Variation of English billiards. It is played with 15 red balls and 6 variously coloured balls. Snooker arose, probably in India, as a game for soldiers in the 1870s. Players try to pocket first the red and then the nonred balls, scoring one point for each red ball and the number value of the others. “Snooker” refers to the position of the cue ball when it cannot hit a required ball.

Learn more about snooker with a free trial on Britannica.com.