Cindy Ferguson asked:


Michaela Tabb, a 39-year-old female from Dunfermline happens to be the first female ever to arbiter a snooker ranking tournament final when she acquires charge at the Welsh Open. Tabb has formerly managed at all major events, including the 888.com World Snooker Championship and the SAGA Insurance Masters, but considers arbitrating her first final will be the most important component of her career.

And 29-year-old, Matthew Stevens, from Carmarthen has dropped down to the 21st spot in the provisional world rankings but is convinced he is returning to his championship winning shape as he anxiously awaits next week’s tournament and is aware that he must work hard to maintain his position in the official cream of the crop top 16.

Other players in anticipation of the Welsh Open include Snooker super star Ryan Day, a 26-year-old from Pontycymmer, who presently holds the 18th spot in the provisional rankings and is hoping for an excellent second half of the season that will lead him into the elite for the first time in his career.

And last but not least, top of the class snooker player, Stephen Lee, who won last year after defeating Shaun Murphy in the final, returns to the this year’s tournament for a shot at taking home the Trophy once again.



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Josephine Thunder asked:


8-ball is the most popular billiard game in the world. It is so popular, that 8-ball pool is almost a synonym for billiards. However, 8-ball is only a part of a one big happy family of billiard games.

8-ball pool, 9-ball pool, snooker, one pocket, balkline are all cue sports games. They all share a rectangular cloth-covered table, a long cue stick, a set of balls and an ambition to score, but they differ in their rules, objects, and even their terminology.

Generally, billiard games divide into two types: pocket billiard games and carom billiard games. Pocket billiard games, usually referred to as pool games, are the type of billiard played on a table that has six pockets. In pocket billiard games, the players aspire to sink the balls into the table pockets, according to specific games rules.

Carom billiard games, on the other hand, are played on pocketless tables. Only three billiard balls are involved in the carom games. The purpose of the players in most carom games is to maneuver their cue ball so it will carom off the other two balls, again, according to the specific requirements of the game.

8-ball pool is a pocket billiard game. Other popular pocket billiard games include 9-ball pool, 14.1 continuous (formerly known as straight pool) and even snooker. Snooker is the most popular cue sports in the UK. Even though snooker is played on a pocketed pool table, it is not governed by the same association that administrates pocket billiard rules. Therefore, pocket billiard general rules do not apply to snooker.

The equipment used in snooker games is also different from the one used in pocket billiard tournaments. For example, the snooker table is a bit larger than the standard pool table plus its pockets are narrower. The terminology used in both billiard games is different as well. While pool players’ goal is to “pocket” the “object balls”, snooker players aim to “pot” the “red” or the “on-ball”.



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Steve Porter asked:


Snooker is one of the great games, relaxing, requiring some skill but not too strenuous. Having a snooker room in your home is something to aspire to, at least for men. However you do need a large room for the 12-foot full-blown version. The good news is you can get smaller tables too, starting at 7 foot. They still have the same slate bed and leather pockets so they last forever and still have that classic wood frame. The 7 foot and 8 foot versions only have 10 reds on the table so the table doesn’t get overcrowded with balls, but apart from that its almost as good as the real thing.

If you are thinking of buying a snooker table, first check the room size required. As a general rule of thumb, add 10 feet to each dimension to find out what room size you need. The 12-foot table for example requires a room size of 22 feet by 16 feet to allow for a clean cue action all around the table. The cues are normally 57 inches in length. So for a 7-foot table you need a room of 17 feet by 10 foot 6 inches. (A snooker table is always twice as long as it is wide)

When it comes to which one to buy, bear in mind that the actual playing surface is virtually the same on all snooker tables. The price you pay for a table is largely determined by the leg design and wood chosen. The tables can be made either in solid wood like mahogany or ash or made from boxwood covered in a veneer. The tables made from the solid wood are stained to give it the colour you want whilst the veneered type have the correct colour of veneer applied and are less expensive. Also the leg design is also a factor in the cost. A complicated design is more difficult to make and so more expensive.

The larger tables have 8 legs and the smaller tables have 4 legs and the medium size tables have 6 legs. The weight of a big 12-foot table is almost 1 ton and generally the weight of a snooker table is the equivalent weight of 2 men per leg. So a 4-leg table is half a ton up to the full ton for an 8 leg table.

Most of the weight of a snooker table is in the slate of course. The thickness of the slate is usually 1 inch up to 1-¾ inches for the tournament tables. The smaller tables usually have a single piece of slate for tables up to 8 feet. That requires 3 men at least to lift it, so for the bigger tables the slate is cut into separate pieces and then aligned when it is assembled on site. This is why snooker tables should be professionally installed.

When the snooker table is put together, the frame is assembled first and that has large wooden cross members to put the slate on. The slate is the put onto the frame and if the slate is in separate pieces they are aligned to provide a perfectly flat surface so the gap between the individual pieces is virtually non-existent. The cloth is then stretched over the slate and stapled to the frame to keep the cloth taught. The cushions which already have the rubber and cloth prepared, are then bolted to the frame. The pockets are made from metal and leather are screwed into the side rails last of all.

So if you are thinking of buying a snooker table, first determine what size table will fit in your room and then decide what colour wood would be best in your room from light coloured ash to the dark mahogany. The weight of the table is spread between lots of legs and a standard floor type is usually quite sufficient. Then think of what it would be like to have your own snooker table, the look and feel of it, and enjoy.



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