a break of 5?

[snookerelvis]

can anybody work out and list the possible number of ways there are to make a break of 5? (my highest break), excluding a free ball. I have racked my brains and come up with a number im pretty sure is correct, although im not 100% sure.

[The Statman]

1 five reds
2 three reds, yellow
3 two reds, green
4 two reds, yellow, red
5 red, brown
6 red, green, red
7 red, yellow, yellow
8 red, yellow, two reds
9 yellow, green
10 blue

Then there are those positions when a player misses a colour after a red, and the balls are replaced and this time he hits and post (probably flukes) it:

11 brown, red
12 green, two reds
13 yellow, three reds
14 yellow, red, yellow
(and blue, but that's the same as no.10).

Any advance?

[Robert602]

14? Below I think is a complete list of all mathematical possibilities, I've greyed out the ones I don't think are possible in snooker and there are 14 left.

1,1,1,1,1
2,1,1,1
1,2,1,1
1,1,2,1
1,1,1,2
1,2,2
2,1,2
2,2,1
2,3
3,2
3,1,1
1,3,1
1,1,3
4,1
1,4
5

(The odd looking ones that involve starting a break on a colour, then potting reds are legal if you're on a colour, you miss, your opponent has the balls replaced and you pot the colour. Not sure whether you considered those ones or not)

Edit: Statman got there first, but I'm pretty sure we've both covered all the options.

[hegeland]

5 red

3 red, 1 yellow

2 red, 1 green

1 yellow, 1 green

1 blue

1 red, 1 brown

2 red, 1 green

1 red, 2 yellow

= 8 different options?

[dantuck_7]

This has probably been asked been before but what is the answer for the general case. So how many possible ways are there are a break of n?

Is there a pattern (so from normal play):

1,2,3,4, 5, 6
1,2,3,4,10,?

If balls are replaced after a miss:

1,2,3, 4, 5, 6
1,2,4,7?,14,.....

Any ideas?

Dan.

[chasmmi]

1 five reds
2 three reds, yellow
3 two reds, green
4 two reds, yellow, red
5 red, brown
6 red, green, red
7 red, yellow, yellow
8 red, yellow, two reds
9 yellow, green
10 blue

Then there are those positions when a player misses a colour after a red, and the balls are replaced and this time he hits and post (probably flukes) it:

11 brown, red
12 green, two reds
13 yellow, three reds
14 yellow, red, yellow
(and blue, but that's the same as no.10).

Any advance?

You missed green. yellow (in the missing colour and replaces balls situation.)

[Sarmu]

would a foul on blue for your opponent consider a break of 5 for you?

[RaNeN]

This seems to be funny! A break of 5 and so many ways to make it!

[Sarmu]

This seems to be funny! A break of 5 and so many ways to make it!

This makes me to think that, this is a possible question for "puzzles with numbers and things", In a snooker games, which break between 1 and 155 has most ways to make that break

[snookerelvis]

1 five reds
2 three reds, yellow
3 two reds, green
4 two reds, yellow, red
5 red, brown
6 red, green, red
7 red, yellow, yellow
8 red, yellow, two reds
9 yellow, green
10 blue

Then there are those positions when a player misses a colour after a red, and the balls are replaced and this time he hits and post (probably flukes) it:

11 brown, red
12 green, two reds
13 yellow, three reds
14 yellow, red, yellow
(and blue, but that's the same as no.10).

Any advance?

The answer i had was 10 possible ways as listed above, i didnt realise you could start a break off on a colour (forgive my ignorance). if a player fouls on a colour after a red, can a miss be called? and if so shouldnt he be starting off on a red again?

[The Statman]

The answer i had was 10 possible ways as listed above, i didnt realise you could start a break off on a colour (forgive my ignorance). if a player fouls on a colour after a red, can a miss be called? and if so shouldnt he be starting off on a red again?

If he is merely asked to play again from the position remaining, then yes, he'd start on a red.

But if the Miss was replaced, then he's got to retake the shot at the colour.

Think of it this way: The most likely reason a player would foul a colour after a red would be because he is snookered on all colours by reds. If the balls are replaced, it would be silly for him to play for a red, since he can obviously see reds. He is being penalised for failing to escape a snooker (which he got hinself into) – so he must now go for a colour again (he may choose another if he likes). If he flukes it, he will be credited with the relevant points and continue on a red.

[snookerelvis]

Ah...i see now, thanks for clearing that up statman

[Harper]

Great question that one. I came across the same question in a pub quiz. We were told the answer was "5 ways"...(the clowns). As The Statman correctly points out, there are many more...however I only reached the original 10 ways as listed above.

Surely the 14 combinations as listed by The Statman are the only ones possible? If there are any more, I'll eat my cue, 15 reds and all the colours to boot. Then I'll guzzle down a match play table for desert.

[Robert602]

Surely the 14 combinations as listed by The Statman are the only ones possible? If there are any more, I'll eat my cue, 15 reds and all the colours to boot. Then I'll guzzle down a match play table for desert.

Actually, I think chasmmi's right. We both missed green then yellow (I ruled it out as impossible for no good reason that I can think of now), so that makes 15.

Enjoy your meal

[The Statman]

Great question that one. I came across the same question in a pub quiz. We were told the answer was "5 ways"...(the clowns). As The Statman correctly points out, there are many more...however I only reached the original 10 ways as listed above.

Surely the 14 combinations as listed by The Statman are the only ones possible? If there are any more, I'll eat my cue, 15 reds and all the colours to boot. Then I'll guzzle down a match play table for desert.

Well you'd better get your stomach in order, because as previously mentioned, I missed out the green-yellow, i.e. miss replaced on the colour after the last red. Replays the green, pots it and then plays yellow as first colour.