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A maximum break (also known as a maximum, a 147, or orally, a one-four-seven) is the highest possible break in snooker in normal circumstances[a] and is a special type of total clearance. A player compiles a maximum break by potting all 15 reds with 15 blacks for 120 points, followed by all six colours for a further 27 points. Compiling a maximum break is regarded as a highly significant achievement in the game of snooker, and may be compared to a nine-dart finish in darts or a 300 game in ten-pin bowling.
Joe Davis made the first officially recognised maximum break in a 1955 exhibition match in London. At the Classic in January 1982, Steve Davis achieved the first recognised maximum in professional competition, which was also the first in a televised match. The following year, Cliff Thorburn became the first player to make a maximum at the World Snooker Championship. As of 2023, Ronnie O'Sullivan holds the record for the most maximum breaks in professional competition, with 15. He also holds the record for the fastest competitive maximum break at just over five minutes, which he set at the 1997 World Championship.[1]
Maximum breaks have become more frequent in professional snooker. Only eight recognised maximums were achieved in professional competition in the 1980s, but 26 occurred in the 1990s, 35 in the 2000s, and 86 in the 2010s. In the 1990s some players received £147,000 for making a maximum break, but as the frequency of maximums increased, the reward was changed to a rolling prize pot that began at £5,000, leading to discontent among players. For the 2019–20 season, World Snooker Tour chairman Barry Hearn replaced the rolling prize with a conditional £1 million bonus, to be awarded if 20 or more maximum breaks were attained in the season. The 20 maximums were not achieved. Thereafter, players who made a maximum would win or share a tournament's highest break prize, although some events still offer a separate bonus for a 147. The 2022 World Snooker Championship offered a bonus of £40,000 for a maximum break made at the Crucible and £10,000 for a maximum made in the qualifying rounds, in addition to the £15,000 highest break prize.[2] In 2023, World Snooker Tour introduced a £147,000 bonus for any player making two maximum breaks during the season's Triple Crown Series. The bonus could be awarded up to three times, for a total of £441,000, if three players each made two maximums. The same player could potentially win £441,000 by making six maximums in the events.[3]
History
Joe Davis compiled the first officially recognised maximum break on 22 January 1955, in a match against Willie Smith at Leicester Square Hall, London.[4] The Billiards Association and Control Council initially refused to accept the break since the match was not played under their rules. At the time, the professional game used a rule (now standard, see rules of snooker) whereby after a foul a player could compel the offender to play the next stroke. It was not until a meeting on 20 March 1957 that the break was officially recognised, and Davis was presented with a certificate to commemorate his achievement.[5] The match between Davis and Smith was played as part of a series of events marking the closure of Leicester Square Hall; known as Thurston's Hall until 1947,[6] the venue had hosted many important billiards and snooker matches since its opening in 1901, including twelve World Snooker Championship finals.[7] John Spencer compiled a maximum break in the 1979 Holsten Lager International, but it did not count as an official maximum, however, as the break was made on a non-templated table used during the event.[8] The first official maximum break in professional competition was compiled by Steve Davis in the 1982 Classic at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in Oldham, against John Spencer.[9] This was also the first televised maximum break.[10][11] For his achievement, Davis won a Lada car provided by the event's sponsors.[12] The following year, Cliff Thorburn became the first player to make a maximum at the World Championship in the fourth frame of his second round match against Terry Griffiths.[12]
Before the 1994–95 season, the maximum break remained a rare feat, with only 15 official maximums compiled altogether. However, beginning in the 1994–95 season, at least one maximum break has been achieved every season thereafter; the 13 maximums scored in the 2016–17 season, 2022–23 season and the 2023–24 season is the highest number to date. Mark Selby made the 100th officially recognised maximum break in professional competition on 7 December 2013 in the seventh frame of his semi-final match against Ricky Walden at the UK Championship.[13][14] As of 15 April 2024[update],[15] 202 official maximum breaks have been recorded in professional competition,[16][17] with the 200th being made by Joe O'Connor at the 2024 Championship League.[18] Englishman Ronnie O'Sullivan has compiled 15 official competitive maximum breaks, the most achieved by any professional player.[19] Following him are John Higgins with 13, Stephen Hendry with 11, Stuart Bingham with nine, Judd Trump and Shaun Murphy with eight, and Ding Junhui with seven. O'Sullivan also holds the record for the fastest competitive maximum break at just over five minutes, which he set at the 1997 World Championship.[1]
On 30 April 2023, Selby made a maximum break in the 16th frame during the 2023 World Championship final against Luca Brecel, the first achieved in a World Championship final.[20] On 7 December 2023, Murphy made a maximum break in his first-round match against Bulcsú Révész in the 2023 Shoot Out, the first ever compiled at the Shoot Out, which is played under a variation of snooker rules, with a shot clock and fouls awarding ball in hand.
