When does a 147 transform into a one-eighty? When you're Ronnie O'Sullivan, crafting more history. That's when.
In a season when snooker's maximum break, once considered as rare as the Himalayan Yeti, has repeatedly shown up for the cameras, it fell to O'Sullivan to prove that nobody does it better. Completing his second maximum in just over 120 minutes at the a recent tournament in August, O'Sullivan earned a historic £180,333 in prize money.
As his half-century milestone approaches in December, O'Sullivan retains an daring streak that sets him apart. Nearly three decades after his famous lightning-fast maximum at the Crucible, he remains must-see entertainment.
But O'Sullivan, who starts his quest for a record-extending ninth title, is in good company in understanding the path to a maximum. There have been an astonishing twenty-five already on the professional tour in 2025, smashing the previous annual record of 14.
'Everyone on the tour now could make one'
"Picture Moira Stuart in 1983 appearing on the Six O'Clock News and telling the nation Cliff Thorburn's had a 147 at the Crucible. It would now get overlooked because it's just like, 'oh, there's been another 147'."
That's the verdict of Shaun Murphy, ranked fourth on the all-time list with 10 maximums. He is not wrong. Thorburn's maximum was a defining moment for 1983's armchair sports fan. It was only the second official maximum, with Steve Davis achieving the first. Davis' reward? One of the sponsor's cars.
There were just 8 147s across the entire 1980s, a snooker decade full of soap opera drama and larger-than-life personalities. For pure technical standard, nothing touches the current one.
"Players are chasing their career records and the tour are putting incentives out there," notes Murphy. "Players are more aware of these challenges. They're training specifically for them."
Legendary figures like Alex Higgins never had a maximum break on tour. Nor did other world champions. Yet promising talent Aaron Hill made a pair inside four weeks. The 23-year-old is amazed that Higgins never managed one.
Hill explains: "There are a lot of players who haven't had one. It was always a goal to have my name on the list. The buzz is unreal. Everyone on the tour now has the potential. We're almost expecting one in every tournament. It's everyone egging each other on."
How do you make a 147?
"In my opinion if there is a secret, it's seeing it early," explains Shaun Murphy. "If you come to the table early and pot a couple of reds and some blacks, and you see the black's available to both pockets... we all think 'hang on a minute, there's a 147 on here'.
"I remain proud of the one I made in the Shoot Out because I tried to make it from the very first pot. To have the personal challenge and then get it in the cauldron of the Shoot Out was pretty special."
Murphy describes the unique atmosphere: "When you're on a maximum, everyone in the room knows it and it intensifies their attention. Everyone's focus fixates on you." Are maximums becoming commonplace? "Not in my view."
The future frontier if the 147 code has been cracked?
- Snooker is waiting for its first ratified 147 by a woman. The Chinese player Bai Yulu had a 145 at a recently held championship.
- Two 147s in the one contest has been accomplished. Two in back-to-back frames next?
- The one-five-five (a 147 plus eight points from a foul shot at the start) has never been achieved in competition. Footage exists of a player making one in practice.
- The one-six-seven is "perhaps the next step," says Murphy, referring to a new challenge involving a special bonus ball for a massive financial prize.
The chase for the record is on
Murphy proposes the surge of maximums is easily explained. "I just think everyone's getting better. Some of the players lower in the standings that the general public have never heard of, on their day they can beat anyone."
The ever-higher "standard and reliability of playing conditions" is also cited as a factor. But ultimately, the players are the ones potting the shots.
Hill now owns two maximums. O'Sullivan holds the record of 17. "Look out Ronnie, he's coming for you." It is said in jest, but Hill fancies the chase.
"At the end of my career, I believe I'll be well up there with maximum breaks," he declares. At the very least, players now go about their everyday matches with the thought that the next frame is rich in promise.
Sink the red, add the black. Rinse and repeat.
