BILLIARDS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1186, 22 July 1911, Page 12

BILLIARDS.

1 , THE SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP.'

[By Marker.]

The match arranged between T. Reeco, of England, and F. Smith, junior, of .Sydney, for llio snooker championship, took placo at Alcock's Tournament Hall, Sydney. The match was played under the rules of the Billiard Association. Tha gamo occupied live sessions, and each was well attended by billiard enthusiasts, who witnessed some clever play, especially during fhn latter portion of the game. Keece heat Smith becaiiso he played the better snooker, but, on the other hand, the Australian phyod the better pyramids. Snooker is essentially a game in -which ability to piny the winning hazards counts only lor half. Tlio other half necessitates tho exercise of judgment and strength in giving one's opponent snooker positions. At tho beginning' of the match Smith went away with a strong lead, and it appeared as if the odds which ho had laid on himself were a fair estimate of tho relative, ability of the two players. As the match progressed, however, Keeeo improved at potting, while at all times, he was superior in strokes demanding, knowledge of angles, and the naco of the white, after contact with a red or coloured ball. A comparison of tho methods of Hoece and Smith shows that the Englishman was Smith's superior in position play. He snookered his opponent very cleverly time after timo by accurate judgemtn, and he was also superior in securing position for hs sequence. After the match Eeece remarked that he had not specialised in the gamo of snooker, although he played occasionally. During the early stages of the match he found it difficult t<i keep from rinding the pocket with the white, but, after ho had settled down and concentrated his thoughts, ho felt that ho would win. i Eccce. won It games, and Smith 7, the aggregate at the finish being: Keeee, 117!); Smith, SOS. On the aggregate points which decided the match Recce won by 271 points. Mr. George Reid, tho London "Sporting Life" billiard writer, and touring Australia with Recce, is known at Home as tho "figure fiend," owing to the halfcolumn of averages (dealing with the game from every figure aspect) which ho publishes each week. Keid is a big genial prcsmnan, who knows London and its literary lights from A to /.. At present ho is '"writing \i\>" Australia for half-a-dozen English and Scottish newspapers. Writing from Sydney, Keece states (hat he has had a very busy timo giving exhibitions at Tnttcrsall's Union, and Aus-tralia-i clubs. On Friday he left for Melbourne to take, part in club engagements prior to playing Stevenson for a week, and Lindrnni for a similar peried. On his return to Sydney he will again play Stevenson 0(100 up, and, after a similar b:nit with Lindrum, he will join the Omr'ah at Adelaide, Homeward bound, in order to have a rest lwf'ore the next English season starts, lie hopes, before leaving, to make arrangements with AlcosU's for a tour of New Zealand next year. "All my games," ho adds "have been a great success, crowded houses being present each session." Which latter, by tho way, is very nearly tho main tiling.