At least seven players have missed the final black on a score of 140: Robin Hull, Ken Doherty, Barry Pinches, Mark Selby,[21] Michael White,[22] Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (twice in the 2015–16 season),[23][24] and Liang Wenbo in a qualifying match at the 2018 World Championship, after he had already made a maximum earlier in the same match.[25] Breaks above 147 are possible when an opponent fouls and leaves a free ball with all 15 reds still remaining on the table. A break greater than 147 has happened only once in professional competition, when Jamie Burnett made a break of 148 at the qualifying stage of the 2004 UK Championship.[26][27] Jamie Cope compiled a break of 155 points, the highest possible free-ball break, during practice in 2005.[28] Alex Higgins is said to have attained the same feat by some players.[29]
Records
First maximums
The first known maximum break in practice was made by Murt O'Donoghue at Griffith, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, on 26 September 1934.[8][30][31] Joe Davis compiled the first official 147 against Willie Smith in an exhibition match on 22 January 1955 at Leicester Square Hall, London.[10][32] Rex Williams made the first maximum break in a competitive match against Manuel Francisco, Professionals v. Amateurs, on 23 December 1965 in Cape Town.[31][33]
John Spencer made the first maximum compiled in professional competition on 13 January 1979 at the Holsten Lager Tournament against Cliff Thorburn, but it was not officially ratified due to oversized pockets.[8] The break was not caught on video as the television-crew were away on a tea-break.[31][34] The first official maximum break in professional competition was made by Steve Davis in the 1982 Lada Classic against Spencer.[8] This was also the first televised 147.[10] Thorburn became the first player to make a maximum break at the World Snooker Championship, a feat that has since been repeated by Jimmy White, Stephen Hendry (three times), Ronnie O'Sullivan (three times), Mark Williams, Ali Carter, John Higgins, Neil Robertson, Kyren Wilson, and Mark Selby.[35][36]
In March 1989, Thorburn also became the first player to make two competitive maximum breaks. In November 1995 Hendry became the first player to make two televised maximum breaks.[37][38] Mink Nutcharut made a 147 in a March 2019 practice match, believed to be the only maximum break achieved by a woman in any match.[39]
Multiple maximums
More than one official maximum break has been compiled in the same event on more than twenty occasions. The first tournament with more than one maximum break was the 1992 Matchroom League, in which John Parrott and Stephen Hendry each made a 147 break.[40][41] The first time that two maximum breaks were made in the same ranking tournament was at the 1999 British Open, where Jason Prince made one during qualifying and Graeme Dott at the main event.[42] This was repeated at the 2000 Scottish Open, with Stephen Maguire in qualifying and Ronnie O'Sullivan at the main event.[43] The 2008 World Snooker Championship was the first event where two maximum breaks (by O'Sullivan and Carter) were televised.[44] Two maximum breaks (by Neil Robertson and Noppon Saengkham) were also televised at the 2019 Welsh Open.[45] Three official maximums at the same WPBSA (World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association) event have been achieved three times. The first was at the 2012 UK Championship, when Andy Hicks and Jack Lisowski both compiled one each in qualifying and John Higgins compiled one in the televised stages.[46] The second time was at the 2017 German Masters, where Ali Carter and Ross Muir both compiled one each during qualifying and Tom Ford during the televised stages.[47] The third time was at the 2024 Championship League by Kyren Wilson in Group 3,[48] by John Higgins in Group 5,[49] and by Joe O'Connor in Group 7.[18]
