How to Layout a Snooker Table

The game of snooker has been played since the 19th century, and is most popular in the UK and in the Far East. As a cue sport it has a lot of similarities to pool. There are two key differences, however. The first is the larger size of the table--12 ft x 6ft. The second is in the layout of the balls, which are different in number and color to those traditionally associated with pool. Like most games, snooker's rules are simple, but only once you are familiar with them. And laying the balls out correctly is essential to your enjoyment and understanding of the game.

Things You'll Need

  • Snooker table
  • Snooker cues
  • Snooker balls (1 x white, yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, black, 15 x red)
  • Snooker triangle
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Instructions

  1. The opening layout

    • 1

      Gather the red balls and leave them to one side for now. Place the other colors on their spots. Stand at the top of the table, where there is a semi-circle within arm's reach. The green ball goes on the spot on the left, the yellow on the right, and the brown in the middle. If you need to remember them, remember the mnemonic 'God Bless You - Green Brown Yellow'. The blue ball goes on the spot in the very middle of the table, the pink sits adjacent to the blue towards the bottom of the table and the black ball is placed on the lowest available spot, perpendicular to the pink and blue.

    • 2

      Add the reds to the table. There are 15, and they fill the triangle which hangs underneath or above the snooker table. Slide them into place between the pink and black balls. The triangle should be pointing towards the pink ball, with the top red as close to the pink without touching it as possible. Lift the triangle away once set.

    • 3

      Put the white ball in the semi-circle. Your first shot can be taken from anywhere you like within this semi-circle, and you aim for the reds to begin with.

    The layout during a game

    • 4

      Remember when to replace the balls. Snooker is not simply a case of potting all the balls. When you pot a red you score one point, the red stays in the pocket, and your next shot must be at one of the other colored balls. These are worth two to seven points (yellow 2, green 3, brown 4, blue 5, pink 6, black 7). Should you pot another colored ball on your next shot, pick it up from the pocket and replace it on its original spot, as it was at the beginning of the game. Your next shot is at a red. Continue like this until all the reds have been potted.

    • 5

      Shoot for the colors at the end of the game. When there are no reds remaining, you must pot the colors in order. Shoot the yellow first, then when it is down, green, brown, blue, pink and black. When you pot these you do not replace them.

    • 6

      Replace the white cue ball if you have the misfortune to sink it. The white ball going in the pocket counts as a foul shot, and the next player takes the ball out from the pocket and begins his own visit to the table from anywhere within the semi-circle.