The first ever published rules of American snooker

[Archivist]

Hi, I'm trying to find the first set of published rules for American snooker. I found the first mention in the press on 2 February 1917 (https://allaboutsnooker.info/sydenha...february-1917/), but I'm not sure if this is American snooker with the original rules. I've read that the rules were published in 1925, but I can't find the source. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[DeanH]

I have many sets of rules going back to 1910 (and a bit before) but not much mention of American Snooker.

The link does not open for me

[DeanH]

Found this:

There is another form of the game though, known as American Snooker, where the rules
have been structured to resemble many of the American games of pool. In this version it
would be a foul if no reds hit a cushion or fell into a pocket, and the cue-ball needs to hit at
least one cushion after striking the pack. Another curiosity of American Snooker is that any
foul carries a penalty of seven points. (The rules of American Snooker can be found on the
website of Brunswick Billiards.)

[Archivist]

I came across the first mention of snooker in the US in Field magazine on Saturday 30 March 1889:

"Snooker—Are there any printed rules for the American game of snooker, with all the pool and pyramid balls, and, if so, where are they to be had?—J. H.H.C."

I've looked but I can't find the original rules. All I can find is that the rules of American snooker are different from the standard English rules.

The link does not open for me

It's a bit strange, but you can go to https://allaboutsnooker.info and search for 'American snooker'.

[Archivist]

Found this:

There is another form of the game though, known as American Snooker, where the rules
have been structured to resemble many of the American games of pool. In this version it
would be a foul if no reds hit a cushion or fell into a pocket, and the cue-ball needs to hit at
least one cushion after striking the pack. Another curiosity of American Snooker is that any
foul carries a penalty of seven points. (The rules of American Snooker can be found on the
website of Brunswick Billiards.)

I couldn't find any snooker rules on the Brunswick Billiards website. It looks like there aren't any American or English rules either.
https://www.brunswickbilliards.com/

[DeanH]

the link did go to webarchive so who knows where it is in the old site

[Archivist]

I managed to track down the original American Snooker rules from 1925. I've published the text version at https://allaboutsnooker.info/american-snooker-rules/. After digitisation and verification I will publish the full text ‘Rules for playing the various Games of Carom and Pocket Billiards. Compliments of the Brunswick-Balke Collender Co.’ in PDF in the Downloads section.

Just to be clear, I'm not advertising the site. It's a non-profit project. We publish all the documents we find for free in the public domain. If anyone would like a scan of the source, just drop us a line and we'll be sure to send it to you.

I'm looking for some help with finding information about snooker. I'm on the lookout for:

Rules of Australian snooker from the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. I've got a description of the rules. There's a mention of tournaments being played. I'm looking for the published rules that were used for these tournaments.

I'm also looking for the rules for double-snooker, snooker-billiards (developed by Thurston), ward's snooker pool, volunteer snooker, pari-snooker, tenball, sinuca brasileira, and so on. Tournaments were held for all these games, so the rules were probably in paper form. I'd be really grateful if you could help me find them.

[DeanH]

snooker-billiards (developed by Thurston) - I have an article in 1925-09 The Billiard Player if you want a copy. This is a discussion article not the rules themselves.

Volunteer Snooker - I have the rules as per official rule booklet, earlier (I think I have) 1917.

Pari-Snooker - small article found in 1903_06 The Billiard Player

sinuca brasileira - found a set of rules and description from a defunct website.

[Archivist]

snooker-billiards (developed by Thurston) - I have an article in 1925-09 The Billiard Player if you want a copy. This is a discussion article not the rules themselves.

Volunteer Snooker - I have the rules as per official rule booklet, earlier (I think I have) 1917.

Pari-Snooker - small article found in 1903_06 The Billiard Player

sinuca brasileira - found a set of rules and description from a defunct website.

Snooker-billiards: If there's any info in the article that's different from what's in this publication, https://allaboutsnooker.info/liverpo...eptember-1925/, please let us know.