Mark Davis became the only player to make two official maximum breaks in professional competition at the same event when he compiled two 147s at the 2017 Championship League.[50] The 2012 FFB Snooker Open, 2017 German Masters and 2018 Paul Hunter Classic are the only WPBSA events where two maximums were made on the same day.[51][52] Three maximum breaks were compiled on 8 February 1998 during the Buckley's Bitter Challenge, an unofficial event, by Matthew Stevens, Ryan Day and Tony Chappel.[53] There have been at least five non-tournament matches where more than one maximum was compiled. Peter Ebdon compiled two maximum breaks during an 11-frame exhibition match at Eastbourne Police Club on 15 April 1996. In 2003 he also compiled two consecutive maximum breaks against Steve Davis in an exhibition match.[8][31] In 2009 Jimmy White and Ronnie O'Sullivan compiled consecutive maximum breaks at an exhibition match in Ireland.[54]
The only player known to compile more than two maximum breaks on a single occasion is Adrian Gunnell, who compiled three maximums in four frames at a club in Telford in 2003 while practising against Ian Duffy.[55][56] John Higgins and Ronnie O'Sullivan are the only players to record maximum breaks in consecutive ranking events. Higgins made one during his defeat by Mark Williams in the LG Cup final, and then one in his second round match at the 2003 British Open.[57][58] O'Sullivan made one at the Northern Ireland Trophy and another at the UK Championship in 2007.[59][60]
Final frames and matches
Hendry, Mark Williams, O'Sullivan (on six occasions), Barry Hawkins, Matthew Stevens, Ding Junhui, Andy Hicks, Shaun Murphy, Ryan Day, John Higgins, Mark Davis (on two occasions), Martin Gould, Luca Brecel, Tom Ford (on two occasions), and Marco Fu have all made maximums to win matches. Only seven of these have come in final-frame deciders, however: Hendry's at the 1997 Charity Challenge, O'Sullivan's at the 2007 UK Championship, both of Davis' at the 2017 Championship League, Gould's at the 2018 Championship League, Ford's at the 2019 English Open and Fu's at the 2022 Hong Kong Masters.
Hendry, John Higgins, Stuart Bingham, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Shaun Murphy, Neil Robertson, Judd Trump, Mark Selby, and Zhang Anda have made maximums in finals of tournaments. Hendry has made three: the first at the 1997 Charity Challenge,[61] the second at the 1999 British Open[62] and the third at the 2001 Malta Grand Prix.[63] Higgins has made two, at the 2003 LG Cup,[57] and the second at the 2012 Shanghai Masters.[64] Bingham at the 2012 Wuxi Classic,[65] O'Sullivan in the final frame of the 2014 Welsh Open,[66] Murphy at the 2014 Ruhr Open,[67] Robertson at the 2015 UK Championship,[68] Trump at the 2022 Turkish Masters[69] and the 2022 Champion of Champions[70] and Zhang at the 2023 International Championship.[71] Selby made a maximum in the 2023 World Snooker Championship final, becoming the first player to do so at that stage of the tournament.[72] Selby's and Robertson's maximums are the only ones compiled in the finals of Triple Crown events.
