Introducing Power Snooker

Snooker purists look away now, a new form of the sport has been invented to re-vamp the game in it's entirety. It's called Power Snooker and the debut event took place yesterday in front of a packed O2 Arena. The table dons a new dark green cloth and the rules have been changed; points, not frames, decide the winner as players play flat out for half an hour and whoever has accumulated the most points within that time wins. There are now only nine red balls on the table and are set up like a nine-ball pool rack, diamond shape. The ball in the middle of the pack is called the 'Power Ball' once potted the player gets two points for it and a two minute 'Power Play' which means double points for any ball potted, this is carries on for the whole two minutes allowing both players a possible chance of double points.

Also the break has changed; the person who breaks off stays at the table for the next shot if he manages to get two reds to hit the cushion. The baulk area is now the 'Power Zone' and any ball potted when the cue ball is struck from the Power Zone is also worth double points, so quadruple when potted in a Power Play. If a player manages a century break in the first rack he receives fifty bonus points, if he then gets another century break in the second rack he receives a further 100 points and then 200 in the third. To quicken things up there is also a twenty second shot clock. Ronnie O'Sullivan will demonstrate:


The inaugural tournament consisted of eight players in knock-out format in front of a 'Darting' atmosphere where the crowd were able to shout and sing with the players even getting involved. The first match was between patron Ronnie O'Sullivan and fifteen year old Belgian Luka Brecel, with both players and the referee learning with every shot it was indeed an intriguing game. The Rocket won 338-196 and met Ali Carter in semis after he beat Mark Selby 222-206. The downbeat Ding Junhui participated against veteran Jimmy White and the China man won 331-246. He would meet Shaun Murphy in the semis after he beat World Champion Neil Robertson 331-274. Ronnie went on to beat Carter in the semis 490-234 and he would meet Ding in the final after he beat Murphy 263-132. Carter earned third place by beating Murphy 299-102 before Ronnie took the crown beating Ding 572-258.

The overall reaction to this new game was positive, everybody enjoyed the fast paced game and the audience enjoyed the never-before-allowed banter with the players and referees. As a spectator I also enjoyed the game and found it very entertaining, I think it has a place in the Snooker World and will probably take off like T20 Cricket has done in the Cricketing World. Here's a slice of the action from Ding Junhui in his match against Jimmy White: