Are you up for a game of snooker? In the United States, there are plenty of people who have not heard of this fantastic game based on billiards. All over the rest of the world, players choose snooker as the game of choice in billiards halls and pool rooms. And on the telly in England, it is the most watched sports program. So Americans are somewhat behind in recognizing this game.

Snooker has its roots as a simple variation on pool. In the beginning, it was known as "pyramid pool", a new vesion of "black" or "life" games already being played. But Sir Neville Chamberlain modified the game around 1875, and its popularity took off sharply. Soldiers in England loved the new game, and helped spread it around the world. Today it is even more popular in modern England.

Newcomers may find it a bit intimidating to learn snooker, but the actual rules are not that complicated. Perhaps the most difficult part is setting the table properly:

* Snooker tables are full sized billiards tables measuring 6 feet by 12 feet.

* Snooker balls come in standard sets of 22 balls. Each includes a white "cue" ball, and one each of green, black, blue, brown, yellow, and pink. Finally, there are 15 red balls in each set.

* The green, brown, yellow balls are placed at one end of the table, with a 6 inch gap between them. The blue ball goes in the dead center of the table. Pink splits the distance between the blue ball and the end of the table cushion on the far side. The black ball gets its own special spot, marked about 13 inches from the far cushion.

* The 15 red balls are grouped into a triangle, with the aid of a racking device, and then are placed just behind the pink ball. Come close to the pink but don't touch it.

Once the balls are properly set, the game can begin. The breaking player strikes the triangle of red balls. When a player sinks a red ball, he or she is then free to shoot and sink any one of the six colored balls. The yellow ball is worth two points, the green is worth three, the brown ball is worth four, the blue is five, the pink is six, and the black is worth seven points. When a colored ball has been sunk, the point is scored and the ball is retrieved and re-spotted on the table.

There are also varieties of snooker that you can try out after you have mastered the basic game. As you can see, snooker is not terribly complex, but it can still be a drag on the fun part of the game for newcomers trying too remember all the rules, so it is best to have an experienced player explain the snooker rules to you.

Snooker has been a popular sport in England and other parts of the world for more than a century, and with good reason. It's fun, skillful and relatively easy to play. If you have a regulation size table, consider investing in set of snooker balls, and add a whole new dimension to your game playing.