Fastest
O'Sullivan's 147 break in the first-round match against Mick Price at the 1997 World Championship set the record for the fastest maximum in the history of the game. For many years Guinness World Records recorded the time of the break at 5 minutes and 20 seconds.[73] However an investigation undertaken by Deadspin in 2017 revealed that the time recorded by Guinness was incorrect because the timer was started too early on the BBC footage.[1][74] Breaks are not officially timed in snooker and the official rules of snooker do not specify how they should be timed, instead leaving the timing to the discretion of the broadcaster. The only timing methodology World Snooker sanctions in its events is the one employed in shot clock events where timing for a player's shot begins when the balls have come to rest from his opponent's previous shot. Under this convention the break would have been timed at 5 minutes and 15 seconds. World Snooker has since suggested that a break starts when the player strikes the cueball for the first time in a break which would result in a time of 5 minutes and 8 seconds, and this is the time that both World Snooker and Guinness World Records now officially acknowledge.[75][76]
Youngest and oldest
The youngest player to have made an officially recognised maximum break in professional competition is Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon, who compiled a 147 at the 2010 Rhein–Main Masters aged 16 years and 312 days.[77] Sean Maddocks is recognised by Guinness World Records as the youngest player to make a maximum break in any recognised competition. Maddocks was 15 years and 90 days old when he achieved the feat at the LiteTask Pro-Am series in Leeds on 9 July 2017.[78][79] Judd Trump is known to have made a 147 at the Potters Under-16 Tournament in 2004 at the age of 14 years and 206 days; however, this break is not recognised by Guinness World Records.[77] The youngest player to have made a televised maximum is Ding Junhui, who was aged 19 years and 288 days when he achieved a 147 at the 2007 Masters.[80][81]
The oldest player to have made a maximum in professional competition is John Higgins, who did so in the 2024 Championship League, aged 48 years and 268 days.[49] Former professional Darren Morgan made a maximum break in an amateur Seniors event in 2023 at the age of 56 years and 261 days; this possibly makes him the oldest player to achieve a maximum break in competition.[82]
Prize money
In professional tournaments there was usually a substantial prize awarded to any player achieving a 147 break. For example, Ronnie O'Sullivan's maximum at the 1997 World Championship earned him £165,000. Of this, £147,000 was for making the 147 break and £18,000 was for achieving the highest break of the tournament.[83]
In the 2011–12 season World Snooker introduced a roll-over system for the maximum break prize money, the "rolling 147 prize".[84] A maximum break is worth £5,000 in the televised stages and £500 in qualifying stages of major ranking events. There is a £500 prize in the Players Tour Championship events from the last 128 onwards.[85] If a maximum is not made then the prize rolls over to the next event until somebody wins it.[84][needs update]
At the 2016 Welsh Open, Ronnie O'Sullivan defeated Barry Pinches 4–1 in the first round. In the fifth frame of the match, O'Sullivan declined the opportunity to make a maximum break, potting the pink off the penultimate red and completing a break of 146. He stated afterwards that the prize money of £10,000 was not worthy of a 147. World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn called the decision "unacceptable" and "disrespectful".[86] Individual prizes for a maximum break were phased out at the beginning of the 2019–20 season, with a £1 million bonus on offer for the season if 20 or more were made during the season.[87] The prize would be split among all players who had made at least one qualifying break, with each player receiving an equal share for every break made.[87]
