The Evolution of 147 Breaks in Snooker: From Rarity to Record-Breaking Feats

Top 10 Players to Make 147 Breaks

- 🏆 Ronnie O'Sullivan: Holds the top spot with 15 maximum breaks, with his last one made in 2018.

- 🥈 John Higgins: Comes in second with 13 maximum breaks, and his most recent one was achieved in 2024.

- 🎱 Stephen Hendry: With 11 maximum breaks, Hendry last recorded one in 2012.

- 🎯 Stuart Bingham: Bingham has made 9 maximum breaks, and his latest one was in 2022.

- 🌟 Judd Trump: Trump has 8 maximum breaks to his name, and his most recent one was also made in 2022.

- 🎩 Shaun Murphy: With 8 maximum breaks, Murphy's last was in the shoot out in December 2023

- 🌟 Ding Junhui: Ding has made 7 maximum breaks, with the most recent one achieved in 2024.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the man who is currently top of the list when it comes to 147s is none other than Ronnie O’Sullivan. Seven times he has become World Champion, and 15 times, he has managed to record a maximum break.

Considered the greatest to have ever played the sport, O’Sullivan finds himself two clear of Scottish star John Higgins. With that being said, Higgins's most recent maximum was only as recent as February 2024; his counterpart has been waiting since 2018 to add to his tally. 

These two are just a trio of men who have reached double figures for earning maximums. The other member of such lofty company is Stephen Hendry, with 11.

However, any chances of the Scottish pair sharing 12 maximums look somewhat unlikely when you consider that Hendry’s last 147 was back in 2012, and only fleeting appearances have occurred in the past few years. 

Suppose these three are considered the greats of the game. In that case, there is also the next generation of stars on the table, and this is reflected by the likes of Judd Trump and Kyren Wilson who have made eight and 5 maximums respectively and Zhou Yuelong 10 years even their junior at 22, who has racked up a brace already.

The First Televised 147 Break

Martin Rulsch, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

In January 1982, snooker player Steve Davis made sporting history by constructing the first maximum break in tournament play. This milestone moment put snooker in the spotlight and solidified its growing popularity on British television. Davis, with his clean-cut image and talent, became the sport's ambassador, appealing to both middle-class and working-class audiences alike. With the help of manager Barry Hearn, snooker expanded commercially, reaching new heights of success with endorsements, TV appearances, and even a pop song. Snooker had officially cemented its place as a mainstream sport.

Most 147 Breaks in Snooker

To date, Ronnie O Sullivan has made more professional 147 breaks in snooker than any other player amassing 15 maxis so far. His first came on 21st April 1997, aged 21 years and 137 Days against Mark Price in the World Championships, which also goes down in history as the fastest ever made. (See Below) His latest 147 came in the English Open on 17th October 2018.

Interestingly, O'sullivan has made his 15 maximum breaks against 15 different players, the shortest spell between them was 8th November and 15th December 2007 with just 37 days between the Northern Ireland Open and UK Championships, whilst the longest is 1661 days from the World Championships, whilst right now is the longest span since his last.

The table shows each and every 147 Ronnie has made

List of Ronnie O'Sullivan 147 Breaks

Youngest Players to make a 147

Benutzer:Bill da Flute, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Few people could give you the age of the youngest player to make a competitive 147 in snooker, much less tell you who it was. Furthermore, fewer still would be able to say or spell the name of Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon, who achieved the feat at the Rhein-Main masters on 22nd October 2010 at 16 years, 312 days..

Thanawat took the title from Stephen Maguire, the Scot being the previous youngest, making his first just 15 days after his 19th birthday on 28th March 2000 at home in the Scottish Open, beating Ding Junhui, who had achieved the feat aged just 19 years 288 days at the Master in 2007.

