Century break
Encyclopedia
In snooker
a century break refers to scoring 100 points or more within one at the table, without missing a shot. The player does this by potting and alternately. Scoring 100 points over the course of a whole frame is not a century, as it must be done during one turn at the table (although you can have more than one turn). Points for a foul shot by the opponent do not count in a player's break.
The highest possible century in snooker is 147 (a "maximum break"), composed of 15 reds, 15 blacks and the six remaining colours; yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black potted consecutively. Under exceptional circumstances, it is possible to score a break of 155. Should a player come to the table after a foul shot by the opponent and is unable to hit both sides of any red ball, he may nominate one of the colours as a red. Under these circumstances, it is possible to pot 16 reds and blacks, plus 27 points for the six remaining colours, totalling 155 points.
To score a century, there must be at least ten reds (or nine in a free ball situation) on the table when the player comes to play. If there are nine reds, then the most points that can be scored is 99 (= 9 x 8 + 27).
tournaments with the number of professional seasons, and the number of maximum breaks the player has achieved. As of 13 October 2011 42 players compiled more than hundred century breaks in professional competition and every World Champion since 1987 is on this list.
Notes
Jimmy White
is the player with the most centuries who has never won a world title, although he has reached 6 finals and won the World Seniors Championship
. Ken Doherty
is the highest player on the list never to have made a maximum break. Anthony Hamilton
is the highest player on the list never to have won a ranking title. Andy Hicks
is the highest player on the list to have never been ranked within the top 16.
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
a century break refers to scoring 100 points or more within one at the table, without missing a shot. The player does this by potting and alternately. Scoring 100 points over the course of a whole frame is not a century, as it must be done during one turn at the table (although you can have more than one turn). Points for a foul shot by the opponent do not count in a player's break.
The highest possible century in snooker is 147 (a "maximum break"), composed of 15 reds, 15 blacks and the six remaining colours; yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black potted consecutively. Under exceptional circumstances, it is possible to score a break of 155. Should a player come to the table after a foul shot by the opponent and is unable to hit both sides of any red ball, he may nominate one of the colours as a red. Under these circumstances, it is possible to pot 16 reds and blacks, plus 27 points for the six remaining colours, totalling 155 points.
To score a century, there must be at least ten reds (or nine in a free ball situation) on the table when the player comes to play. If there are nine reds, then the most points that can be scored is 99 (= 9 x 8 + 27).
Records
- Horace LindrumHorace LindrumHorace Lindrum was an Australian professional snooker and carom billiards player. He was the great grandson of Australia's first billiards champion, the grandson of the great billiard coach, Frederick William Lindrum II, and nephew of Frederick William Lindrum III and Walter...
became the first player to record 1000 centuries in public performance.
- Stephen HendryStephen HendryStephen Gordon Hendry, MBE is a Scottish professional snooker player. In 1990, he was the youngest-ever snooker World Champion, at the age of 21. He has won the World Championship a record seven times and was snooker's world number one for eight consecutive years between 1990 and 1998, and again...
holds the record for century breaks in professional tournament play, having made over 700.
- Hendry also holds the record for making the most centuries in a single match, compiling seven during the final of the 1994 UK Championship. During this match, Hendry compiled six centuries in a span of eight frames.
- Hendry holds the record for the most century breaks made in a ranking event having made 16 centuries during the 2002 World Championship.
- The quickest recorded century break in tournament play was by Tony DragoTony DragoTony Drago is a professional snooker and pool player from Malta. He won the 2003 World Pool Masters Tournament beating Hsia Hui-kai 8–6 and also reached the quarter finals of the World Snooker Championship...
. In the 1996 UK Championship, he took just 3 minutes 31 seconds (211 seconds) to score a hundred.
- There have been five consecutive centuries in a match on two occasions. Ronnie O'SullivanRonnie O'SullivanRonald Antonio "Ronnie" O'Sullivan , is an English professional snooker player known for his rapid playing style and nicknamed "The Rocket". He has been World Champion on three occasions , and is second on the all-time prize-money list, with career earnings of over £6 million, behind only Stephen...
and Stephen Hendry made five consecutive centuries between them during the final of the 2003 British OpenBritish Open (snooker)The British Open was a professional snooker tournament. It was a ranking tournament from 1985. The tournament has not been held since the 2004/2005 season....
, and Stephen MaguireStephen MaguireStephen Maguire is a Scottish professional snooker player.-Early career:Maguire almost qualified for the 2000 World Championships, leading eventual semi-finalist Joe Swail 9–6 in the final qualifying round before losing 9–10, but first served notice of his true potential by knocking out Stephen...
and Neil RobertsonNeil Robertson (snooker player)Neil Robertson is an Australian professional snooker player and the 2010 World Champion and World #4...
achieved the same feat at the 2009 Masters in the quarter-final.
- Stephen Maguire made five consecutive centuries at the 2004 British Open2004 British Open (snooker)The 2004 British Open was the 2004 edition of the British Open snooker tournament, held from 8 to 14 November 2004 at The Brighton Centre, Brighton, England. John Higgins won the tournament, defeating Stephen Maguire nine to six in the all-Scottish final to lift his first ranking-event title since...
comprising the last three frames of his quarter final and the first two frames of the semi-final.
- Only two players have made four consecutive centuries in a match: John Higgins in the final of the 2005 Grand Prix2005 Grand Prix (snooker)The 2005 Grand Prix professional ranking snooker tournament was held between 8 and 16 October 2005, at the Guild Hall, Preston, England.John Higgins won in the final 9-2 against Ronnie O'Sullivan. In the final, Higgins set two records...
and Shaun MurphyShaun Murphy (snooker player)Shaun Murphy is an English professional snooker player, who won the 2005 World Championship. Nicknamed "The Magician", Murphy is noted for his straight cue action and his long potting. He is known for his dedication and for being a devout Christian.Born in Harlow, England, Murphy turned...
at 2007 Welsh Open.
