My father used to tell me that to be a good snooker player i first need to be a better billiard player (to learn control of the cue ball and to understand the angles need to make the next shot easier). Turns out he was right all along and how i wish I had listened to his pearls of wisdom.
Played it a couple of times in a backwater Yorkshire snooker club and my highest break was 12. Exceptionally challenging game; kudos to both these pros.
It's a very challenging game. Snooker players often dismiss it as boring, but I say to them " get your cue out and try it." I play snooker but now when I play I do ten minutes billiards first, and my cue-ball has improved immensely.
@@JOHN-tk6vlI used to play both. Billiards was much more fun. There is always something to go for. Those who think it is boring to play have never tried it or Iearned some 'bssic' in-offs. Russell is a multi world champion & makes the game look easy. It certainly isn't.
@@JOHN-tk6vl People don't play games just because they are very hard, entertainment has to be considered too, which is what this sport fails at to most people. If I can't stand watching 2 people play it for that long, why would I bother playing it?
I've been playing semi-regularly for 25 years. I've had precisely 3 breaks of 150+ at a handicap that's never been better than +30 for a (200) game. There's a guy playing Number 1 in our comp that ... well he hasn't played in a couple of years cos he's been unwell, but in a (200) game he played off a handicap of -185. It's utterly magic watching him.
I am sure there is a lot of skill involved in positioning the balls et cetera but damn watching paint dry becomes positively riveting after watching this for about 10 minutes
BBC2 showed a tournament back in 1984/85. Alex Higgins, Rex Williams amongst others were involved if I remember correctly. That was pretty much the beginning (and end) of billiards coverage for the masses.
It is like a dance at top of the table. The ref moves in the player goes behind. After placing the ball the ref moves back. It is the way it works best
No one knows your tellent made 1139, 1125, 1134, 1152, 1312, 1276, thank you for your legand of game simply sansactional. Feeling at top of the table keep faith and honesty highest level trust in your self and make it up for once again ❤❤❤❤❤ I involve in my high standard. Not in my hard time threw. Let's enjoy friends
People commenting that this is boring simply have no idea what they're watching. Now, it's not your fault if you're unfamiliar with the game and therefore don't realize what incredibly subtle levels of skill are being demonstrated, but it just looks sadly ignorant to declare the game "boring" instead of enquiring as to what you're not seeing. A bit of curiosity will enrich the experience of almost anything.
Couldn't agree more - all you have to do is set up the balls for the cannon and see how long you can maintain the position that he uses - just unreal control of the three balls.
I understand what you mean by this. The sheer mastery makes the game look ridiculously easy. If pros hit 147s in all the time at Snooker that would get boring. Maybe not as fast, but it would be.
The first time I played it I was still shaking having just run the bulls in Pamplona. A fascinating game, especially when a good player seems to be out of position.
Any body who says this game is easy wants to try and play it! to control 3 balls is so hard just to get the balls up to the top of the table is hard enough but to keep them there and build a big break is a great achievement.
Couldn't agree more, the number of times I get to the top in a session is very few, and as you say, keeping them there, well... It feels like there's a fortunate few who have been blessed with the ability to control the balls. Amazing to watch!
@@doraemon402 if something seems dumb to you it’s more likely you don’t understand what’s good about it, than it is the thing actually being bad. A humble person first assumes the former and keeps their mind open, an arrogant person assumes the latter and keeps their mind closed. Also you’re allowed to have personal preferences, without acting in ways that make people who do enjoy that thing feel like you’re saying their enjoyment is dumb or invalid.
@@jama211 I'd agree with your statement but at the same time I'm not surprised that this game hasn't taken off as a spectator sport. There's no way of even approximately knowing how long a game will take.
@@doraemon402 English billiards is far older then snooker. This statement is silly, like something a child would say. Snookers my game but I would not call any games like 3 cushion 5 pin or English billiards “dumb”.
Rumour has it that there is a billiard table just outside the Pearly Gates of Heaven and only the winner of the game gets in. Many challenge but few succeed. Who is this perfect player with the touch of a god that keeps them away ?
