2.7.12

THE JOY OF SIX

Six reds snooker has kind of been forgotten in the maelstrom of the last couple of years.

It was once held up as being the innovation that would 'breathe life into snooker' but it never happened. What breathed life into snooker was having someone build up the circuit. There never was anything wrong with the traditional game.

However, six reds is popular in Thailand and in Bangkok this week a World Championship takes place featuring a number of big names.

Judd Trump is there, as is Mark Williams, Mark Selby (who won the title in 2010), Shaun Murphy, Stephen Maguire, Steve Davis, Jimmy White and both Ricky Walden and Stuart Bingham.

Mark Davis, who won a version of this title when it was played in Killarney in 2009, is also taking part.

For the uninitiated, six reds snooker is as it sounds: six reds rather than 15. In theory it is quicker - although a right old grind between two players who can't pot a ball will last an age no matter how many balls are on the table.

There are two important rule changes, firstly to the miss rule:

- There will be no more than five consecutive Foul and a Miss calls at any one time.

- After four consecutive Foul and a Miss calls, the referee will warn the offending player that should a Foul and a Miss be called again the following options are available to the non-striker:
(i) play himself from where the balls have come to rest;
(ii) ask his opponent to play from where the balls have to come to rest;
(iii) place the cue ball anywhere on the table, but this option cannot be taken if play has reached the “snookers required” stage.

And also a fundamental change when it comes to the old roll-up after a potting a red:

- A player cannot snooker behind a nominated colour at any time.

The top prize works out at around £40,000, plus it's on the way to Australia where the Goldfields Open takes place next week.

It's also on Eurosport all week, starting at 9am BST this morning.

14 comments:

Alan said...

The rule that "a player cannot snooker behind a nominated colour at any time" should be introduced into the game as a whole in my opinion.

It speeds up the game, but more importantly, particularly with the way the miss rule is implemented in the professional game, cuts out the prospect of a player being called for a multitude of misses after their opponent has just tucked them up behind a baulk colour for instance.

So with this change of rule, if a player was to be called for several misses, it would probably be due to the fact that their opponent had played a great shot to leave them in that position.

wild said...

"The rule that "a player cannot snooker behind a nominated colour at any time" should be introduced into the game as a whole in my opinion."
______________________________

NO NO NO NO Thats a load of rubish

Newsfox said...

Will Eurosport player have full live coverage or only be broadcasting what the channels show?

Dave H said...

It's usually the feed from the arena regardless of what's on the TV but this isn't a World Snooker event so I'm not entirely sure

Anonymous said...

I agree with Wild. If the baulk colours are not there to snooker behind then what's the point of them? I can sort of understand introducing it into 6 red because the whole point of it is a watered down speeded up version of snooker; however in the main game the shot to nothing, return to baulk, and snooker is one of the most important tactics in the game.

Janie Watkins said...

It's been on the Eurosport player all day today but I don't know if it's also on the scheduled Eurosport broadcasts.

Anonymous said...

i agree with wild

Anonymous said...

If you are not allowed to snooker, then you would have to change the name of the game.
How could it be called "snooker" with no snookers allowed?

Anonymous said...

It would be called Pool, which is basically what 6 red snooker wants to be deep down. I mean, there's a reason why snooker is more popular than every other cue sport so we shouldn't be dumbing down to be like them they should smartening up to be like us.

Anonymous said...

you are allowed to snooker.

learn the rules before posting wrong info

i like the lady oriental ref in the williams match mmm

Anonymous said...

I havent watched Eurosport Player before 9am this week but it's certainly been on after that. Note the dreadful hiss on the sound, the local engineer in Thailand may not know the "trick" to cancel that out (you wont hear hiss on BBC):)

Anonymous said...

As Al Pacino would say "spot the red ball, whooo ha whoo ha".

Anonymous said...

631 eh?

JAMIE O'REILLY said...

Great event David. I loved it. Well done to Mark Davis.