Snooker is a game similar to billiards, but with different rules and more balls. The rules of snooker are relatively simple. It begins with a player attempting to use a cue ball to knock a red ball into a pocket, which allows them to knock one of the many colored balls into a pocket. This action, known as a pot, gives them a certain amount of points depending on the color of the ball. Once the player fails to hit a red ball, or misses their subsequent shot of a colored ball, they then pass the turn to their opponent, who attempts to do the same thing. Colored balls are returned from the pocket back onto the snooker table until all the red balls are pocketed, which then leaves only colored balls for players to pot.

One wins a frame in snooker by accumulating more points than their opponent. Once all the balls in play are pocketed, the total points earned from pocketing colored balls are added to discover who the winner of the frame is. This process is continued every frame until the players reach the pre-defined frames, such as the best of five.

Colored balls are worth different amount of points depending on their color. Black balls, for instance, are worth the most, which is seven points. Pink is the second highest rated ball at six points, followed by blue for five points, green for three points, and yellow for two points. Hitting the white ball into the pocket is a 'foul', and will lose the offending player their turn.

Snooker is played on a snooker table, which is similar to a billiards table because it has six pockets in the same placement as a pool table – one in the center of either side cushion and on in each corner of the table. A regulation snooker table, however, is twelve by six foot, which is much larger than the regulated nine foot by four and a half feet for a billiards table.

Smaller snooker tables are available in various sizes in style, so one doesn't have to buy the huge regulation size if they don't have the room to play properly with it. More compact options include folding snooker tables and dining tables that can be converted into snooker tables while not in use.

A regulated twelve by six foot table is required for professional matches. During these matches players will be expected to play by the 'Best of Nine' rules, which means that the player must win five frames. Even longer matches are played during World Championships, some of which have to be played over the course of two days. They matches often have best of eighteen or nineteen in qualifying rounds, while some matches may last up to thirty-five frames.

The highest possible amount of points one can earn in a single frame is 147 points. This would have to be done in what is known as a “maximum break” or “147 break,” which is when a player pots all the balls in play in one consecutive term. A regular break is made when a player pots more than one ball in any consecutive turn, such as pocketing two yellow and a green ball for a 'five break.'