There’s something really strangely compelling about this. It’s trying to anticipate the shot that they’ll play and getting it (consistently ) wrong that is most fun. Cannons take real skill and they always leave on a pot or an inoff
I love this game... If you have a match where the player managed to position the ball on two cushions near the pocket and made endless cannons please put a link
Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm sure that that isn't legal anymore, and the reason players cannot play the same type of shit for three consecutive turns is to stop this, because of you position both in the corner you could have a break as big as you want.
If you think Pankaj must be bored sitting there trying to maintain concentration in case Mike makes a mistake...just imagine how Joe Chapman felt, while Tom Reece - and bearing in mind neither man was each other's favourite person exactly - set about on his break of 499,135 (unfinished)... (oh, and about halfway through I think it was, he'd occasionally turn round to Joe and say, 'how'd you find the table's playing, Joe? What sort of chalk do you use?') 😅
I can’t b bothered to write them down, so here’s the Wikipedia page for the game. The rules are in a section near the bottom, have fun playing! en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_billiards
Genuine question from a snooker player ignorant to the rules of billiards. What denotes the end of a player's visit to the table? I was quite surprised watching this when no pot or in-off were made and yet the guy stayed at the table.
@@mez7736 hi - if your cue ball touches your opponent’s cue ball and the red (in any order) it counts as a cannon and scores 2 points and the break continues- if you think what he is doing is easy, give it a try - you’ll be surprised how quickly you can lose the position 😂
From the 1920s through to the 1960s it was a fantastically popular spectator sport, in Britain and the Commonwealth countries. Not just back (sports) pages, but the front pages of the major newspapers carried stories about the top players, and match venues were always packed. One does need a certain amount of knowledge to appreciate it, but then that goes for Test cricket, too, which doesn't have any trouble getting the crowds in. Billiards started to gradually lose out to snooker after WW2, which is more obviously a spectacle, but that's no reflection on billiards itself.
Incredible skill and discipline. How many times can u pot red off its spot before it goes on (blue?). Is it one or 2? Snookers my game and i believe he is capable of a century with his skill.
2 pots then to the middle for one, then back to the spot. Max 15 consecutive pots. Extremely talented man, don’t know him personally but hear stories he has made some impressive runs at snooker!
@@chrisjarvis2510 I once got to play Geet Sethi in snooker. He won a World title in billiards im sure when i played him in the 80s i think. I also got about 3hrs practising with Willie Thorne once, dear man Mr Maximum R. I. P. WIillie. A friend of mine owned a snooker club and Willie arrived after a long flight. We watched how first frame he hit the pack of reds from behind and proceeded to clear the lot with a perfect 147. He had just got off a long flight and it was his first frame!!
Competed many moons ago against paddy Donnelly from the north of Ireland in Vienna, anyway Paddy was one the top guys hopefully he's still playing or Billy bousfield..thank for sharing this content a real treat for billiards fans and fantastic game as well s@@chrisjarvis2510
Just read up on Wiki. Is that so fucking difficult? Incidentally, this is the sport that the greatest cueman who ever lived played. Not Ronnie O'Sullivan ( snooker ), not Efren Reyes ( pool ), but Walter Lindrum ( English billiards ). He made a score of over 4000 back in the 30s. It has never been beat. There must be very few sports records which have lasted near 100 years!
Played the game but never good enough for the set skills needed for staying around the black spot but will definitely improve your game as all round snooker player
@@adrianwright8685 I've played for about 30 years and only ever had one 10 shot, although we generally don't play for them, potting opponents que ball limits you choose of shot, cant get a cannon.
Question from someone who plays poorly: why do the professionals always avoid combinations? Often, it looks like they could score the pot and cannon together quite easily.
I guess by playing one shot at a time helps maintain focus on position. Often a pot cannon combination, or six shot (pot red with follow through in off) can leave you stuck without an obvious next shot.
Because it would often leave very poor position. For example at 6:09 if he pots the red as well then his white ends up between red and yellow - no good at all!
Damn, my friends and I have been playing 3 points for a cannon that strikes the red ball first but these pros are only playing two. Probably means that my best score is a hoax!
I never understand when someone says that a sport is easier than another. Exactly WHAT is easier? Scoring a single point? Making a single carom? Becoming world champion? Scoring a monster break? But how can you compare numerically a break in billiards to a run in 3C carom? I find really hard to compare different cue-sports.