- Ronnie O'Sullivan holds the record for making the most centuries in a best-of-9 match compiling five centuries (including a 147) to beat Ali Carter 5–2 at the 2007 Northern Ireland Trophy. O'Sullivan is the only player to win a match in a ranking tournament by making a century in every single frame that he won.
- Mark SelbyMark SelbyMark Anthony Selby is an English professional snooker and pool player. Runner up in the World Snooker Championship 2007, he was the 2006 WEPF World Eight-ball Champion. Selby has won the Masters on two occasions, the Welsh Open and the Shanghai Masters...
set the record for the most century breaks compiled in a World Championship match at the 2011 World Championship2011 World Snooker ChampionshipThe 2011 Betfred.com World Snooker Championship professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 16 April and 2 May 2011 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 74th edition of the event and was the last ranking event of the 2010/2011 snooker season...
, where he made six in total. It was also a record for a best-of-25 match.
- Mark Selby holds the record for compiling the most centuries in a single season, making 54 centuries in the 2010/11 seasonSnooker season 2010/2011The 2010/11 snooker season is a series of snooker tournaments played during 2010 and 2011. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events.- Calendar :-New professional players:...
.
List of players with at least 100 century breaks
The list includes players who have achieved at least one hundred century breaks in professional snookerSnooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
tournaments with the number of professional seasons, and the number of maximum breaks the player has achieved. As of 13 October 2011 42 players compiled more than hundred century breaks in professional competition and every World Champion since 1987 is on this list.
| Rank | Player | Number of centuries | Number of seasons as Pro | Number of maximums |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
762 | 27 | 10 |
| 2 |  |
650 | 20 | 11 |
| 3 | |
486 | 20 | 5 |
| 4 | |
325 | 34 | 1 |
| 5 | |
289 | 32 | 1 |
| 6 | |
286 | 21 | 2 |
| 7 | 285 | 22 | 0 | |
| 8 |  |
284 | 20 | 2 |
| 9 |  |
226 | 15 | 1 |
| 10 |  Ding JunhuiDing Junhui Ding Junhui is a Chinese professional snooker player. Ding Junhui is China's most successful player ever, having become only the second teenager, after John Higgins, to win three ranking titles... |
221 | 9 | 2 |
| 11 | |
221 | 27 | 1 |
| 12 | |
220 | 18 | 0 |
| 13 | |
218 | 22 | 0 |
| 14 | |
214 | 14 | 1 |
| 15 | |
210 | 15 | 1 |
| 16 | |
200 | 15 | 2 |
| 17 |  |
180 | 14 | 1 |
| 18 | |
162 | 15 | 0 |
| 19 | |
160 | 20 | 0 |
| 20 | |
159 | 22 | 0 |
| 21 | |
156 | 17 | 2 |
| 22 |  |
149 | 23 | 3 |
| 23 | |
134 | 21 | 0 |
| 24 | |
131 | 16 | 1 |
| 25 | |
129 | 18 | 1 |
| 26 | |
126 | 21 | 0 |
| 27 | |
126 | 26 | 1 |
| 28 | |
124 | 20 | 0 |
| 29 | |
123 | 7 | 0 |
| 30 |  |
123 | 21 | 0 |
| 31 |  |
120 | 10 | 0 |
| 32 | |
117 | 20 | 0 |
| 33 |  |
116 | 27 | 1 |
| 34 |  |
115 | 16 | 0 |
| 35 | |
115 | 21 | 0 |
| 36 | |
114 | 11 | 0 |
| 37 | |
113 | 23 | 1 |
| 38 | |
111 | 18 | 0 |
| 39 | |
109 | 20 | 1 |
| 40 | |
108 | 13 | 0 |
| 41 | |
105 | 11 | 2 |
| 42 | |
102 | 12 | 1 |
| Last updated on 23 October 2011. | ||||
Notes
Jimmy White
Jimmy White
James Warren "Jimmy" White MBE is an English professional snooker player. Nicknamed the "Whirlwind" and popularly referred to as the "People's Champion", White is a multiple World Championship finalist renowned for losing each of the six finals he contested.White's extensive list of achievements,...
is the player with the most centuries who has never won a world title, although he has reached 6 finals and won the World Seniors Championship
World Seniors Championship
The World Seniors Championship is a cue sport tournament, played under a variation of the standard rules of snooker, snooker players over 45. The defending champion is Darren Morgan.- History :...
. Ken Doherty
Ken Doherty
Ken Doherty is an Irish professional snooker player. He is the only player ever to have been world amateur and world professional champion...
is the highest player on the list never to have made a maximum break. Anthony Hamilton
Anthony Hamilton (snooker player)
Anthony Hamilton is an English professional snooker player noted for his strong break-building technique and distinctive appearance. He has spent five seasons ranked among the game's top 16, and fifteen in the top 32, reaching a career-high at number #10 in the world in the 1999/2000 season...
is the highest player on the list never to have won a ranking title. Andy Hicks
Andy Hicks
Andy Hicks is an English professional snooker player currently from Cornwall. Hicks, nicknamed "The Cream of Devon", has been a World Snooker Championship semi-finalist and was ranked within the worlds top 32 for many seasons but has never broken into the top 16.-Career:Although a professional...
is the highest player on the list to have never been ranked within the top 16.