Mysterious Sinuca Brasileira
by ‘Archivist‘
Snooker is French, English, Indian, and even has a
Brazilian genetic touch—because, why not?
Snooker is a game for the world!
Gustavo Corrêa, “A história da sinuca”
The article is available to be downloaded in PDF format from the following link:
The game of snooker first emerged in the 11th Devonshire Regiment’s officer’s unassuming casino in India during the brief rainy season of the drought year of 1875. As he recalled more than sixty years later, the young Lieutenant Neville Chamberlain introduced higher-value coloured balls to the game of Black Pool (see Neville Chamberlain’s letter to The Field in 1938). This variant was not an original concept, as the amount and sequence of play of coloured balls in relation to the conventional rules had been previously experimented with. However, at some point in the late 1870s or early 1880s, either Chamberlain himself or someone associated with him added fifteen red balls to the standard set for Pool, thereby combining Black Pool with Pyramids. This innovation has become known worldwide as Snooker.
In less than 25 years, following the merge of Black Pool and Pyramids, the game known as Snooker was awarded official status. In 1900, the Billiards Association of Great Britain and Ireland published the first set of official rules for the game. Two years later, in March 1902, the Société de Snooker was established in Paris with the set aim of developing and advancing the game of billiard known as snooker in France. The popularity of snooker rapidly increased across the USA, Canada, Australia, Egypt, New Zealand, and South Africa. Further official recognition followed in Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, and Luxembourg, and thereafter in the majority of Western European countries.
The Billiards Associations of various countries or regions adopted the official rules of snooker promulgated by the Billiards Association of Great Britain and Ireland (taking into account that the structure of this organisation often changed in the twentieth century, we will not give the whole list of names. We are talking about the British Association). Other than those, only three countries went their own way: Australia, USA, and Brazil.
Australian Snooker
In the early 20th century, a distinct version of the game known as ‘Australian snooker’ emerged in Australia. It should be noted that several variants of the game existed, which differed significantly from one another. In different regions and even different clubs, the rules differed significantly, to the extent that experts in the press advised the players to study the local rules carefully before playing in order to avoid errors due to ignorance. This diversity in rules persisted for a period of approximately twenty to twenty-five years. However, during the 1930s, a unification process was initiated, leading to the establishment of official tournaments at both regional and national levels. These tournaments were played by a unified set of rules that were synchronised with those of the Billiards Association of Great Britain and Ireland, which underwent several name changes in the future. However, it is unfortunate that the national rules have now been completely forgotten, with no existing tournaments played by those. Nevertheless, it should be noted that some clubs have so-called ‘home’ rules, which are used for unofficial regional competitions.
American Snooker
In the USA, a distinct version of snooker rules emerged around the same time as in Australia. However, this variant did not disappear; rather, it underwent a transformation, evolving into a distinct form of billiard. In 1925, the first official rules of American snooker were published, and these were modelled after those of classic snooker but adapted to the smaller size of the tables and to the preferences of American audiences, who liked to watch a show with trick shots rather than witnessing the thought process of the players as they considered how to escape a difficult situation. By the 1940s, the rules had undergone further modification and simplification, resulting in the evolution of American snooker into a hybrid form combining elements of English snooker and American pool. In the contemporary era, tournaments are played in the USA under both the classic snooker rules and the local American rules.
What makes Brazilian Snooker unique?
Firstly, the name of the game was adopted without any changes in all languages (including Portuguese). Minor variations in pronunciation, such as emphasis on the final syllable in French, are not considered, as English grammar is employed for spelling. Only in Brazil they chose to change the word Snooker to a word more suited to the rhythm of the Brazilian variant of the Portuguese language: Sinuca.
Secondly, the situation on the table when there is an obstacle between the cue ball and the object ball, i.e., the trajectory is completely or partially blocked by other balls, is called the same as the game itself: snooker. This is the case in all languages except Brazilian Portuguese. In Brazil, this situation is referred to as Sinuca de bico.
Where did the word Sinuca originate?
