O'Sullivan compiled each of the five fastest 147 breaks ever recorded, the fastest of which took 5 minutes and 20 seconds.

• John Higgins made 147s at the British Open in 2004 and 2004 making him the first player to record maximums in the same tournament in successive years.

• John Higgins became the first player to record a 147 in successive ranking events and matches; he made one in his 9-5 defeat by Mark Williams in the LG Cup final at Preston, and then one in the British Open, both in 2003.

• Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan are the only players to have made a maximum break in the deciding frame of a match. Hendry is the only player to make a maximum break in the deciding frame of the final of a tournament.

• The youngest player to have made a televised 147 is Ding Junhui, who was 19 at the time, in the Masters Tournament 2007.

• Ken Doherty is so far the only player to have had a televised final black miss on a 147 attempt, at the 2000 Masters final.

See also

• Nine dart finish in darts
• 300-point game in bowling
• Perfect game in baseball

References

1. ^ "Scot Burnett compiles 148 break", BBC Sport (2004-10-16). Retrieved on 21 January 2007. 
2. ^ Everton, Clive (2005-10-12). "Murphy shows the form and confidence of a champion", The Guardian. Retrieved on 21 January 2007. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "The 147 Club". Global Snooker Centre (2007). Retrieved on 2008-04-29.
4. ^ The first player to compile a 147 in a major tournament was John Spencer at the 1979 Holstein Lager Tournament, but the break was never ratified as the table was found to have oversized pockets. The tournament was being televised but due to union "work-to-rule" action, the cameras were switched off when Spencer made his break.

External links

• World Championship 147s video archive
• World Snooker

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