Snooker is played on a baize covered table. A player or team wins by scoring more points than the opponent. Points are made using the cue ball to pot the red and colored balls.

Snooker is a billiards game, most popular in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Two players attempt to sink multi-colored balls that carry varying point totals. At the end of play, points are calculated and a winner is declared.

Score more points than an opponent to win a frame, and then win the designated amount of frames to win a match.

Fifteen red balls are placed at one end of the table. Colored balls (yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black) are then placed at various spots throughout the table. Red balls are worth 1 point, while colored balls are worth: 2 for yellow, 3 for green, 4 for brown, 5 for blue, 6 for pink and 7 for black. Play starts with the first player hitting the cue ball with the intention of pocketing a red ball. If successful, the player can then attempt to pocket one of the colored balls. If pocketed, the points are added to the player's score, the ball is returned to its position and the player attempts to pocket another red ball. This pattern continues until a player fails to pocket an attempted ball, at which point the opponent takes a turn. The game proceeds like this until all red balls are off the table. Players then attempt to pocket the six colored balls, in order of increasing point value. Once the balls are pocketed, they remain off the table. When the table is clear, points are totaled and a winner of the frame is declared.

Billiards was first played in 15th century England, and has been a popular game throughout Europe and the United States ever since. Many styles and variations have been created using the same basic rules and equipment. Snooker was developed in the second half of the 19th century by British soldiers stationed in India. By the 1930's, the first professional leagues were formed and championships were held. After a long period of decline, the sport's popularity was revived by regular television broadcasts in the 1970's. This culminated with the massively watched 1978 World Championships. Today, snooker is the most popular billiards sport in the British Isles. It is also growing quickly in Asia, specifically in China.

Chalk
Color Balls
Cue
Cue Ball
Rack
Red Balls
Rests
22' x 16' Snooker Table

Players must use caution when handling a cue, as eye injuries can sometimes occur.

Training consists of minor aerobic exercises to maintain modest flexibility in the back, shoulders and arms. A basic knowledge of angles and trajectory is also a plus.

Break - total number of points amassed by a player in one turn at the table

Color Balls - six balls of different colors (yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black),

Cue - a long, straight, tapering wooden rod for striking the ball

Cue Ball - white ball that is struck with the cue

Foul - an illegal shot or action

Pocket - to hit a ball into one of the holes on the corners or sides of the table

Rests - a support for the cue, often needed due to the length of the table

Rack - a triangular structure for positioning red balls

Red Balls - fifteen red colored object balls, each worth one point when pocketed

Snooker - 19th century British slang for new and inexperienced soldiers; game situation where the cue ball is in a position where it can't directly hit the necessary ball

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snooker