Ronnie O'Sullivan was 21 years old when he made his first 147 on no bigger stage than the World Championship in 1997

Oldest Players to make a 147

John Higgins became the oldest player to make a 147 break on 10th February 2024 at the age of 48 years and 268 days when knocking in his 13th career maximum in the Championship league, knocking fellow class of '92 alumni Mark Williams off the top, who had held the record since his 147 in the English Open in December 2022, aged 47 years and 20 days. Higgins is also the third oldest, with his 12th career maximum in 2021, whilst Robert Milkins has also 'recently' got into the veteran 147 list when scoring his last in the German masters 2023 when 46 years and 334 days old

Fastest Ever 147

DerHexer, Wikimedia Commons, CC-by-sa 4.0, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Ronnie O'Sullivan, known as "The Rocket," holds the record for the fastest 147 snooker break. Achieved in just 5 minutes and 20 seconds during the 1997 World Snooker Championship, this remarkable feat had a significant impact on the sport. O'Sullivan's performance set a high standard for aspiring players, emphasizing speed, accuracy, and strategy in snooker. Many players still now strive to replicate his playing style to improve their performances.

First 147 break in the Shoot Out

Whilst Ronnie O Sullivan achieved the fastest 147 in a little over 5 minutes, no one in snooker thought there could possibly ever be one achieved in the snooker shoot-out with the 10 minute frame limit offering double the time. However, on 7th December 2023 in the first round Shaun 'The Magician' Murphy achieved just that, taking just over 7 minute to provide the ultimate entertainment to the snooker world - Whilst it was a full two minute longer than O'Sullivans, the conditions could not be more different with the racous crowd and the added pressure of having just 15 second reducing to 10 second per shot time limit and a total of ten. Muprhy says, hold my beer and clear the table with 2 minutes and 40 second left on the clock - Incredible! Watch the full 147 below

147 Breaks at the World Championships

In what must rank as one pinnacle of a snooker player's career, there have been just 14 occurrences of a 147 break at the snooker World Championship Finals up to the end of the 2023 season. However, the ultimate was Mark Selby scoring one in the final in 2023. Here is the complete list of World Championship maximum breaks.

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🎱 World Snooker Championship Preview and Form

The First 147 at the Crucible

By David Muscroft - http://cliffthorburn.ca/, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=127602275

The first 147 break to be made at the Snooker World Championships was made by Canadian Cliff Thorburn and also went down in history as the second officially recognised professional maximum 467 days after Steve Davis gained the first. Playing Terry Griffiths, the Welshman had fouled giving Thorburn 4 points to start and with a fluke to get things going, Thorburn won the frame 151-0 with countryman Bill Werbeniuk peeking around the divider. He made only one more in 1989 in the Mathroom league versus Jimmy White

2024 World Snooker Championship Betting Odds

You can even bet on whether a player will make a 147 at the world championships, although the odds will not be so great such are the frequency these days. Online bookmakers offer odds on the World Championship year round

ALSO READ

The Best Snooker Betting Sites for 2024

147 Breaks in Snooker by Decade

Another way to measure whether 147s are getting easier to make is the frequency in which they were recorded, and the best way to measure this is by offering a year-on-year breakdown of official maximum breaks.

- 1980s: 

A total of 7 maximum breaks were scored during this decade, with the minimum days between breaks being 18 and the maximum days between breaks being 1389. On average, a maximum break occurred every 373 days.

- 1990s: 

This decade saw an increase, with 26 maximum breaks achieved. The minimum days between breaks was only 2, while the maximum was 679. The average frequency improved to one maximum break every 150 days.

- 2000s: 

The frequency continued to rise, as 35 maximum breaks were recorded during this decade. The minimum days between breaks decreased to just 1, and the maximum days between breaks reduced to 350. On average, a maximum break occurred every 99 days.

- 2010s: 

The most prolific decade so far, with 86 maximum breaks achieved. The minimum days between breaks reached zero, indicating back-to-back maximum breaks on occasions, and the maximum days between breaks reduced further to 300. The average frequency significantly improved, with a maximum break occurring approximately every 44 days.

Note how the wait between 147 breaks occurring has come down as sharply as the occurrence has increased. From waiting up to 1389 days in the 80s to see one, and an average of 1 per year, snooker fans can now enjoy and expect to witness one on average every 36 days.

Since Kyren Wilson made his second 147 and the first of the 2020s on February 11th, fans have had to wait only 36 days on average for another, 

So we see the exponential growth in scoring maximums throughout the decades, let's see that in table form now.

