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White's six appeal
Whether you love six reds snooker or hate it - and many snooker fans really do hate it - it's here to stay.
Jimmy White today beat Barry Hawkins 8-6 to win the Sangsom Grand Prix in Bangkok.
For those who think the whole tournament was some kind of joke, consider this: White won £18,000 - over £5,000 more than he pocketed for the whole of last season.
Why does six reds snooker appeal?
Well, it should guarantee shorter frames in theory because the reds are quickly split. That said, there's no reason why a half an hour safety battle on the green can't ensue in this form of snooker just as it can in the 15 red version.
Perhaps it's more that it is regarded as 'new' and therefore some sort of answer to the game's problems.
Twenty/20 has been heralded as doing the same for cricket. But anyone who followed the conclusion of the first Ashes Test from Cardiff today knows that the traditional game is still capable of delivering great entertainment.
Even so, three of the WPBSA's new Pro Challenge Series events will be played using only six reds. It's been used in the World Series and is being used in various club competitions in the UK and beyond.
So does this spell the end of 'normal' snooker?
Of course not. The slow burning drama served up during the World Championship is what makes it such a highpoint of the sporting calendar.
Taking away reds or having a shot clock would wreck it as a spectacle.
But I predict more six reds events will crop up. The fact that they level the playing field goes against the survival of the fittest ethos of top level sport but it also makes them an attractive proposition for players of varying abilities.
Perhaps this should be remembered, though: snooker is only played using 15 reds through the arbitrary decision of a bunch of British army officers who messed around with other cue sports in inventing the game in the late 19th century.
They did so because they were bored while it was raining outside. Had it stayed sunny, snooker may never have been invented at all.
More than a century later the 15 red version isn't going anywhere, so I think we can all be relaxed about the six reds experiment.
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Jimmy White today beat Barry Hawkins 8-6 to win the Sangsom Grand Prix in Bangkok.
For those who think the whole tournament was some kind of joke, consider this: White won £18,000 - over £5,000 more than he pocketed for the whole of last season.
Why does six reds snooker appeal?
Well, it should guarantee shorter frames in theory because the reds are quickly split. That said, there's no reason why a half an hour safety battle on the green can't ensue in this form of snooker just as it can in the 15 red version.
Perhaps it's more that it is regarded as 'new' and therefore some sort of answer to the game's problems.
Twenty/20 has been heralded as doing the same for cricket. But anyone who followed the conclusion of the first Ashes Test from Cardiff today knows that the traditional game is still capable of delivering great entertainment.
Even so, three of the WPBSA's new Pro Challenge Series events will be played using only six reds. It's been used in the World Series and is being used in various club competitions in the UK and beyond.
So does this spell the end of 'normal' snooker?
Of course not. The slow burning drama served up during the World Championship is what makes it such a highpoint of the sporting calendar.
Taking away reds or having a shot clock would wreck it as a spectacle.
But I predict more six reds events will crop up. The fact that they level the playing field goes against the survival of the fittest ethos of top level sport but it also makes them an attractive proposition for players of varying abilities.
Perhaps this should be remembered, though: snooker is only played using 15 reds through the arbitrary decision of a bunch of British army officers who messed around with other cue sports in inventing the game in the late 19th century.
They did so because they were bored while it was raining outside. Had it stayed sunny, snooker may never have been invented at all.
More than a century later the 15 red version isn't going anywhere, so I think we can all be relaxed about the six reds experiment.
More...