Snooker Solitaire

Snooker Solitaire Rulebook

Table of Contents

Introduction

Snooker is a game played with cues on a billiard table in which the players use a white cue ball to strike the other balls and pot them into the table pockets in a set order. In Snooker Solitaire there are 10 red balls and 6 'colour' balls (balls other than reds, namely yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black).

Scoring

Points are scored by potting the balls. A red ball scores 1 point, yellow 2, green 3, brown 4, blue 5, pink 6 and black 7.

On the first shot of a player's turn they must hit a red. If potted, this is followed by any colour. A potted colour must then be followed by a red, and so on. A red, once potted, remains off the table. Potted colours are placed back on the table. The alternation between red balls and colours ends when all reds have been potted and a colour is potted after the last red (or a failed attempt to do so is made). The six colours are then potted (and remain off the table) in ascending order of value, finishing with the black.

A break is the number of points scored in one single visit to the table. So a red followed by a black would be a break of eight. A player's turn and break ends when they fail to pot a ball or they commit a foul shot.

Components

20 Table cards (1 cue ball, 10 red balls, 6 coloured balls, 3 blanks), 4 Cue/Chalk cards, 1 Scoreboard card, 8 Opponent cards, 1 Shot Difficulty reference card.

You'll also need 4 regular dice and 6 tokens (including 2 each of 2 different colours to track your and your opponent's scores).

1. The Set Up

Take the Classic Cue card and place one token on the '7' of the Cue tracker and another on the '4' of the Chalk tracker. These represent the starting values for your Cue Power and Chalk.

Place the Scoreboard card, and four tokens to track the scores (2 of each colour), nearby.

Put aside the Bobby Black and Jimmy Potter cards, shuffle the other 6 Opponent cards, place them face down and draw the top card. This will be your opponent for the First Round match. If you should make it to the Quarterfinal, then shuffle the Bobby Black and Jimmy Potter cards into the remaining Opponent cards to create the draw deck for the remaining rounds.

2. The Break Off

The first shot of the game is called the 'break off' shot and is taken by your opponent.

Shuffle the 20 Table cards and deal them ball side up in a 4 x 5 grid to form the Table (see diagram: the 4 x 5 card Table at Break Off showing the positions of the corner and side Pockets; you may wish to mark the pocket positions until you are familiar with the layout). Cards should be dealt as they come and should not be rearranged during dealing or once they are laid.

The cards represent the distribution of the balls following your opponent's break off. No points are scored during this phase.

You then begin your turn and attempt to pot a red ball.

3. Shot Difficulty

Before attempting a shot you must first calculate its difficulty. Choose the ball you are aiming to pot (the Object ball).

Calculate the number of cards from the Cue ball to the Object ball and then to the pocket. The shortest path must be taken (if there is more than one then you may choose) moving from one card to the next, either orthogonally or diagonally, until the pocket is reached. The path may include cards with other balls on them. Note that pockets can only be reached from the card to which they are attached (see diagram).

When calculating the shortest path, do not move off, and then back on to, a vertical column or horizontal row. (Diagram: examples of illegal paths to pot a red ball.)

This number is then modified as follows to arrive at the final Shot Difficulty:

Add 2 for each ball card between the Cue ball and the Object ball (you are 'Snookered').
Add 1 for each ball card between the Object ball and the pocket (you are 'Blocked').
Add 1 for the Pocket itself.
Add 1 if the shot is a Fine Cut (see '6. Fine Cuts').
Add 1 if you are attempting a 'Double' (see '7. Double Shot').
Subtract 1 for a Straight Pot (see '5. Straight Pots').

You may lower the Shot Difficulty with Cue Power (see '4. Taking a Shot'). Subtract the amount of Cue Power you are using.

Note that the minimum Shot Difficulty is 2 (so, no matter how much Cue Power is used, 2 is the minimum needed to pot a ball).

You may not attempt a shot where the Shot Difficulty would require a dice roll of over 6.

4. Taking a Shot

You may use Cue Power to improve your chances of potting a ball. Cue Power helps with both the strength and accuracy of the shot. You may use as much Cue Power as you have on any single shot. Move the Cue Power token down the tracker equal to the amount used.

You will need Chalk if you are snookered and/or blocked. Chalk helps with the skill of control and precision to swerve the shot. Move the Chalk token down the tracker equal to the total number of balls snookering and/or blocking you. If you have insufficient Chalk then you cannot attempt that shot.