147 breaks in the 1980s

🎱 In the 1980s, a total of 8 ⭐ 147 breaks were achieved.

📅 The years 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, and 1989 witnessed at least one 147 break each.

💯 The most productive year for 147 breaks in the 80s was 1988, with 2 maximum breaks recorded.

147 breaks in the 1990s

🎱 In the 1990s, a total of 26 ⭐ 147 breaks were achieved.

📅 The years 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, and 1999 witnessed at least one 147 break each.

💯 The most productive year for 147 breaks in the 90s was 1999, with an impressive 10 maximum breaks recorded.

147 breaks in the 2000s

🎱 In the 2000s, a total of 35 ⭐ 147 breaks were achieved.

📅 The years 2000, 2007, and 2008 saw the highest number of 147 breaks with 7 each.

💯 The years 2001, 2003, and 2009 had a modest number of 147 breaks, with 2 each.

147 breaks in the 2010s

🎱 In the 2010s, a total of 86 ⭐ 147 breaks were achieved.

📅 The year 2018 had the highest number of 147 breaks with 12, closely followed by 2012 with 11.

💯 Consistency was seen in the years 2011, 2016, and 2019, with 9 maximum breaks each.

147 breaks this decade

🎱 A total of 53 ⭐ 147 breaks have been achieved so far.

📅 2024 has produced the highest number of 147 breaks with 13.

💯 The years 2022 and 2023 had 11 maximums each

From 1982 to 1990, you can see that maximums were somewhat few and far between. The first three years of the table and 1987 recorded just one. 1985 and 1986 saw nothing at all and it would not be until 1988 where more than one was added to the history books.

Between 1982 and 1998 there were just 24 maximums taken off the table – an average of 1.41 per year but in 1999 there was something of a 147 explosion. 10 recorded in a single year, more than the five previous years put together with Hendy and O'Sullivan contributing 2 a pie

Were snooker players getting better? Were more tournaments being played? Was there a greater incentive to aim for a 147? The answer actually lies somewhere between these three factors as maximum breaks suddenly became more of a regular occurrence.

There is no doubt that snooker had evolved by the time Ronnie O’Sullivan started to truly put his mark on the sport and with a proliferation of televised tournaments towards the turn of the millennium the opportunities to perform had also increased.

World Snooker introduced a roll-over system for the maximum break prize money, the "rolling 147 prize". This meant that a maximum break is worth £5,000 in the televised stages and £500 in qualifying stages of major ranking events.

The 147 Maximum Break Trend

Another way to look at this is whether more 147s are being recorded in recent years as an overall trend and the best way to do this is by ranking the years in maximum breaks order: 

There is not a direct cascade from more maximum breaks in 2023 back to 1982 but there is certainly something when it comes to the correlation between recent years and the proliferation of 147s being recorded. 

For example, three of the five highest ranking years have been recorded in the past decade. The most ever maximums in a single year was back in 2018, when 12 were made. Four years later and 11 were made comparison. Not to overlook 2016 either as they chimed in with 10 maximum’s that year. 

If we took the last decade – 2014 to 2023 and plotted where these years finished in the rank above, we can get an even better idea of increased performance:

Of the 10 years in the past decade, they are all found within the first 16 years of the ranking table above. To make things even more interesting, 13 of the past 14 years (2010 to 2023) are also found in the same list. 

Therefore, we can say with a large amount of confidence that we are seeing more and more maximums being made in recent years. Once again, it goes back to those three central reasons:

🚀 Increased Performance 💪

There is no argument that the strength in dept of quality among the top snooker players today is far deeper than it was prior to the first 147 being made and for arguably 20 years after that

🔥 Increased Opportunity 🌟

There are far more competitive events on the annual snooker tour these days compared with the 80s and 90s, and thus many more matches and frames to be played in which a maximum can be achieved, including a host of qualifying events for the big tournaments.

💰 Increased Incentive 💥

This is slightly tenuous as at its peak, £147,000 could be won for a maximum in the 1990s - That has diminished somewhat, with a perfect snooker break being only worth £40,000 since being reintroduced in 2022. In the televised stages of major ranking events, it is worth £5,000, while in the qualifying stages, it carries a reward of £500. Similarly, Players Tour Championship events offer a prize of £500 from the last 128 onwards. If a maximum break is not achieved, the prize accumulates and carries over to the next event until someone hits the 36-ball break for a maximum score.