I'm sure this takes incredible skill but sport is supposed to be about entertainment right? Why on earth would anyone pay to watch this? Some simple rule changes would do wonders. You need rules that put as much distance between the balls as possible so that cannons are much harder. How about when you pot the red it is then placed at the furthest spot from the yellow ball? I don't know, I'm sure there's plenty that could be done to bring it in to the 21st century.
May admire the skill but Jesus h Christ this is utterly boring to watch - I’m talking as a snooker player myself and I couldn’t sit through watching this for ten minutes let alone 30+ 😅
your Quran is equally as boring it makes no sense , one moment mohammed is getting revelation on how he can marry 13 women the next verse he is riding horses beheading jews the next movement he talks about Allah being the biggest deceiver🤣
@@NylonStrings83 Lol - this comment says so much about the person you are. Your weakest attempt at commenting to a sports channel with religious hate speech crime and I think the internet is the safest place for people like you to make comments like that because in Public 👍🏽👍🏽. I hope you find a reason to be happy Himanshu. Oh yeah, and the Holy Prophet ﷺ, advised his followers to be patient and and extremely delicate with people like you so as a believer from me to you. May Allah Guide You May Allah Have mercy on you. I wont be wasting my time replying to your comments any further.
My father used to tell me that to be a good snooker player i first need to be a better billiard player (to learn control of the cue ball and to understand the angles need to make the next shot easier). Turns out he was right all along and how i wish I had listened to his pearls of wisdom.
Played it a couple of times in a backwater Yorkshire snooker club and my highest break was 12. Exceptionally challenging game; kudos to both these pros.
It's a very challenging game. Snooker players often dismiss it as boring, but I
say to them " get your cue out and try it." I play snooker but now when I play
I do ten minutes billiards first, and my cue-ball has improved immensely.
@@JOHN-tk6vlI used to play both. Billiards was much more fun. There is always something to go for. Those who think it is boring to play have never tried it or Iearned some 'bssic' in-offs. Russell is a multi world champion & makes the game look easy. It certainly isn't.
N@@JOHN-tk6vl
@@JOHN-tk6vl People don't play games just because they are very hard, entertainment has to be considered too, which is what this sport fails at to most people. If I can't stand watching 2 people play it for that long, why would I bother playing it?
I've been playing semi-regularly for 25 years. I've had precisely 3 breaks of 150+ at a handicap that's never been better than +30 for a (200) game. There's a guy playing Number 1 in our comp that ... well he hasn't played in a couple of years cos he's been unwell, but in a (200) game he played off a handicap of -185. It's utterly magic watching him.
I am sure there is a lot of skill involved in positioning the balls et cetera but damn watching paint dry becomes positively riveting after watching this for about 10 minutes
BBC2 showed a tournament back in 1984/85. Alex Higgins, Rex Williams amongst others were involved if I remember correctly. That was pretty much the beginning (and end) of billiards coverage for the masses.
@@6611haggis seems like a practice of the practice, like a warmup for practicing. crazy that this is a sport
The skill and patience in this game has impressed me no end. I used to think billiards was the poor relation of snooker. It is not.
The ref walking in front of him every second shout is sending me, let the player past and then take the ball out sweet Jesus
It is like a dance at top of the table. The ref moves in the player goes behind. After placing the ball the ref moves back. It is the way it works best
My favourite shot. That'll be to my temple if I watch anymore
😂😂😂😂
No one knows your tellent made 1139, 1125, 1134, 1152, 1312, 1276, thank you for your legand of game simply sansactional. Feeling at top of the table keep faith and honesty highest level trust in your self and make it up for once again ❤❤❤❤❤ I involve in my high standard. Not in my hard time threw. Let's enjoy friends
People commenting that this is boring simply have no idea what they're watching. Now, it's not your fault if you're unfamiliar with the game and therefore don't realize what incredibly subtle levels of skill are being demonstrated, but it just looks sadly ignorant to declare the game "boring" instead of enquiring as to what you're not seeing. A bit of curiosity will enrich the experience of almost anything.
Couldn't agree more - all you have to do is set up the balls for the cannon and see how long you can maintain the position that he uses - just unreal control of the three balls.
