Sinuca Brasileira
(Brazilian Snooker)
© Mike Stooke 2005. Historical Notes
This is a short, fast version of snooker using the six colours and one red. Little
known outside Brazil it only came to my attention after Bob Sodroski emailed to
ask if I knew of the game. Searching through google gave no useful links in
English, but one badly translated page gave enough information to prepare this
set of rules.
Added 6th October 2008. The rules I originally compiled back in 2005 passed
without comment until July 2008 when I was contacted by Guilherme Mauricio,
an enthusiast of this game. He explained that the poor translation had created
some errors, and with his help this new set of rules has been compiled.
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The Rules of Sinuca
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The normal rules of snooker apply to this game except where clearly contradicted below..
To begin the game set the table as shown in the dagram. The colours on their normal spots and the red halfway between the pink and the right-hand side cushion.
The red and colours have the same values as they do in ordinary snooker.
Each player must always declare the shot they are about to play. Both the ball and the pocket must be nominated. Potting a ball in any pocket other than the one nominated is a foul stroke.
All fouls carry a penalty of seven points.
The game combines a mixture of "Free" shots and "Penalty" shots.
In a "Free" shot no foul is considered to have been made if the player fails to pot the nominated ball in the nominated pocket.
In a "Penalty" shot if the player fails to pot the nominated ball in the nominated pocket, a foul is committed, and seven points are awarded to the opponent.
Except for the first shot in the game, where the red must be played, when any player comes to the table, they have the choice of either playing the lowest valued ball on the table; or, of nominating any other ball.
If they choose to play the lowest valued ball, it is considered to be a "Free" shot, so if the pot is missed it is not considered to be a foul.
If they choose to play any other ball, it is considered to be a "Penalty" shot, and if they fail to pot it, it is a foul.
The player who plays the first shot in the game must play at the red ball, but is not allowed to pot it or snooker his opponent. If either of these events occur, or the player goes in-off by potting the cue-ball, the table is reset, and the game begins again.
The next player may then choose to play the red ball, or any other ball of their choice.
If the red is chosen:-
It is considered to be a "Free" shot so if he fails to pot it no foul has been committed, but his turn is over and the next player comes to the table.
If he pots the red he then gets another "Free" shot, so although both the colour and pocket must be nominated, it is not considered to be a foul if the pot is missed.
If he pots the red and then pots a colour, the yellow becomes the next ball to be played. (If he pots the red and then the yellow, the yellow is returned to its spot and becomes the next ball "on" to maintain the proper sequence.)
If one of the six colours is chosen:-
The chosen ball and the pocket must both be nominated.
If it is potted the value of that ball is scored, it is re-spotted, and the player must then play the red with his next shot.
If the pot is missed it is a foul shot, the player's turn at the table is over, and 7 points are awarded to the opponent.
The game continues as explained above, so when the yellow is the lowest valued ball on the table, a player may choose to play the yellow - as a "Free" shot, or choose to play one of the remaining five colours as a "Penalty" shot.
If the yellow is chosen:-
It is considered to be a "Free" shot so if he fails to pot it no foul has been committed, but his turn is over and the next player comes to the table.
If he pots the yellow he then gets another "Free" shot, so although both the colour and pocket must be nominated, it is not considered to be a foul if the pot is missed.
If he pots the yellow and then pots a colour, the green becomes the next ball to be played.
If one of the remaining five colours is chosen:-
The chosen ball and the pocket must both be nominated.
If it is potted the value of that ball is scored, it is re-spotted, and the player must then play the yellow with his next shot.
If the pot is missed it is a foul shot, the player's turn at the table is over, and 7 points are awarded to the opponent.
The same rules that apply when the yellow is the lowest valued ball on the table also apply when the green, brown, and blue become the lowest valued ball.
When the pink is the lowest valued ball left on the table, the player may choose to play the pink as a "Free" shot, or play the black as a "Penalty" shot.
If the black is chosen and potted it is replaced on its spot, and the pink must be played next.
If any player finds he is snookered after his opponent has played a foul shot, he may ask his opponent to play again. If he does then that player has the same options as explained before.
If the lowest valued ball is chosen then it is considered to be a "Free" shot.
If any other ball is chosen it is considered to be a "Penalty" shot, and if they fail to pot it, it is a foul.
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Variations
PENALTY SHOTS
A "Penalty" shot may be played at any time.
Example - the green is on the table, but the blue is chosen.
The blue is potted in the nominated pocket and it is then re-spotted. It is then
chosen again and potted again. And the player keeps nominating the blue and
keeps potting the blue.
The player then nominates the blue but fails to pot it, so seven points are awarded to his opponent, but he keeps all the points he scored up to that shot.
Or, if after potting the blue several times the player decides he has enough points, the green could be nominated for the next shot as a "free" shot, (because it is the lowest valued ball on the table), and if it is potted then another "free" shot becomes available as in the normal sequence.
FOUL STROKES
VARIATION 1
All foul strokes incur a penalty equal to the value of the LOWEST valued ball left on the
table.
Example - The Red has been potted so Yellow is the lowest valued ball left on the
table. The player nominates the Pink as a "Penalty" shot, but fails to pot it.
Penalty = Two points - The value of the Yellow, the lowest valued ball left on the
table.
VARIATION 2
All foul strokes incur a penalty equal to the value of the HIGHEST valued ball involved
in the stroke.
Example - Red and Yellow have both been potted so Green is the lowest valued ball
left on the table. The player nominates the Blue as a "Penalty" shot, pots the Blue,
and the cue-ball then hits the Pink into a pocket.
Penalty = Six points - The value of the Pink, the highest valued ball involved in the
stroke.
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Historical Notes
This "penalty" ball seems to be unique in snooker, but being allowed to take another colour after potting a colour does have a precedent within the history of the game.
(From "How to Play and Win at Snooker" by W.G. Clifford, published 1938.)
"Real Snooker," to my personal regret, lacks official recognition.
To my knowledge it is the original game of snooker as played
years before the official rules were framed and published. That
is why I venture to call it "Real Snooker." It is played exactly as
ordinary snooker in every respect until all the reds are pocketed.
Then comes the difference, in my opinion a big one. After potting
yellow, in "real snooker" you are "on any colour"
exactly as you were after taking a red. After taking that "free colour"
you are "on" green. Should you pocket green you are "on any
colour" once more, then brown, "any colour," blue, "any
colour," pink and black. This carries the game to its logical conclusion; it is
obviously a defect to allow you to take "any colour" after a red and
stop you from so doing after pocketing a coloured ball when there are no reds to
play at.
However, ordinary snooker has the sanction of usage, it is a very
popular game as it stands and I am not crusading for "Real Snooker"
in place of it. But I happen to know that this game is much liked by
the few who have tried it, so have ventured to mention it if but for
the sake of variety.
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