Then roll 2 dice. If one of the dice is equal to or greater than the Shot Difficulty then the Object ball is potted. Otherwise the shot fails.

If the score on the remaining dice is a '6' then you may increase either Chalk or Cue Power by 1 (up to the maximum shown on the Cue card).

Diagram captions: "Examples of Shot Difficulty required to pot different red balls. The same principles apply when potting the Colours." Annotations include "2 added for Brown snooker: 1 Chalk required" and "1 added for Blue block: 1 Chalk required".

5. Straight Pots

A pot where there is a straight, horizontal path between the Cue ball, the Object ball and a centre pocket or a straight, diagonal path between the Cue ball, the Object ball and a corner pocket. To be a Straight Pot, it must not be Snookered or Blocked.

(Diagram: examples of Shot Difficulty required for Straight Pots and Fine Cut on red balls; "1 subtracted for a Straight Pot", "1 added for a Fine Cut".)

6. Fine Cuts

A Fine Cut is a shot where the Object ball travels at a right angle (90 degrees) to the approach path of the Cue ball. The Cue ball must either start on the same row as the Object ball (which, when hit, then travels vertically along its column) or start on the same column as the Object ball (which, when hit, then travels horizontally along its row).

Note that there must be a clear path between the Cue ball and Object ball. See the examples above and on the next page.

(Diagram captions: "Examples of Shot Difficulty required for Fine Cuts on red balls"; "More examples of Shot Difficulty required on red balls". Annotations include "Cue Power required to reduce this to at least 6", "1 added for Green block: 1 Chalk required", "2 added for Blue snooker: 1 Chalk required", "1 added for Yellow block: 1 Chalk required".)

7. Double (Bank) Shot

A Double is a shot where the Cue ball rebounds off the side wall (cushion) to strike the Object ball or, after being struck, the Object ball rebounds off the side wall into an opposite pocket.

The double is useful if you are Snookered or Blocked and do not have enough Chalk. This shot type is an exception to the 'shortest path' rule stated in section 3. To attempt a Double there must not be any other balls along the chosen path from the Cue ball to the Object ball to the Pocket.

(Diagram captions: "Examples of Shot Difficulty required on red balls when playing a Double (the player has no Chalk)"; "More examples of Shot Difficulty required on red balls" with "2 added for Pink snooker: 1 Chalk required", "1 added for Blue block: 1 Chalk required", "1 added for a Double", "1 added for a Fine Cut".)

Note that the arrowed lines indicate the number of cards from the Cue ball to the Object ball to the Pocket, with any modifiers, in order to calculate the Shot Difficulty. They are not meant to represent the paths the balls would actually take (which would be more direct).

8. Potted Balls

If a ball is successfully potted, swap the positions of the Cue ball card and the potted ball card. If the potted ball was a red then place that card face down. If the potted ball was a colour, potted after a red, then that card remains face up.

Move your token(s) on the Scoreboard card to keep track of your score.

Once a colour is potted after the final red (or a failed attempt to do so is made), the six colours are then potted in ascending order of value. The card positions of the Cue ball and the potted ball are swapped and the potted ball card placed face down.

9. Missing a Pot (End of Break)

If you fail to pot a ball then the card positions are still swapped, but both cards remain face up. Your turn and break ends.

10. Fouling (End of Break)

If a double 1 is rolled when attempting a shot with a difficulty greater than 2 then a foul is automatically committed.

Card positions are still swapped but both cards remain face up. Your opponent receives 4 points and your turn and break ends.

11. Illegal Shots

The diagrams illustrate the direction the Object ball may travel once it is struck by the Cue ball. The Object ball cannot travel at an angle less than 90 degrees to the approach path of the Cue ball. The red 'X's indicate where these angles would result in an illegal shot.

Note that, in the actual game, the balls are not in the exact centre of the cards. For the purposes of deciding if a shot is illegal, imagine that they are (as shown in the diagram). (Diagram: Fine Cut (90 degrees) positions; "Red ball cannot travel in this direction".)

12. Snookering your Opponent

Rather than potting a ball, you may attempt to snooker your opponent. An attempted snooker is successful if, when you leave the table there are one or more balls in the path between the cue ball and your opponent's object ball (which will be a red if there are still reds on the table, otherwise the lowest value colour). As in the real game, snookers are easier to lay when only one or two reds, or just the colours, remain on the Table.

The Shot Difficulty is equal to the number of cards from the Cue ball to the Object ball, with any modifiers as described in section 3.

If the shot is successful, swap the card positions of the Cue ball and the Object ball. Both cards remain face up. Chalk or Cue Power cannot be increased when laying a snooker.

