The two candidates are Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry, who share the modern record of seven world titles. O'Sullivan leads on every other measure: more than 40 ranking titles to Hendry's 36, 23 Triple Crown titles to 18, more than 1,200 career centuries to 775, and 15 maximum breaks to 11, achieved across a career spanning four decades.
They are three separate games played on different tables. Snooker uses a twelve-foot table, twenty-two balls and rounded pocket openings barely wider than a ball, and requires alternating reds and colours in a fixed sequence. Pool, in its American forms, uses a smaller table, larger balls, wider cut pockets and fewer balls, and rewards shot-making over long sequences.
Pick two names from this sport’s all-time list. The larger number in each shared stat is highlighted.
| Stat | Ronnie O'Sullivan | Stephen Hendry |
|---|
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The two candidates are Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry, who share the modern record of seven world titles. O'Sullivan leads on every other measure: more than 40 ranking titles to Hendry's 36, 23 Triple Crown titles to 18, more than 1,200 career centuries to 775, and 15 maximum breaks to 11, achieved across a career spanning four decades.
They are three separate games played on different tables. Snooker uses a twelve-foot table, twenty-two balls and rounded pocket openings barely wider than a ball, and requires alternating reds and colours in a fixed sequence. Pool, in its American forms, uses a smaller table, larger balls, wider cut pockets and fewer balls, and rewards shot-making over long sequences.
Because snooker has an unambiguous arithmetic of hopelessness. When the points remaining on the table are fewer than the deficit, a player needs snookers, which means relying on the opponent to make repeated mistakes. Continuing beyond that point wastes time in matches that may already run past midnight, and the convention across the professional game is to shake hands once the frame is realistically gone.
Yes, and the evidence is no longer anecdotal. China supplies more professionals to the 128-player tour than any country except England, hosts several tournaments, and produced the 2025 world champion in Zhao Xintong, the first from Asia. Belgium's Luca Brecel won the title in 2023, the first from mainland Europe. Saudi Arabia launched the richest event outside the World Championship in 2024.
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