When does a maximum become a one-eighty? When you're Ronnie O'Sullivan, writing more history. That's when.
In a year when snooker's 147, once viewed as mythical as the Abominable Snowman, has made frequent appearances on television, it fell to O'Sullivan to show that nobody does it better. Completing his second 147 in barely two hours at the Saudi Arabia Masters in August, O'Sullivan earned a historic £180,333 in prize money.
As his 50th birthday arrives in December, O'Sullivan retains an daring streak that distinguishes him. Nearly three decades after his iconic lightning-fast maximum at the Crucible, he remains pure box office.
But O'Sullivan, who begins his bid for a unprecedented ninth title, is not alone in understanding the path to a maximum. There have been an staggering twenty-five already on the professional tour in 2025, smashing the calendar year best of 14.
'Any tour professional is now capable'
"Picture Moira Stuart in 1983 appearing on the Six O'Clock News and informing 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 assessment 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 television viewer. It was only the second ratified 147, with Steve Davis making the first. Davis' prize? One of the sponsor's cars.
There were just eight 147s across the entire 1980s, a snooker decade bursting with theatrical storylines and towering characters. For sheer quality, few eras rival the current one.
"Professionals are pursuing their career records and the tour are putting incentives out there," says Murphy. "Players are more aware of these challenges. They're practising for them."
Legendary figures like Alex Higgins did not achieve a maximum break on tour. Nor did fellow world champions. Yet rising star Aaron Hill made two inside four weeks. The 23-year-old is amazed that Higgins never managed one.
Hill states: "There are a lot of players who haven't had one. It was always a goal to have my name on the board. The buzz is unreal. Everyone on the tour now could make one. We're almost expecting one in every tournament. It's everyone pushing one another."
How do you make a 147?
"In my opinion if there is a secret, it's recognizing the opportunity quickly," says Shaun Murphy. "If you come to the table early and pot a couple of reds and a couple of blacks, and you see the black's on to both pockets... we all think 'hang on a minute, there's a 147 on here'.
"I've always been 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 really something."
Murphy reflects on the unique atmosphere: "When you're on a maximum, everyone in the room knows it and it heightens their attention. Everyone's focus zooms in on you." Are maximums losing their magic? "I don't think so."
What's next if the 147 code has been cracked?
- Snooker awaits its first official maximum by a woman. China's Bai Yulu had a 145 at a recent championship.
- Two 147s in the same match has been accomplished. Two in successive frames next?
- The one-five-five (a 147 plus eight points from a free-ball scenario at the start) has yet to be made in competition. Footage exists of a player making one in practice.
- The 167 is "perhaps the next step," says Murphy, referring to a new challenge involving a special bonus ball for a huge financial prize.
Ronnie O'Sullivan, he's coming for you...
Murphy suggests 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 improving "quality and consistency of playing conditions" is also credited as a factor. But in the end, the players are the ones potting the shots.
Hill now owns two maximums. O'Sullivan possesses the record of 17. "Look out Ronnie, he's coming for you." It is said in jest, but Hill welcomes the challenge.
"By the conclusion of my career, I believe I'll be ranked highly with maximum breaks," he says. At the very least, players now go about their daily business with the thought that the next frame is full of potential.
Sink the red, follow with the black. Rinse and repeat.