The term ‘sinuca’ does not translate to ‘snooker’ and bears no relation to billiards whatsoever, but rather represents an adaptation of the English word in terms of its phonetic pronunciation to Brazilian Portuguese (although the word Sinuca itself is not of Portuguese origin).
The earliest documented reference to the word Sinuca appears in the book Nuova Geografia, published in 1777 in Venice in Italian. On page 81, the following is presented:
“Nel 1709 dopo la battaglia di Pultawa Carlo XII. Re di Svezia pafsò con indicibil fatica per questa pianura deserta, per andar in Turchia. Una gran parte di questo tratto di paese appartiene a’ Cosacchi Saporogi , foggetti al Dominio di Russia, i quali prendono il fiume Sinuca, che s’unisce al fiume Bog , per i loro antichi consini, nella qual contrada fu’ fiumi Ingul, e Inguletz giace oggigiorno la Nuova Servia, foggetta al Dominio Russo. “
Translated into English:
“In 1709 after the battle of Pultawa Charles XII. King of Sweden travelled with unspeakable effort across this desert plain to Turkey. A large part of this part of the country belongs to the Saporogi Cossacks, subject to the Russian Dominion, who take the Sinuca River, which joins the Bog River, for their ancient consuls, in which area the Ingul and Inguletz Rivers now lie New Servia, subject to the Russian Dominion.“
The following reference is found in a book by M.J. Grange, ‘Voyage au Pole Sud,’ published in Paris in French in 1854. The relevant passage can be found on page 51:
“Opoulou est à 36 milles de Tou-tou-Ila; sa hauteur est moyenne et ses pentes s’élèvent graduellement à partir de la plage. La chaîne, située entre Sinuca et Siusinga, a 623 mètres de hauteur absolue.“
Translated into English:
“Opoulou is 36 miles from Tou-tou-Ila; it is of medium height and its slopes rise gradually from the beach. The range between Sinuca and Siusinga is 623 metres high.”
In this instance, the term Sinuca denotes a specific location in Samoa. Despite thorough research, the location could not be identified on contemporary cartographical resources. It is conceivable that the site has been renamed in the nearly two hundred years since the book was published.
The following reference constitutes a proof of publication from 1777. The reference is to be found in the book ‘Nuova Geografia Universale. Volume IV’ by Professor Attilio Brunalti, published in Italian in Milan in 1894 on page 556. It contains the following:
“La Sinuca, il principale affluente del Bug ed un tempo frontiera delle «franchigie Zaporoghe», nasce pur essa nel governo di Chiev e riceve le sue acque dai distretti di Zvenigorod e d’Uman. Questa ultima città, molto commerciante, è quella in cui, per vendicarsi dei confederati di Bar, i Cosacchi ed i contadini Piccoli-Russi fecero nel 1768 un eccidio generale dei Polacchi e degli Ebrei rifugiati nella piazza; attualmente, gli israeliti sono più numerosi che mai. La città di Novo-Mirgorod, antica colonia dei Cosacchi di Mirgorod, poscia centro della Nuova-Serbia, è su di un affluente orientale della Sinuca.”
Translated into English:
“The Sinuca, the main tributary of the Bug and once the border of the ‘Zaporoghe franchises‘, also originates in the government of Chiev and receives its waters from the districts of Zvenigorod and Uman. This last town, which is very commercial, is the one where, in revenge on the Bar confederates, the Cossacks and the Small Russian peasants carried out a general massacre of the Poles and Jews who had taken refuge in the square in 1768; today, the Israelites are more numerous than ever. The city of Novo-Mirgorod, an old colony of Mirgorod Cossacks, later the centre of New Serbia, is on an eastern tributary of the Sinuca.”
The three examples above refer to geographical terms in Italian and French. However, in the Basque language, the word ‘sinuca’ has a very different meaning.
