Snooker
One of my favorite pastimes, regardless of continent, is pocket billiards. I've played some form of Pool or another on four continents now, but until tonight I hadn't ever played a game of Snooker. As my brother, who is way more of a shark than I, puts it, Snooker is the game of choice here in China because "it's perceived as a classier sport."
Class or crass, it's frickin' HARD! I'm used to finishing off 8-Ball games in under ten minutes when I'm playing with my brother, but tonight, we played an entire TWO rounds of Snooker in about an hour and 45 minutes. That table is so large I can barely see the other end, let alone shoot on a ball cross table...
That said, though, I really like the game. I don't understand all the intricacies yet, and actually I'm not even sure of the detailed rules, but now that I get the gist, I think it's a great game of strategy and skill. I'm looking forward to more.
Comments
One good thing about snooker is that when you play it for a while and then go back to normal pool, the pockets seem huge in comparison! I wish there were more snooker tables in St. Louis.
Posted by: Brian | July 16, 2002 12:24 AM
Yes, Snooker tables are definitely more common than Pool tables in China. At the joint my brother and I frequent (where he's their most valued VIP member) there are something like 10 Snooker tables to 2 Pool... go figure.
Posted by: jet | July 20, 2002 9:44 PM
I'll be in Shanghai Nov. 10-19. Can anyone recommend some good snooker halls?
Posted by: Elliott Katz | November 7, 2003 10:15 AM