History of snooker History of snooker The game of snooker is a cue sport which emerged in its modern form in the late 19th century, with roots going back to the 16th century form of English billiards. Billiards was popular among the British Armed Forces stationed in India. As billiards was only a two player game, new games such as life pool and pyramid pool were developed in order to accommodate more players. Eventually, these two games were combined to form snooker. Billiards was first played in the 16th century. It was known as a "gentleman's game" because of its popularity among royalty.
Snooker match is won when a player wins a predetermined number of frames. Snooker gained its own identity in 1884 when army officer Sir Neville Chamberlain (not the Prime Minister of that name), while stationed in Ooty, devised a set of rules that combined pyramid and life pool. The word "snooker" was a long-used military term used to describe inexperienced or first-year personnel. The game grew in popularity in England, and the Billiards Association and Control Club was formed in 1919. It is now governed by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA). The World Snooker Championship has taken place