If the shot is unsuccessful then the cards remain where they are.

Note that, if your shot was unsuccessful, your opponent cannot then be snookered. For example, you fail in an attempt to get out of a snooker and, by doing so, leave your opponent in the same, snookered, position. In this case, your opponent simply takes his turn as normal.

Your visit to the Table ends.

(Diagram examples: "A Shot difficulty of 4 is required to hit the red ball and lay a snooker (1 chalk is also needed). If successful then your opponent will be snookered behind the green." "A Shot difficulty of 4 is required to play the Cue ball off the cushion, hit the green ball and lay a snooker. If successful then your opponent will be snookered behind the pink and brown.")

13. Playing Safe

You may also elect to simply play the Cue ball against the Object ball without trying to pot it or snooker your opponent.

The Shot Difficulty is equal to the number of cards from the Cue ball to the Object ball, with any modifiers as described in section 3.

Roll 2 dice. If the shot is successful, swap the card positions of the Cue ball and the Object ball. Both cards remain face up. Note that Chalk or Cue Power cannot be increased when playing safe. Your visit to the Table ends.

If you fail to make the shot then a foul is committed. The cards remain where they are. Your opponent receives 4 points and your turn and break ends.

14. No Legal Shot

If you have insufficient Cue Power and/or Chalk to attempt any available shot, even by 'Playing Safe', then you do not roll the dice and simply foul. Do not move any cards.

Your opponent receives 4 points and your turn and break ends. Note that your opponent cannot be snookered following this foul. In this case, your opponent simply takes his turn as normal.

15. Opponent's Turn

Roll the number of dice specified on your opponent's card for that particular round. Discard the highest or lowest die if indicated. In the later stages of a match your opponent will roll less dice, depending on the number of reds remaining on the table. This is specified in the right hand column on the card (see example below). Check for any modifiers.

The dice score represents the total number of balls your opponent 'pots' during their break. Turn the amount of red ball cards they potted face down, starting with the lowest numbered (shown in the corner of the card). The colour they pot after each red is also shown on the Opponent card (this varies from player to player and from round to round). This colour ball card remains face up in the same position.

Once all the reds are potted (and a colour is potted after the last red), your opponent will then pot the colours, in ascending order of value, until the total number of balls potted equals their dice score. Place these cards face down.

Swap the position of the Cue ball card with card of the last ball potted.

Move the token(s) on the Scoreboard card to keep track of their score.

Their turn and break then ends.

For example, in the Final, you roll 4 dice for Eddie 'Cannonball' Collins and use the lowest 3. These total 10. There are 4 reds left on the table. So Eddie would pot the 4 reds, each followed by a colour (in his case, pink). He would then pot a further 2 colours (the yellow and the green) to make the total balls potted 10. These 2 colours would be placed face down, with the Cue ball card swapping position with the green. Eddie would have scored: 4 (1 for each red) + 24 (6 for each pink) + 2 (yellow) + 3 (green) = a total of 33 for that break.

If snookered, your opponent rolls the number of dice specified on his card. Discard any as indicated. If a 5 or 6 was rolled with any of the remaining dice then they succeed in getting out of the snooker. Discard that dice (the 5 if both a 5 and 6 were rolled). The score on their remaining dice (if any) represents the total number of balls they 'pot' during their break, as described earlier in this section.

If they only rolled 1 dice, and managed to get out of the snooker, then they do not pot any balls.

If they fail to roll a 5 or 6 then they commit a foul. The cards remain where they are and their turn ends. Add 4 points to your score.

Following an opponent's foul, and before your turn, you may swap the position of the Cue ball card with that of any card not showing a ball.

Anatomy of an Opponent card

Example: Eddie 'Cannonball' Collins, Ranking 5. "A powerful hitter, capable of beating anyone. But, if put under pressure, he can be prone to unforced errors." The card shows: the ranking and name; the dice rolls modifier (here, "If you scored a 20+ break then use <4 reds roll"); the round number and what colour is potted (1 = First round, 2 = second round, Q = Quarterfinal, S = Semifinal, F = Final; e.g. in the FINAL, Eddie would always pot a pink after a red); the number of dice rolled and which are used (filled in) going from lowest (on the left) to highest (e.g. in the Final, Eddie would roll 4 dice and use the lowest 3); and the "If < 4 reds" column giving the dice rolled when less balls are left in play.