Now of course, Saudi Arabia are upping the price money for their event, for a 167 golden Ball maximum to $1,000,000 in 2025.

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How Much Can Snooker Players Earn? Top 100 Ranked in ££

Maximum Breaks and Game-Changing Moments

While that excitement can also be measured by maximum breaks that have also decided games. 29 of the original count of 190 have seen a sporting cherry added on top. Nine have also been the difference between victory and despair.

Hendry's 147 above can be seen in our list of best snooker matches from the 80s and 90s

ALSO READ

7 of the Best Snooker Matches of the 80's & 90's

Every Competitive 147 in Snooker History

If you have got this far you must love your snooker, and to save you going off to find evermore detail, we have a list of every 147 break made in snooker history.

147 Snooker Breaks Facts and Quiz Questions

Author and Contributor Information

The maximum break article was the passion project of Steve Madgwick our Editor-in-Chief, a huge snooker fan and amateur league player. Abely assisted by fellow player and OLBG Snooker Expert Darren Brett and data analyst Dan Tracey

Darren Brett

Tipster Competition Manager

Darren has worked in the horseracing and gambling industries for over thirty years and has been writing about sport for most of that time. He has been the Tipster Competiton Manager at OLBG for over fifteen years, as well as overseeing our sister site, Grand National Guide. Darren's specialist areas are National Hunt racing, snooker and golf.

👨‍🏫 Specialist Subjects🔬📚

🏇 🏁 Darren has worked in the horse racing and greyhound racing industry for decades bringing to OLBG for the last 20 years a wealth of knowledge, creating much of our content on these sports. Darren also manages our Grand National Guide and is the go-to font of knowledge for the world's greatest steeplechase.

🎱🏆 Darren is also a huge Snooker fan attending many events every year and a regular player in his free time.

⚽ A QPR fan, Darren also follows English League football with a close eye on the Hoops games.

Dan Tracey

Data Scientist and Football Editor

Dan Tracey is a multi-talented writer, data analyst and podcaster whose six-year career in the sports data sphere has seen incredible successes. From helping UEFA create their annual technical reports to writing articles for Sports Betting Websites including sites like TheLinesUS and Goal - there's no shortage of areas where his expertise shines through! In addition, he can be heard on podcasts lending an insightful voice as well as providing weekly betting angles - all culminating with him teaming up OLBG.com in the present day. Simply put: wherever you find angled data being crunched? You'll also likely find Dan not far behind!

👨‍🏫 Specialist Subjects🔬📚

Dan's specialist area is data; and lots of it! Wherever we need numbers to create our unique deep dive articles, Dan is our go-to. Dan is also a Tottenham Fan and a football commentator for Newcastle Blue Star

Steve Madgwick

Editor-In-Chief

Steve is our Editor-In-Chief with over 20 years of experience creating and managing high-quality sports betting content for OLBG & multiple other publications. An avid traveller, Steve has lived and worked in Gozo, Malta, and more recently Spain before moving back to the UK in 2022. Today Steve manages all content on OLBG and oversees our SEO. He was brought up with horse racing, attending tracks in the South East, most frequently, Goodwood, Fontwell and Brighton, and his knowledge of online slot games is unrivalled. 

.👨‍🏫 Specialist Subjects🔬📚

🎱🏆 Steve is first a foremost a snooker nut, with a dedicated screen in the office for ensuring every event is showing when televised. A regular visitor to The Crucible for the World Championships, his favourite players are Dominic Dale and Judd Trump having followed the latter since seeing him play aged just 11. Fascinated with Statistics and the sport in general, he is also an amateur league player with a high break of 72

⚽ A Portsmouth fan for 40 years, Steve has seen action in every Division of English football and followed his team to Europe and the FA Cup final twice. 

🏇 A former leading horse racing tipster on OLBG, those days are long gone, but he still lives for National Hunt racing and of course the Cheltenham Festival.