In snooker, the maximum break under normal circumstances is 147. This is often known as a maximum, a 147, or verbally a one-four-seven, and is amassed by potting all fifteen reds with fifteen blacks for 120 points, followed by all six colours for a further 27 points.
Contents
- Milestones
- Official list
- Firsts
- Multiple maximums
- Final frames and matches
- Chronometrical
- Prize money
- Breaks exceeding 147
- References
Joe Davis compiled the first officially recognised maximum break in a 1955 exhibition match in London. In 1982, Steve Davis achieved the first official maximum in professional competition, which was also the first televised one. The following year, Cliff Thorburn became the first player to make a maximum in the World Championship. Ronnie O'Sullivan holds the record of thirteen competitive maximum breaks, and he also has the record for the fastest competitive maximum break at 5 minutes 20 seconds, set at the 1997 World Championship.
Maximum breaks have gradually become more commonplace in professional snooker. Only 8 maximums were achieved in the 1980s, but 26 were attained in the 1990s and 35 in the 2000s. Thus far in the 2010s, over 50 maximums have been achieved. The landmark 100th official maximum break in professional competition was achieved by Mark Selby at the UK Championship on 7 December 2013.
Breaks greater than 147 are possible in a free ball situation. This has been achieved only once in professional competition, when Jamie Burnett made a 148 break in the qualifying stages of the 2004 UK Championship.
Milestones
Joe Davis compiled the first officially recognised maximum break on Saturday 22 January 1955 in a match against 68-year-old fellow Englishman Willie Smith at Leicester Square Hall, London. The Billiards Association and Control Council initially refused to accept the break since the match was not played under their rules. At the time the professionals played using a rule (now standard) whereby after a foul a player could compel the offender to play the next stroke. It was only at a meeting on 20 March 1957 that they recognised the break. Davis was presented with a certificate to commemorate his achievement. The match between Davis and Smith was played as part of a series of events marking the closure of Leicester Square Hall. The hall, known as Thurston's Hall until 1947, had hosted many important billiards and snooker matches since its opening in 1901, including 12 World Snooker Championship finals. The final match was a snooker contest, played on level terms, between Joe and Fred Davis from 24 to 29 January but from 17 to 22 January Joe Davis played Willie Smith at both billiards and snooker. In the snooker match Smith received 28 points in each frame but, despite this handicap, Davis won the match by 23 frames to 13.
The first official maximum break in professional competition was by Steve Davis in the 1982 Classic at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Oldham, against fellow Englishman John Spencer winning a car for the achievement. This was also the first televised maximum. The following year, Canada's Cliff Thorburn became the first player to make a maximum at the World Championship, in the fourth frame of his second round match against Welsh player Terry Griffiths.
For the next 11 seasons, only 14 other official maximum breaks were scored. Starting with 1994/1995, a maximum break has been achieved every single season, with a peak of twelve maximums during the 2011/2012 season. The 100th officially recognised maximum break in professional competition was made on 7 December 2013 by Mark Selby in the 7th frame of his semi-final match at the UK Championship against Ricky Walden. The maximum break has now been officially achieved over a hundred times in professional competition. England's Ronnie O'Sullivan has compiled thirteen ratified competitive maximum breaks, the most by any professional player. Following him are Scotsmen Stephen Hendry and John Higgins with eleven and eight respectively and China's Ding Junhui with six. O'Sullivan also holds the record for the fastest competitive maximum break at 5 minutes 20 seconds, which he set at the 1997 World Championship.
At least six players have missed the final black on 140: Robin Hull, Ken Doherty, Barry Pinches, Mark Selby, Michael White and Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (twice in the 2015–16 season).
Breaks above 147 are possible when an opponent fouls and leaves a free ball with all fifteen reds still remaining on the table. A break greater than 147 has happened only once in professional competition, when Scotland's Jamie Burnett made a 148 at the qualifying stage of the 2004 UK Championship. England's Jamie Cope attained a break of 155, the highest possible break including a free ball, in a practice frame in 2005. Alex Higgins was said to have attained the same feat.
In other variants of snooker the value of the maximum break is different. In six-red snooker, the maximum is only 75 points, as there are fewer reds and thus fewer black-scoring opportunities. In snooker plus the maximum is 210 due to the additional, two high point-value colours, but this has never been achieved due to the distance between the highest value ball and the reds.
Official list
The following table is a list of the official maximum breaks that have been achieved in professional competition.
Firsts
Multiple maximums
Final frames and matches
Chronometrical
Prize money
In professional tournaments there was usually a substantial prize awarded to any player achieving a 147 break. For example, Ronnie O'Sullivan's maximum at the 1997 World Championship earned him £165,000. Of this, £147,000 was for making the 147 break and £18,000 was for achieving the highest break of the tournament. This was however abolished in the 2010/2011 season.
In the 2011/2012 season World Snooker introduced a roll-over system for the maximum break prize money, the "rolling 147 prize". A maximum break is worth £5,000 in the televised stages and £500 in qualifying stages of major ranking events. There is a £500 prize in the Players Tour Championship events from the last 128 onwards. If a maximum is not made then the prize rolls over to the next event until somebody wins it.
At the 2016 Welsh Open, Ronnie O'Sullivan defeated Barry Pinches 4–1 in the first round. In the fifth frame of the match, O'Sullivan declined the opportunity to make a maximum break, potting the pink off the penultimate red and completing a break of 146. He stated afterward that the prize money of £10,000 was not worthy of a 147. World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn called the decision "unacceptable" and "disrespectful".
Breaks exceeding 147
A break higher than 147 can be achieved when an opponent fouls and leaves the incoming player snookered on all 15 reds. The player can nominate one of the other colours as a red, known as a "free ball", which carries the same value as a red for just that shot. By potting the free ball followed by a colour, then the reds with colours and the colours up to the pink or black, the player can compile a break of more than 147. If the free ball is followed by a black, and the player goes on to clear the table taking all reds with blacks and then all six colours, the total score for the break is 155. In six-red snooker this is 83 and in snooker plus 221.
In October 2004, during qualifying for the UK Championship, Jamie Burnett became the first player to record a break of more than 147 in tournament play, when he scored 148 against Leo Fernandez. He took the brown as the free ball, then potted the brown again followed by the 15 reds with 12 blacks, two pinks and a blue, then the six colours.
There are also at least eight breaks exceeding 147 that have been recorded in non-tournament settings: