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When does a maximum transform into a one-eighty? When it's Ronnie O'Sullivan, crafting yet another chapter in the record books. Precisely then.

In a year when snooker's perfect frame, once viewed as mythical as the Abominable Snowman, has made frequent appearances for the cameras, it fell to O'Sullivan to show that nobody does it better. Sinking his second 147 in barely two hours at the a recent tournament in August, O'Sullivan secured a record £180,333 in prize money.

As his 50th birthday arrives in December, O'Sullivan retains an daring streak that distinguishes him. Nearly three decades after his famous lightning-fast maximum at the Crucible, he remains must-see entertainment.

But O'Sullivan, who begins his bid for a record-extending ninth title, is in good company in knowing the route to a maximum. There have been an staggering 25 already on the professional tour in 2025, obliterating the previous annual record of 14.

'Everyone on the tour now could make one'

"Picture Moira Stuart in 1983 coming on the Six O'Clock News and telling the nation Cliff Thorburn's had a 147 at the Crucible. It would now get overlooked because it's just like, 'oh, there's been another 147'."

That's the assessment of Shaun Murphy, ranked fourth on the historical rankings with 10 maximums. He has a point. Thorburn's maximum was a defining moment for 1983's armchair sports fan. It was only the second ratified 147, with Steve Davis making the first. Davis' prize? One of the sponsor's cars.

There were just eight 147s across the whole 1980s, a snooker decade full of soap opera drama and larger-than-life personalities. For sheer quality, nothing touches the current one.

"Professionals are pursuing their career records and the tour is offering incentives out there," notes Murphy. "People are more aware of these challenges. They're training specifically for them."

Legendary figures like Alex Higgins did not achieve a maximum break on tour. Nor did fellow world champions. Yet promising talent Aaron Hill made a pair inside four weeks. The 23-year-old is amazed that Higgins never managed one.

Hill explains: "There will be a lot of players who haven't had one. It was always a goal to have my name on the board. The buzz is incredible. Everyone on the tour now has the potential. We're almost anticipating one in every tournament. It's everyone pushing one another."

What is the secret to a 147?

"In my opinion if there is a secret, it's recognizing the opportunity quickly," says Shaun Murphy. "If you come to the table early and take a couple of reds and some blacks, and you see the black's available to both pockets... we all think 'hang on a minute, there's a 147 on here'.

"I've always been proud of the one I made in the Shoot Out because I tried to make it from the very first pot. To have the personal challenge and then get it in the pressure cooker of the Shoot Out was pretty special."

Murphy describes the special feeling: "When you're on a maximum, everyone in the room knows it and it heightens their attention. Everyone's focus fixates on you." Are maximums becoming commonplace? "Not in my view."

What's next if the 147 code has been cracked?

• Snooker awaits its first official maximum by a woman. China's Bai Yulu had a 145 at a recently held championship.
• Two 147s in the one contest has been accomplished. Two in successive frames next?
• The 155 (a 147 plus eight points from a free-ball scenario at the start) has never been achieved in competition. Footage exists of a player making one in practice.
• The 167 is "perhaps the next step," says Murphy, referring to a new format involving a special bonus ball for a massive financial prize.

The chase for the record is on

Murphy suggests the surge of maximums is straightforward to understand. "My belief is everyone's getting better. Some of the players lower in the standings that the average fan have never heard of, on their day they can beat anyone."

The improving "quality and consistency of playing conditions" is also cited as a factor. But in the end, the players are the ones sinking the balls.

Hill has two maximums. O'Sullivan holds the record of 17. "Watch out Ronnie, he's coming for you." It is meant lightheartedly, but Hill welcomes the challenge.

"At the end of my career, I believe I'll be well up there with maximum breaks," he declares. At the very least, players now go about their daily business with the thought that the next frame is full of potential.

Sink the red, follow with the black. Rinse and repeat.