‘Copies of the rules may be had from Messrs. Thurston, Leicester-square, London, for 2s 4d, including postage.’ - unfortunately this option is not working today


Volunteer Snooker - really need the rules! I managed to find the first mention in the Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) on Wednesday 17 October 1906, but there are no rules included. It's just a short note.

Pari-Snooker. I've seen lots of descriptions of this game, but I can't find any mention of the rules anywhere.

I also found sinuca brasileira (and other exotic variants) in the archive https://web.archive.org/web/20210927...uk/games6.html, but I can't find the author Mike Stooke (if he is still alive) to find out where he got his information from. I only collect and publish information from printed sources (books, magazines, newspapers, personal letters, etc.).

Thanks for your help! I'd also appreciate any material on snooker history. I still have over 3000 publications and letters unsorted, so hopefully our materials will be useful to someone. Scans can be sent to email or PM.

Regards

[Archivist]

Just to let you know that the rulebook has now been digitised and published. You can download it here: https://allaboutsnooker.info/downloads/ (fourth link from the top).

[DeanH]

Snooker-billiards: If there's any info in the article that's different from what's in this publication, https://allaboutsnooker.info/liverpo...eptember-1925/, please let us know.

‘Copies of the rules may be had from Messrs. Thurston, Leicester-square, London, for 2s 4d, including postage.’ - unfortunately this option is not working today

Volunteer Snooker - really need the rules! I managed to find the first mention in the Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) on Wednesday 17 October 1906, but there are no rules included. It's just a short note.

I have a PDF for you, email?
The PDF is from the 1936 BACC rule book but the rules exist many years before and still published into the 60s.. If you want any earlier let me know and I can find the hardcopies and get a scan for you.

Pari-Snooker. I've seen lots of descriptions of this game, but I can't find any mention of the rules anywhere.

Apologies, a typo above 1930 not 1903
Not actual rules but again a description.

I also found sinuca brasileira (and other exotic variants) in the archive https://web.archive.org/web/20210927...uk/games6.html, but I can't find the author Mike Stooke (if he is still alive) to find out where he got his information from. I only collect and publish information from printed sources (books, magazines, newspapers, personal letters, etc.).

Yep, that is where I found it, Mike was still alive last year when we had a short email conversation
I have reached out to him about this.

Thanks for your help! I'd also appreciate any material on snooker history. I still have over 3000 publications and letters unsorted, so hopefully our materials will be useful to someone. Scans can be sent to email or PM.

No email found.

[Archivist]

Many thanks! My email is admin@allaboutsnooker.info.

I'd be really grateful if you could send me copies of any paper publications you have in any format, as well as PDF files.

I've emailed https://web.archive.org/web/20210801...k/contact.html a few times and searched for Mike Stooke on social media. Maybe my emails got flagged as spam and he didn't get them. Could you drop Mike a line and give my email address, I am very interested in sourcing information, he has a few exotic variants on his old site that I have heard of from other people, but none have official rules.

If you're after the original rules of four jolly snookers or other nineteenth-century variants, I can send scans from the paper originals.

[DeanH]

Many thanks! My email is admin@allaboutsnooker.info.

Email sent from personal account in confidence, please do not distribute.

I'd be really grateful if you could send me copies of any paper publications you have in any format, as well as PDF files.

I have thousands of hardcopy publications - you can buy them if you want

I've emailed https://web.archive.org/web/20210801...k/contact.html a few times and searched for Mike Stooke on social media. Maybe my emails got flagged as spam and he didn't get them. Could you drop Mike a line and give my email address, I am very interested in sourcing information, he has a few exotic variants on his old site that I have heard of from other people, but none have official rules.

As said, I have sent him an email but I do know that he does not monitor the old site email much so may take some time for a replay, if at all.
He is now retired and doing lots of other things hence Games site went down.

If you're after the original rules of four jolly snookers or other nineteenth-century variants, I can send scans from the paper originals.

Nope, your good; I am not interested in variants

[DeanH]

Many thanks! My email is admin@allaboutsnooker.info.

Email sent from personal account in confidence, please do not distribute.

I have received an "unable to deliver your message to the following address".

I have checked closely and tried again.

[DeanH]

That email address bounces back.