At what point does a 147 become a one-eighty? When it's Ronnie O'Sullivan, making more history. That's when.
In a period when snooker's perfect frame, once considered as rare as the Himalayan Yeti, has made frequent appearances on television, it was left to O'Sullivan to prove that no one does it better. Sinking his second maximum in barely two hours 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 possesses an audacious streak that sets him apart. Nearly three decades after his iconic lightning-fast maximum at the Crucible, he remains pure box office.
But O'Sullivan, who starts his quest for a record-extending ninth title, is in good company in understanding the path to a maximum. There have been an astonishing twenty-five already on the professional tour in 2025, shattering the calendar year best of 14.
'Everyone on the tour now could make one'
"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 verdict of Shaun Murphy, ranked 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 official maximum, with Steve Davis achieving the first. Davis' prize? One of the sponsor's cars.
There were just eight 147s across the entire 1980s, a snooker decade full of theatrical storylines and towering characters. For pure technical standard, nothing touches the current one.
"Players are chasing their career records and the tour are putting incentives out there," says Murphy. "People are more aware of these challenges. They're practising for them."
Legendary figures like Alex Higgins never had a maximum break on tour. Nor did other world champions. Yet promising talent Aaron Hill made two inside four weeks. The 23-year-old is amazed that Higgins never had 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 incredible. Everyone on the tour now could make one. We're almost expecting one in every tournament. It's everyone egging each other on."
What is the secret to a 147?
"I think if there is a knack to it, 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 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 really something."
Murphy describes the unique atmosphere: "When you're on a maximum, everyone in the room knows it and it heightens their attention. Everyone's focus fixates on you." Are maximums losing their magic? "Not in my view."
What's next if the 147 code has been cracked?
- Snooker awaits its first official maximum by a woman. The Chinese player Bai Yulu compiled a 145 at a recent championship.
- Two 147s in the same match has been accomplished. Two in back-to-back frames next?
- The 155 (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 "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 suggests the surge of maximums is straightforward to understand. "My belief is everyone's getting better. Some of the players down the rankings that the average fan have never heard of, on their day they can beat anyone."
The ever-higher "quality and consistency of playing conditions" is also credited as a factor. But in the end, the players are the ones sinking the balls.
Hill has two maximums. O'Sullivan possesses the record of 17. "Watch 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 well up there with maximum breaks," he says. At the very least, players now approach their daily business with the idea that the next frame is rich in promise.
Pot the red, add the black. Again and again.