Well said
Apsalutely boaring stuff
It’s beyond boring😂
@@Starisse No, it's not boring; you are bored. Not the same thing. By all means, turn off and watch something quicker and more obvious.
Could imagine John Virgo doing a great commentary on this "Where's the cue ball going."
22:05, beautiful
Yes, baulk line crossing mastered! Multiple times in this break.
I learnt today that billiards at its best is cue sports at its worst.
I understand what you mean by this. The sheer mastery makes the game look ridiculously easy. If pros hit 147s in all the time at Snooker that would get boring. Maybe not as fast, but it would be.
would you consider the Mickey Mouse game of pool better?
@@pandapaws2000 I didn't consider it no, it just is.
The first time I played it I was still shaking having just run the bulls in Pamplona. A fascinating game, especially when a good player seems to be out of position.
Any body who says this game is easy wants to try and play it! to control 3 balls is so hard just to get the balls up to the top of the table is hard enough but to keep them there and build a big break is a great achievement.
Couldn't agree more, the number of times I get to the top in a session is very few, and as you say, keeping them there, well... It feels like there's a fortunate few who have been blessed with the ability to control the balls. Amazing to watch!
I'm not gonna say it ain't hard but this game is pretty dumb. Seems like something you'd play if you've lost some balls and can't play a proper game.
@@doraemon402 if something seems dumb to you it’s more likely you don’t understand what’s good about it, than it is the thing actually being bad. A humble person first assumes the former and keeps their mind open, an arrogant person assumes the latter and keeps their mind closed.
Also you’re allowed to have personal preferences, without acting in ways that make people who do enjoy that thing feel like you’re saying their enjoyment is dumb or invalid.
@@jama211 I'd agree with your statement but at the same time I'm not surprised that this game hasn't taken off as a spectator sport. There's no way of even approximately knowing how long a game will take.
@@doraemon402 English billiards is far older then snooker. This statement is silly, like something a child would say. Snookers my game but I would not call any games like 3 cushion 5 pin or English billiards “dumb”.
Fantastic display of skill
Amazing 🤩 simply amazing 🤩
And the break ended with a bloody kick, damn!
I could probably do very well at this game . I can go in off at will ….
Very very skillful if playing at a high level i remember players like rex Williams great touch players
Of you've not seen him, look for a video of Walter Lindrum. He was the best ever at this game.
@@TheRip72- the administrators in Britain had to change the rules of the game to stop him, he was that good 😂
Rumour has it that there is a billiard table just outside the Pearly Gates of Heaven and only the winner of the game gets in. Many challenge but few succeed. Who is this perfect player with the touch of a god that keeps them away ?
The one with a cue action to die for
The one with a cue action to die for
There’s something really strangely compelling about this. It’s trying to anticipate the shot that they’ll play and getting it (consistently ) wrong that is most fun. Cannons take real skill and they always leave on a pot or an inoff
21:36 !! nearly missed so I'll give the table a good beating
I nodded off watching this.
I don't think someone like you, would understand what's going on.
@@thecommission6662 Maybe.
I love this game... If you have a match where the player managed to position the ball on two cushions near the pocket and made endless cannons please put a link
Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm sure that that isn't legal anymore, and the reason players cannot play the same type of shit for three consecutive turns is to stop this, because of you position both in the corner you could have a break as big as you want.
If you think Pankaj must be bored sitting there trying to maintain concentration in case Mike makes a mistake...just imagine how Joe Chapman felt, while Tom Reece - and bearing in mind neither man was each other's favourite person exactly - set about on his break of 499,135 (unfinished)... (oh, and about halfway through I think it was, he'd occasionally turn round to Joe and say, 'how'd you find the table's playing, Joe? What sort of chalk do you use?') 😅
Can anyone tell me the rules of this game??
I can’t b bothered to write them down, so here’s the Wikipedia page for the game. The rules are in a section near the bottom, have fun playing! en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_billiards
Genuine question from a snooker player ignorant to the rules of billiards. What denotes the end of a player's visit to the table? I was quite surprised watching this when no pot or in-off were made and yet the guy stayed at the table.
