With thousands of professional snooker players all across the globe, it’s difficult to pick the top greatest snooker players of all time. Here at Hamilton Billiards, snooker is our passion, so we definitely have a few favourites.
To start the discussion of "who's the greatest", we've put together a list of some of the greatest snooker players of all time. If you want to play like the professionals, start by investing in one of our high-quality snooker tables. We also stock snooker cues and snooker balls and many other snooker accessories to take your snooker skills to the next level.
Ronnie O’Sullivan
World Championship: 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020
Masters: 1995, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2017
UK Championship: 1993, 1997, 2001, 2007, 2014, 2017, 2018
From winning matches since he was 12 years old to continuously win tournaments at the age of 44, Ronnie “The Rocket” O’Sullivan is truly a talented snooker player. Even though O’Sullivan is one win behind the record of seven world crowns held by Stephen Hendry, The Rocket has won more Triple Crowns, ranking titles and compiled more centuries than any other player.
Stephen Hendry
World Championship: 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999
Masters: 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996
UK Championship: 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996
Stephen Hendry was the youngest snooker player to win the World Championship. He claimed the title at only 21-years-old in 1990. The Golden Boy, one of his name nicknames, kept dominating the 90’s snooker scene and proved to be untouchable by winning the World Championship on six other occasions – 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and again in 1999.
John Higgins
World Championship: 1998, 2007, 2009, 2011
Masters: 1999, 2006
UK Championship: 1998, 2000, 2009
John Higgins has proved time and time again to be a great all-around match player. The Scottish player, also known as “The Wizard of Wishaw”, has four world titles under his belt. The 46-year-old has also won the Masters twice, the UK Championship three times and 30 ranking tournaments. As this article on History mentions, Higgins is truly one of the most successful players in the modern history of snooker. Even O’Sullivan believes that Higgins should receive more recognition than what he gets.
Mark Selby
World Championship: 2014, 2016, 2017
Masters: 2008, 2010, 2013
UK Championship: 2012, 2016
Current world number one, Mark Selby is one to beat. The Jester from Leicester has won multiple World Championships and holds several Masters and UK Championship titles. Selby is one of the toughest players in the game, who has shown his strong temperament and ability to handle pressure with ease time and time again. Selby is also a professional pool player with multiple titles under his belt.
Steve Davis
World Championship: 1981, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989
Masters: 1982, 1988, 1997
UK Championship: 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987
Before retiring at the age of 59 in 2016, Steve “The Nugget” Davis took home six world titles, three wins at the Masters and six UK Championship titles. The player described as “cool, calm and collective” completely dominated snooker in the 80s. “You could bet your last fiver on him, and 99 times out of 100 you were going to get paid. That's why he was called 'The Nugget'.” explains World Snooker Tour chairman Barry Hearn.
Jimmy White
Masters: 1984
UK Championship: 1992
Even though Jimmy “The Whirlwind” White has never won the world title, he made it to six finals and won both The Masters and the UK Championship. At the age of 58, White finally won at the Crucible, claiming the 2019 World Seniors title. Justifiably named the People’s Champion, Jimmy White will always be one of the greatest snooker players of all time.
Special mention: Alex Higgins
World Championship: 1972, 1982
Masters: 1978, 1981
UK Championship: 1983
Alex “The Hurricane” Higgins was known for his charisma, sporting brilliance and lavish lifestyle. He won the World Championship twice, the Masters twice and took home the UK Championship’s title once. He was a thrilling snooker player to watch and always tried challenging shots and showed different techniques. Alex Higgins sadly passed away in 2010.