When does a 147 transform into a 180? When you're Ronnie O'Sullivan, writing yet another chapter in the record books. Precisely then.
In a year when snooker's perfect frame, once considered as rare as the Abominable Snowman, has repeatedly shown up for the cameras, it was left to O'Sullivan to show that nobody does it better. Sinking his second maximum in just over 120 minutes at the Saudi Arabia Masters in August, O'Sullivan earned a record £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 iconic lightning-fast maximum at the Crucible, he continues to be must-see entertainment.
But O'Sullivan, who starts his quest for a unprecedented ninth title, is not alone in knowing the route to a maximum. There have been an astonishing 25 already on the professional tour in 2025, obliterating 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 missed because it's just like, 'oh, there's been another 147'."
That's the verdict of Shaun Murphy, fourth on the all-time list with 10 maximums. He has a point. Thorburn's maximum was a seminal event 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 whole 1980s, a snooker decade bursting with soap opera drama and larger-than-life personalities. For sheer quality, nothing touches 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 other world champions. Yet rising star Aaron Hill made two inside four weeks. The 23-year-old cannot believe Higgins never had one.
Hill says: "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 egging each other on."
How do you make a 147?
"In my opinion if there is a knack to it, it's recognizing the opportunity quickly," says Shaun Murphy. "If you come to the table early and take a couple of reds and a couple of 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 achieve it in the pressure cooker of the Shoot Out was pretty special."
Murphy reflects on the special feeling: "When you're on a maximum, everyone in the room knows it and it heightens their attention. Everyone's focus fixates on you." Is the 147 becoming commonplace? "Not in my view."
What's next if the 147 code has been cracked?
- Snooker is waiting for its first official maximum by a woman. China's Bai Yulu compiled a 145 at a recently held championship.
- Two 147s in the same match has been achieved. Two in back-to-back frames next?
- The 155 (a 147 plus eight points from a foul shot at the start) has never been achieved in tournament play. Footage exists of a player making one in practice.
- The one-six-seven is "probably the next step," says Murphy, referring to a new format involving a golden ball for a huge financial prize.
The chase for the record is on
Murphy proposes the explosion of maximums is straightforward to understand. "My belief is everyone's getting better. Some of the players down the rankings 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 sinking the balls.
Hill now owns two maximums. O'Sullivan holds the record of 17. "Look out Ronnie, he's coming for you." It is meant lightheartedly, but Hill welcomes the challenge.
"At the end of my career, I believe I'll be ranked highly with maximum breaks," he says. At the very least, players now approach their everyday matches with the thought that the next frame is full of potential.
Sink the red, add the black. Rinse and repeat.