@@mez7736 hi - if your cue ball touches your opponent’s cue ball and the red (in any order) it counts as a cannon and scores 2 points and the break continues- if you think what he is doing is easy, give it a try - you’ll be surprised how quickly you can lose the position 😂
So you have to hit both balls to carry on?
Super impressive but can see why it never took off as a spectator sport
From the 1920s through to the 1960s it was a fantastically popular spectator sport, in Britain and the Commonwealth countries. Not just back (sports) pages, but the front pages of the major newspapers carried stories about the top players, and match venues were always packed. One does need a certain amount of knowledge to appreciate it, but then that goes for Test cricket, too, which doesn't have any trouble getting the crowds in.
Billiards started to gradually lose out to snooker after WW2, which is more obviously a spectacle, but that's no reflection on billiards itself.
Russell is very clinical
Amazing how little the yellow ball travelled through a 100+ touches
Aye, crazy control
The last shot he could easily have made a cannon... But I guess he just said heck with it... I need to sit
Great game to play, not so great to watch
Incredible skill and discipline. How many times can u pot red off its spot before it goes on (blue?). Is it one or 2? Snookers my game and i believe he is capable of a century with his skill.
2 pots then to the middle for one, then back to the spot. Max 15 consecutive pots. Extremely talented man, don’t know him personally but hear stories he has made some impressive runs at snooker!
@@chrisjarvis2510 I once got to play Geet Sethi in snooker. He won a World title in billiards im sure when i played him in the 80s i think. I also got about 3hrs practising with Willie Thorne once, dear man Mr Maximum R. I. P. WIillie. A friend of mine owned a snooker club and Willie arrived after a long flight. We watched how first frame he hit the pack of reds from behind and proceeded to clear the lot with a perfect 147. He had just got off a long flight and it was his first frame!!
@@dannymiles6503 I’ve played Mike R and Peter Gilchrist, both dismal performances from me😂
Competed many moons ago against paddy Donnelly from the north of Ireland in Vienna, anyway Paddy was one the top guys hopefully he's still playing or Billy bousfield..thank for sharing this content a real treat for billiards fans and fantastic game as well s@@chrisjarvis2510
I’m lost. What’s the rules or point of this? What’s happening and where is the judge placing the ball and why?
Legend has it that only 7 people in all the world know the rules. (I'm one of them)
Just read up on Wiki. Is that so fucking difficult?
Incidentally, this is the sport that the greatest cueman who ever lived played. Not Ronnie O'Sullivan ( snooker ), not Efren Reyes ( pool ), but Walter Lindrum ( English billiards ). He made a score of over 4000 back in the 30s. It has never been beat. There must be very few sports records which have lasted near 100 years!
what's going on?
This is Ronnie O’Sullivan at the 2054 world snooker championships
1st to 1250, hell for a snooker fan!!!
My wife took me down from the blue rope 😂😂😂
Played the game but never good enough for the set skills needed for staying around the black spot but will definitely improve your game as all round snooker player
3:52 lol :D look at Russel's face
Little wonder, they eventually found a rhythm 😂
Billiards is like a Mozart symphony snooker is like a violin solo of Mozart pool is like spice girls and 9 ball is like Justin beiber
How on earth was this game invented
Without this game I don't think we would have snooker 🤣
@@chrisjarvis2510 it's like discovering penicillin by mistake..
Skilful but doesn't make for good watching.
Anyone know what happens if you pot two or even all 3 balls?
You pot your opponents ball it stays down
Pot the red ball it's respotted
If you pot your ball it's ball in hand from the D
@@zigedub2 what about points wise?
@@reflexgaming2995 anything with red is 3 points (pot or jn off) carom is 2 points... In off opponents ball is 2 points
yYu can score 10 in one shot: hit red then yellow and all balls go in a pocket!
@@adrianwright8685 I've played for about 30 years and only ever had one 10 shot, although we generally don't play for them, potting opponents que ball limits you choose of shot, cant get a cannon.
Where are the mushrooms?
In the greengrocer's.
Question from someone who plays poorly: why do the professionals always avoid combinations? Often, it looks like they could score the pot and cannon together quite easily.
I guess by playing one shot at a time helps maintain focus on position. Often a pot cannon combination, or six shot (pot red with follow through in off) can leave you stuck without an obvious next shot.
