What Is a 147 in Snooker? The Maximum Break, Explained
Snooker breaks · The maximum · Updated 2026-07-31
A 147 is the maximum break in snooker: one visit in which a player pots all 15 reds, takes the black after every single red, then clears the six colours. That is 36 consecutive pots - 15 reds (15), 15 blacks (105), and the closing 27 - without a miss, a foul, or an awkward bounce.
It is the sport's perfect game, rare enough that professional venues have paid six-figure bonuses for one. Here is the arithmetic that defines it, why the black matters so much, the famous firsts, and the strange fact that 147 is not actually the ceiling.
The arithmetic of a maximum
| Phase | Balls | Points | Running total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reds | 15 x red | 15 | 15 |
| Blacks with every red | 15 x black | 105 | 120 |
| The clearance | yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, black | 27 | 147 |
The break lives or dies on the black. Every red must be followed by the 7 - one pink and the ceiling is 146, one blue and it is 145. This is why position on the black after every red is the whole craft of a maximum: the player is not just potting 36 balls, but keeping the cue ball in one small working area 15 times in a row.
How rare is it?
The first officially ratified maximum in professional play was made by Steve Davis in 1982, and the first at the World Championship by Cliff Thorburn in 1983. Ronnie O'Sullivan holds the records that matter: the most official maximums, and the fastest - 5 minutes 8 seconds at the 1997 World Championship, still the benchmark for controlled speed. Well over a hundred official 147s have now been made, but they remain rare enough that each one is announced, replayed and remembered; most professionals retire without one.
The 155: why 147 is not the true ceiling
If your opponent fouls and leaves you snookered before the first red, the referee calls a free ball. Nominate the black: it counts as a red for 1 point, and you then take the actual black with it. That is 8 extra points available before the normal maximum begins - a theoretical ceiling of 155, requiring 38 pots. Breaks above 147 have been recorded in practice and exhibition play; in ranking competition the free-ball maximum remains snooker's white whale.
Maximums in the shorter formats
| Format | Pots required | Maximum break |
|---|---|---|
| 15 reds (full frame) | 36 | 147 |
| 10 reds | 26 | 107 |
| 6 reds | 18 | 75 |
If you ever get close, the board should know. Snooker Scoreboard₊ tracks every break as you build it and lights the milestones live - 30, 50, century, and the maximum for whichever red count you are playing. Every 147 needs a witness; the scoreboard is the reliable one. Learn more about Snooker Scoreboard₊.
Watching for one: the tells
- Every red must come with a black. The moment a pink goes down with a red, the maximum is gone - the crowd's groan tells you before the scoreboard does.
- The break hits 120 as the last black falls. From there the clearance is 'only' the 27 every club player has practised.
- Frame ball is irrelevant. A player on a maximum has usually won the frame by the eighth black; what is at stake after that is the number itself.
- The pink and black are the pressure pots. At 140 the player needs the two hardest position balls on the table with the whole room standing.
What a maximum is worth
Tournaments have variously offered rolling prize funds, fixed bonuses and famously - at the Crucible in the 1980s and 1990s - six-figure cheques for a televised 147. The bonuses come and go with sponsors; the number does not. In a game scored one red at a time, 147 is the one score that needs no context.
Frequently asked questions
How many balls do you pot for a 147?
Thirty-six: 15 reds, 15 blacks (one after each red), then the six colours in order. A free-ball 155 requires 38.
Who made the first official 147?
Steve Davis, at the Lada Classic in 1982, was the first officially ratified maximum in professional competition. Cliff Thorburn made the first at the World Championship a year later.
What is the fastest 147 ever made?
Ronnie O'Sullivan's 5 minutes 8 seconds at the 1997 World Championship - an average of under nine seconds per shot for 36 pots.
Is a 147 possible in six-red snooker?
No - with 6 reds the maximum is 75 (6 x 8 + 27). The number 147 belongs specifically to the full 15-red frame.