16. Cues and Chalk

Better Cues and Chalk will help you overcome the increasingly more difficult opponents you'll meet as you progress in the tournament.

If you win a match you may upgrade to the next level of Cue, as indicated by the stars rating shown on the card (4 stars being the best).

If you manage a break of 50 or over, then you gain an additional upgrade for your next match (so you can upgrade 2 levels).

Note that Cue Power and Chalk do not replenish when you revisit the Table during a match. They are set to maximum only for your next match.

17. End of Match

When the final black is potted, the match is over and the player who has scored most points wins.

A player may concede at any time if they are too far behind to have a realistic chance of winning taking into account the remaining balls.

If you win your match, draw the next card from the Opponents deck to see who you'll be playing in the next round.

For a longer tournament, play a 'best of 3' match for each round. Each match is decided over 3 games (the first player to win 2 games wins).

18. Tied Match

In the event of a tied match, the black ball is replaced on the table and the Cue ball repositioned, as shown in the diagram (balls may be placed in either of the two positions shown).

You have one attempt to pot the black. The default Shot Difficulty is 4. Any Cue Power you have remaining may be used to reduce this. The minimum Shot Difficulty is 2.

Roll 2 dice. If one of the dice is equal to or greater than the Shot Difficulty then the black ball is potted and you win the match. If you miss then your opponent will make the pot and win.

Advanced Play

Once you feel comfortable with the various shot types and calculating their difficulty, try learning and practicing the following, more advanced, shots to give yourself an even better chance of success.

19. Plant (Combination)

With this shot the Cue ball hits an object ball, which in turn hits a second Object ball to send it into a pocket. This is useful to avoid using the Chalk required to swerve one red around another or to pass another red blocking your path.

Note that a colour ball cannot be involved when playing a Plant, as this would result in a foul shot.

Add 2 to the Shot Difficulty when playing a Plant.

(Diagram captions: "Examples of Shot Difficulty required for Plants on red balls"; "1 added for a Fine Cut", "2 added for a Plant", "1 Chalk required"; worked examples: "total SD: 4 + 1 = 5" with "-1 for a Straight Pot", "total SD: 3 + 3 = 6", "total SD: 3 + 2 = 5".)

If the Plant succeeds, place the Cue ball card where the first Object ball card was. Place the first Object ball where the second (potted) Object ball card was and place the potted Object ball card face down where the Cue ball card was.

If the Plant is missed then swap the cards as described above but second Object ball card remains face up.

20. Spin

You can use Spin to help move the Cue ball into a more favourable position for your next shot. Top spin will cause the Cue ball to travel a further distance after hitting an Object ball. Back spin will result in the Cue ball moving backwards and side spin will move the Cue ball towards the right or left after hitting an Object ball.

Decide where you want the Cue ball to end up after it has hit the Object ball. This is the 'Target' space. It must be empty and must not be the space that a colour ball would occupy after it has been potted. The path from the Object ball card to the Target space card, the 'Spin path', must not contain any balls.

To attempt Spin you will need 1 Chalk. For each card in the Spin path add an extra 1 to the Shot Difficulty.

After a successful pot, swap the positions of the Cue ball card and the potted Object ball card as normal (placing the potted ball card face down if it was a red or one of the six colours potted in sequence at the end phase of the game). But then swap the Cue ball card with Target space card.

As with other shot types, if the shot is missed then all cards involved remain face up and your turn ends.

(Diagram: "Examples of Shot Difficulty (SD) & final Cue ball position when using Spin", showing the target space, cards from Cue ball to Pocket, and cards from Object ball to Target space (Spin path).)

21. Using Spin to Snooker an Opponent

Rather than trying to pot a ball, you may decide to use spin to attempt to get the Cue ball into a position where your opponent will be snookered. Refer to the rules for snookering in Section 12 and don't forget to add the Shot Difficulty modifiers and Chalk requirements for using Spin.

Note

Snooker Solitaire does not claim to be an accurate representation of the sport, but, like the real game, it does require you to think a few shots ahead, deciding between a risky or a safer shot, and the way in which a break is gradually compiled has a similar feel.

If your dice roll only equals the Shot Difficulty, then imagine that the ball had only just enough momentum to drop into the pocket or that the shot was not quite true and rattled in the jaws of the pocket before finally disappearing into the hole.

Not every possible scenario has been covered in these rules. But hopefully the framework is here to enable you to calculate the difficulty of any shot you may consider playing. Different shot types may be combined. For example, you could attempt a Double to rebound the Cue ball off the cushion and onto the Object ball which is then potted.