Because it would often leave very poor position. For example at 6:09 if he pots the red as well then his white ends up between red and yellow - no good at all!
I don't understand that game
It's a game for intelligent people.
For people who find watching grass growing is far too exciting.
This is a game for intelligent & skilful people.
Now make a 147. Oh wait ….
India
He doesn’t like the ref lol
All that & misses such an easy red...
He was unlucky, he got a kick.
Damn, my friends and I have been playing 3 points for a cannon that strikes the red ball first but these pros are only playing two. Probably means that my best score is a hoax!
😂 two for any cannon irrespective of which ball is hit first
What score to win?
@@karatejutsu200,000
For what it's worth I genuinely believe that three cushion carom is easier, ie nobody in the UK plays it....advantage me!
I never understand when someone says that a sport is easier than another. Exactly WHAT is easier? Scoring a single point? Making a single carom? Becoming world champion? Scoring a monster break? But how can you compare numerically a break in billiards to a run in 3C carom? I find really hard to compare different cue-sports.
I’ve tried it, and my best run was 4.
Is that ref stupid ?!?! .. WATCH THE PLAYER AND GET OUT HIS ROAD !!!!
Hugely skilful game but boring as hell after 2 minutes. Snooker is more fun.
You just said it -Skill.
I consider myself a person who likes a slow burner of a frame or match in snooker, as in the tactical side but this is zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I'm sure this takes incredible skill but sport is supposed to be about entertainment right? Why on earth would anyone pay to watch this? Some simple rule changes would do wonders. You need rules that put as much distance between the balls as possible so that cannons are much harder. How about when you pot the red it is then placed at the furthest spot from the yellow ball? I don't know, I'm sure there's plenty that could be done to bring it in to the 21st century.
The most stupid game ever invented
Stupid people don't understand this game.
😴 5 minutes is all I could take (can’t believe I lasted that long 😂) this is unbelievably boring 😴😴😴😴 I’m off to watch some paint drying 😴
May admire the skill but Jesus h Christ this is utterly boring to watch - I’m talking as a snooker player myself and I couldn’t sit through watching this for ten minutes let alone 30+ 😅
Boring
Stupidest game I’ve ever witnessed.
It's not a game for stupid people.
lousy referee - obstructing the player all the time
Yes, a real pain early in the break. Thought Mike Russell did well to settle and score as heavily as he did.
@@chrisjarvis2510 Don't forget the TV camera is probably only four or five feet from the table.
Absolute bollocks
lousy sport.
😂don’t knock it till you’ve tried to play - he makes it all look ridiculously easy!
A lot of repetition in a break like this. I find it quite boring to watch and much prefer snooker
I understand what you see, it’s after trying to emulate what he does that the respect for his skill grows- thanks for the comment.
The snooker player has it easy - 15 reds and 6 colouurs to choose from. Even
mediocre players can score a good few points. Not so at Billiards.
Dumbest pool game ever
😂
BORING AF! - Snooker is A lot more fun
Just give it a try - the man is a genius.
@@chrisjarvis2510 Not really much of a spectator sport, but could be fun to play. Must try it one day . . .
your Quran is equally as boring it makes no sense , one moment mohammed is getting revelation on how he can marry 13 women the next verse he is riding horses beheading jews the next movement he talks about Allah being the biggest deceiver🤣
@@NylonStrings83 Lol - this comment says so much about the person you are. Your weakest attempt at commenting to a sports channel with religious hate speech crime and I think the internet is the safest place for people like you to make comments like that because in Public 👍🏽👍🏽. I hope you find a reason to be happy Himanshu. Oh yeah, and the Holy Prophet ﷺ, advised his followers to be patient and and extremely delicate with people like you so as a believer from me to you. May Allah Guide You May Allah Have mercy on you.
I wont be wasting my time replying to your comments any further.
@@S1DDIQUI ya ya dont preach Mecca verses here talk about Medina verses which cancels all the Mecca verses
What are the rules? Never followed this at all
Wat a.simple cheating way to play
No wonder they invented snooker after this 🤣
Very skillful but quite boring to watch 🥱
Learn international level first prize 10 year old @narendramodi