For the 2023–24 season the WST has offered a £147,000 bonus to any player making two maximum breaks during the season's Triple Crown events.[88]
Breaks exceeding 147
A break higher than 147 can be achieved when an opponent fouls before any reds are potted, and leaves the incoming player snookered on all 15 reds. The player can nominate one of the other colours as a red, known as a free ball, which carries the same value as a red for just that shot. If the free ball is potted, the referee places this coloured ball back on its original location, de facto creating a setup as if there were 16 reds in total, thus creating a potential maximum break of 155 if a player starts from a free ball position.[13]
In October 2004, during qualifying for the UK Championship, Jamie Burnett became the only player to record a break of more than 147 in tournament play, when he scored 148 against Leo Fernandez. He took the brown as the free ball, then potted the brown again followed by the 15 reds with 12 blacks, two pinks and a blue, then the six colours.[8][26][27]
Some breaks exceeding 147 have been reported in non-tournament settings:
- A 151 is reported to have been compiled by Wally West against Butch Rogers in West London's Hounslow Luciana snooker club during a club match in 1976. After Rogers fouled, West took the green as his free ball followed by the brown. He then took 14 reds and blacks and a pink off the last red. He then cleared up to make the 151.[8][89]
- In April 1988 Steve Duggan made a 148 in a practice frame against Mark Rowing in Doncaster.[8][90]
- In 1993 Stephen Hendry made a 148 in a practice match against Alfie Burden.[8]
- In 1995 Tony Drago made a 149 in practice against Nick Manning in West Norwood, London, that was recorded by the Guinness Book of Records as the highest in this category. In that match Drago nominated the brown as the free ball, to score one point. He then potted the brown again, for four more points, before potting the 15 reds with 13 blacks, a pink and a blue, then all the colours.[8][90]
- In 1997 Eddie Manning achieved a 149 break in a practice match against Kam Pandya at Willie Thorne's Snooker Club in Leicester. He potted brown, brown, 13 blacks, pink and blue.[8]
- In April 2003 Jamie Cope made a 151 break at The Reardon Snooker Club during a practice game with David Fomm-Ward. After a foul by his opponent, Cope was snookered behind the brown ball. He took the brown as the free ball and then potted the blue, 13 reds with blacks and two with pinks, then the six colours.[8]
- In 2005, Jamie Cope made snooker's first highest possible 155 break in a witnessed practice frame.[28]
- In November 2010 Sam Harvey made a 151 break in a practice match against Kyren Wilson at his home club in Bedford. Harvey potted the brown as the free ball and then the black, 12 reds with blacks, two with pinks and one with blue, then the six colours.[8][91]
- In August 2021, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh made a 155 break in a practice match against Hossein Vafaei. The feat was filmed by a security camera.[8][92]
- In March 2022, Marco Fu made a 149 break in a practice match against Noppon Saengkham at the Ding Junhui Snooker Academy.[93][94]
List of official maximum breaks
| No. | Date | Season | Player | Age | Opponent | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1[11] | 11 January 1982 | 81–82 | Steve Davis | 24 years, 142 days | John Spencer | Classic |
| 2[95] | 23 April 1983 | 82–83 | Cliff Thorburn | 35 years, 97 days | Terry Griffiths | World Championship |
| 3[37] | 28 January 1984 | 83–84 | Kirk Stevens | 25 years, 164 days | Jimmy White | Masters (L) |
| 4[96] | 17 November 1987 | 87–88 | Willie Thorne | 33 years, 258 days | Tommy Murphy | UK Championship |
| 5[97] | 20 February 1988 | 87–88 (2) | Tony Meo | 28 years, 139 days | Stephen Hendry | Matchroom League (L) |
| 6[98] | 24 September 1988 | 88–89 | Alain Robidoux | 28 years, 61 days | Jim Meadowcroft | European Open (Q) |
| 7[99] | 18 February 1989 | 88–89 (2) | John Rea | 37 years, 75 days | Ian Black | Scottish Pro. Championship |
