Purple Balls

Now that maximums are common and there is little unexplored territory in the game of snooker, is there any value in looking again at 'Snooker Plus' as devised by Joe Davis.

To the best of my knowledge no maximum has ever been made and it seems a well thought out game, unlike Power Snooker.

I would be very interested in your thoughts.

Wasn't there also an orange ball? a purple ball and an orange one?

Either way, it could be an alternative form of Snooker, but just one tournament would suffice, much like the Shoot-Out.

I think you are right about the Orange ball. One tournament only with or without ranking points?

Badsnookerplayer wrote:I think you are right about the Orange ball. One tournament only with or without ranking points?

Alternative forms of Snooker can't have ranking points (money).

The Shoot-Out sadly has it now.

Don't give Barry Hearn ranking point ideas.

I have never seen any actual video footage of Snooker Plus. Has anybody? I am just assuming it was a ploy of the day trying to drum up the interest in some way but never caught on at all. Were there any actual tournaments (even exhibition) or was it just something that got talked about for a while? I do have a couple conceptual problems with Snooker Plus just as an idea. One, if it were to catch on as being a valid game, it is certainly a bit of a marketing ploy to sell additional equipment. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I think almost nobody would actually purchase the two extra balls or play the freak show of a game. Two, if I'm not mistaken, Orange is 8 and Purple is......10. Whaaaa? What happened to 9? All of the spots and obviously, colour values of Snooker evolved naturally based on English Billiards and Pyramids and Black Pool. These new spots, new colours, and new point values just don't seem to "fit". Three, speaking strictly for my little club, the players do get a kick out of trying to emulate the pros in their decision and gameplay. This is actually one of my many annoyances...to wait for a minute and a half for someone to make an "important" safety decision when the current score is "2 to 1" and the Blue and Black are already tight to cushions is already enough to keep me running to the fridge to pop open another beer. Add a couple more balls in that mix to just get in the way of an uncontrolled White ball and more scoring balls to the cushion and I think I will need to switch to hard liquor!

My wife leaves me with purple balls all too often.

Andre147 wrote:

Badsnookerplayer wrote:I think you are right about the Orange ball. One tournament only with or without ranking points?

Alternative forms of Snooker can't have ranking points (money).

The Shoot-Out sadly has it now.

I think that Snooker Plus has a greater claim to ranking points than the shootout but I agree with you that rankers should be restricted to 'pure' snooker.

I would be fascinated to see how the professionals tackled the game though. I am currently trying to source Orange and Purple ball to give it a go myself.

Does anyone ever reverse the colours on the spots, so black on the yellow spot and yellow on the black spot etc. That would be an easy way to switch things up without changing too much.

It would also make the max quite difficult.

Pink Ball wrote:My wife leaves me with purple balls all too often.

Maybe you should change your username? (and avatar )

eraserhead wrote:Does anyone ever reverse the colours on the spots, so black on the yellow spot and yellow on the black spot etc. That would be an easy way to switch things up without changing too much.

It would also make the max quite difficult.

That's a great idea. It must be really good for your positional play. The Max would be very challenging.

SnookerEd25 wrote:

Pink Ball wrote:My wife leaves me with purple balls all too often.

Maybe you should change your username? (and avatar )

This is getting a bit BDSM.

Badsnookerplayer wrote:To the best of my knowledge no maximum has ever been made and it seems a well thought out game, unlike Power Snooker.

I don't want to defend power snooker but how is snooker plus more well thought out? It's just adding to extra balls, placed randomly on the table where there was space.

Power Snooker was alright, imo. A once a year invitational. Bit of fun. But then people said that about the Shoot Out.

SnookerFan wrote:Power Snooker was alright, imo. A once a year invitational. Bit of fun. But then people said that about the Shoot Out.

Power Snooker was crap. Far too confusing with the Power Ball thing and especially when a player was in baulk the points were 4 times as much or something like that? It was too confusing, the Shoot-Out is absolutely fine, it should never have had money towards ranking but apart from that it's a nice event, bar some idiots with the "yellooooowww".

kolompar wrote:

Badsnookerplayer wrote:To the best of my knowledge no maximum has ever been made and it seems a well thought out game, unlike Power Snooker.

I don't want to defend power snooker but how is snooker plus more well thought out? It's just adding to extra balls, placed randomly on the table where there was space.

Perhaps 'better thought out' was the wrong phrase but unlike Power Snooker and Shoot Out it employs the same (but more challenging) skills as snooker. Importantly it does not have time limits and would provide added interest as there would be a new challenge of players striving towards a 177 break.

Cloud Strife wrote:What was that thing that was on ITV many years ago?

Need a clue...

SnookerEd25 wrote:

Pink Ball wrote:My wife leaves me with purple balls all too often.

Maybe you should change your username? (and avatar )

You'd prefer if I didn't, honest to God.

Cloud Strife wrote:What was that thing that was on ITV many years ago?

Yes.

An event Ronnie called as one of his greatest wins back then

Andre147 wrote:

Cloud Strife wrote:What was that thing that was on ITV many years ago?

Yes.

An event Ronnie called as one of his greatest wins back then

Was it the Cockney Classic?

Pink Ball wrote:My wife leaves me with purple balls all too often.

Cloud Strife wrote:What was that thing that was on ITV many years ago?

You've Been Framed?

Cloud Strife wrote:

Badsnookerplayer wrote:

Andre147 wrote:

Cloud Strife wrote:What was that thing that was on ITV many years ago?

Yes.

An event Ronnie called as one of his greatest wins back then

Was it the Cockney Classic?

It was a weekend thing on ITV, way back. We're talking at least 15 years ago. I remember Alex Higgins, amongst others, playing in it. I distinctly remember there being a bumblebee coloured ball worth 10 points.

EDIT: Found it. It was this...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenball

Philip Schofield?

I see Ronnie beat Hendry in the semis. That confirms it...GOAT

The Herminator wrote:I see Ronnie beat Hendry in the semis. That confirms it...GOAT

Agreed. Ronnie is the greatest. Based solely on this tournament.

There is a video on you tube, don't know how to post link, but just type tenball snooker, it's very odd! It's like a sort of power snooker

LC wrote:There is a video on you tube, don't know how to post link, but just type tenball snooker, it's very odd! It's like a sort of power snooker

Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK7pNJqtXwY

Questions:
Why does this game exist?
Why did someone tape it?
Why did they keep it for 20 years and then put it on YouTube?
Why am I watching it?
What's the point of life?