| 8[97] | 8 March 1989 | 88–89 (3) | Cliff Thorburn (2nd) | 41 years, 51 days | Jimmy White | Matchroom League |
| 9[100] | 16 January 1991 | 90–91 | James Wattana | 20 years, 364 days | Paul Dawkins | World Masters |
| 10[101] | 5 June 1991 | 91–92 | Peter Ebdon | 20 years, 282 days | Wayne Martin | Strachan Open (Q) |
| 11[102] | 25 February 1992 | 91–92 (2) | James Wattana (2nd) | 22 years, 39 days | Tony Drago | British Open |
| 12[103] | 22 April 1992 | 91–92 (3) | Jimmy White | 29 years, 356 days | Tony Drago | World Championship |
| 13[40] | 9 May 1992 | 91–92 (4) | John Parrott | 27 years, 364 days | Tony Meo | Matchroom League |
| 14[40] | 24 May 1992 | 91–92 (5) | Stephen Hendry | 23 years, 132 days | Willie Thorne | Matchroom League |
| 15[37] | 14 November 1992 | 92–93 | Peter Ebdon (2nd) | 22 years, 79 days | Ken Doherty | UK Championship (L) |
| 16[102] | 7 September 1994 | 94–95 | David McDonnell | 22 years, 331 days | Nic Barrow | British Open (Q) |
| 17[104] | 27 April 1995 | 94–95 (2) | Stephen Hendry (2nd) | 26 years, 104 days | Jimmy White | World Championship |
| 18[105] | 25 November 1995 | 95–96 | Stephen Hendry (3rd) | 26 years, 316 days | Gary Wilkinson | UK Championship |
| 19[61] | 5 January 1997 | 96–97 | Stephen Hendry (4th) | 27 years, 358 days | Ronnie O'Sullivan | Charity Challenge (F) |
| 20[75] | 21 April 1997 | 96–97 (2) | Ronnie O'Sullivan | 21 years, 137 days | Mick Price | World Championship |
| 21[37] | 18 September 1997 | 97–98 | James Wattana (3rd) | 27 years, 244 days | Pang Weiguo | China International |
| 22[106] | 23 May 1998 | 97–98 (2) | Stephen Hendry (5th) | 29 years, 130 days | Ken Doherty | Premier League (L) |
| 23[107] | 10 August 1998 | 98–99 | Adrian Gunnell | 25 years, 351 days | Mario Wehrmann | Thailand Masters (Q) |
| 24[37] | 13 August 1998 | 98–99 (2) | Mehmet Husnu | 26 years, 19 days | Eddie Barker | China International (Q) |
| 25[42] | 13 January 1999 | 98–99 (3) | Jason Prince | 28 years, 210 days | Ian Brumby | British Open (Q) (L) |
| 26[108] | 29 January 1999 | 98–99 (4) | Ronnie O'Sullivan (2nd) | 23 years, 55 days | James Wattana | Welsh Open |
| 27[37] | 4 February 1999 | 98–99 (5) | Stuart Bingham | 22 years, 259 days | Barry Hawkins | UK Tour – Event 3 |
| 28[37] | 22 March 1999 | 98–99 (6) | Nick Dyson | 29 years, 93 days | Adrian Gunnell | UK Tour – Event 4 |
| 29[42] | 6 April 1999 | 98–99 (7) | Graeme Dott | 21 years, 329 days | David Roe | British Open |
| 30[62] | 19 September 1999 | 99–00 | Stephen Hendry (6th) | 30 years, 249 days | Peter Ebdon | British Open (F) |
| 31[109] | 21 September 1999 | 99–00 (2) | Barry Pinches | 29 years, 70 days | Joe Johnson | Welsh Open (Q) (L) |
| 32[110] | 13 October 1999 | 99–00 (3) | Ronnie O'Sullivan (3rd) | 23 years, 312 days | Graeme Dott | Grand Prix |
| 33[37] | 4 November 1999 | 99–00 (4) | Karl Burrows | 31 years, 322 days | Adrian Rosa | Masters (Q) (L) |
| 34[111] | 22 November 1999 | 99–00 (5) | Stephen Hendry (7th) | 30 years, 313 days | Paul Wykes | UK Championship |
| 35[37] | 21 January 2000 | 99–00 (6) | John Higgins | 24 years, 248 days | Dennis Taylor | Nations Cup |
| 36[37] | 24 March 2000 | 99–00 (7) | John Higgins (2nd) | 24 years, 311 days | Jimmy White | Irish Masters |
| 37[43] | 28 March 2000 | 99–00 (8) | Stephen Maguire | 19 years, 15 days | Phaitoon Phonbun | Scottish Open (Q) (L) |
| 38[43] | 5 April 2000 | 99–00 (9) | Ronnie O'Sullivan (4th) | 24 years, 122 days | Quinten Hann | Scottish Open |
| 39[112] | 25 October 2000 | 00–01 | Marco Fu | 22 years, 291 days | Ken Doherty | Scottish Masters (L) |
| 40[113] | 7 November 2000 | 00–01 (2) | David McLellan | 30 years, 302 days | Steve Meakin | Masters (Q) |
| 41[114] | 19 November 2000 | 00–01 (3) | Nick Dyson (2nd) | 30 years, 336 days | Robert Milkins | UK Championship (Q) |
| 42[63] | 25 February 2001 | 00–01 (4) | Stephen Hendry (8th) | 32 years, 43 days | Mark Williams | Malta Grand Prix (F) |
| 43[115] | 17 October 2001 | 01–02 | Ronnie O'Sullivan (5th) | 25 years, 316 days | Drew Henry | LG Cup |