The book ‘Euskalaritzaren Historiaz, I: XVI-XIX. Mendeak. Ricardo Gómez – Joseba A. Lakarra (Arg.). 1992’ (‘On the History of Basque Language, I: XVI-XIX. Centuries. Ricardo Gómez – Joseba A. Lakarra (Ed.). 1992’) contains a reference to a quote from 1800 in Section ‘Korno Zuazo, Euskaldunek euskalkienganako izan dituzten jarrerez’ (‘Korno Zuazo, on the attitudes of Basque speakers towards Basque dialects’):
“Asitzen dira quiñu ta siñuca; oec arpeguian ematen die aiei, nion, cion, diot, ta ala beste epai moldeaquin. Aiec berriz Vizcaitarrai, deutsat, neutsan, zeuntsan, esan juan, ez doc, bai doc ta onela beste itz ascotan (…) (Moguel, 1800, xiv).”
Translated into English:
“They are used to say “quiñu” and “siñuca”; they give them the face, “nion,” “cion,” “diot,” and other forms of judgment. They, on the other hand, to the Biscayans, “deutsat,” “neutsan,” “zeuntsan,” “esen juan,” “nez doc,” “bai doc,” and other similar words (…) (Moguel, 1800, xiv).“
Please refer to page 10 of the book ‘Versiones bascongadas… o Demonstración práctica de la pureza, fecundidad y eloquencias del idioma bascuence… por Don Juan Antonio de Moguel y Urquiza,’ published in 1802, where the following can be found:
“¿Noiz arteraño gueroenean, Catilina, gaiztoagotuco zera gure oneguitasunaz? ¿Ceimbat egun dà zure aserre videgabeac garabiltzala lotsagarrirò siñuca bezala? ¿Ceri ta certara zure lotsagabequeria mugaric ez duena?“
Translated into English:
“How long, Catiline, will you be more wicked than ever for our kindness? How long has your unbridled anger been running rampant like a shameless scoundrel? Why and to what end does your shamelessness know no bounds?“
This text is taken from the book ‘Testamentu zarreco eta berrico condaira edo munduaren asieratic Jesu-Cristoren evangelioa apostoluac eracutsi zuten artera-noco berri, escritura santatic atera, eta euscaraz ipini dituenac apaiz D. Francisco Ignacio de Lardizabal zaldiviaco beneficiaduac’ (The story of the Old and New Testaments, or the gospel of Jesus Christ from the beginning of the world, according to the way in which the apostles showed him the gospel, taken from the holy scriptures and translated into Basque by the priest D. Francisco Ignacio de Lardizabal, beneficent of Zaldivia), which was published in 1855 (see page 380):
“Nic berriz diotsuet: here lagun urcoaren contra aserretcen dana, juiciora eraraana izango da: burlaca edo siñuca dagoquiona, batzarrearen aurrera joan bearco da; eta buru-gabea edo zoroa deitcen diona, infernuco suaren dina izango da.”
Translated into English:
“Again I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be in danger of judgment; whoever is a scorner or a reviler will be in danger of the council; and whoever calls him a fool or a madman will be in danger of the fire of hell“
In Brazil, the word Sinuca emerged in press publications after the 1870s, denoting a name or nickname, as referenced by the two examples below.
On 13 February 1872, the newspaper Correio do Brazil published a note that read as follows:
“Bibliotheca Romantien.—Com este titulo vai apparecer uma publicação mensal, destinada á traducção de escolhidos romancea historicos.
O primeiro volume sahirá á luz dentro de poucos dias, a conterá o trabalho do visconde de S. Xavier Quem fez o mal que o pague, e o de D. Maria do Pilar Sinuca de Marco Joanna Seymour.”
Translated into English:
“Bibliotheca Romantien – Under this title, a monthly publication will appear, aimed at translating selected historical novels.
The first volume will be published in a few days’ time and will contain the work of the Viscount of St Xavier, “Let him who has done evil pay for it”, and that of Maria do Pilar Sinuca de Marco, “Joanna Seymour”.”
18 March 1896 published in Pacotilha:
“D. Izabel Pires trajava: casaco de cambraia da côr de rosa, tendo no cimo do cóllo, um mimoso e niveo ramo de flores de noiva do, saia de chita amarella com flores pardas e sobre as tranças pousava uma borbolêta azul (producio d’arte) a borbolêta azul!… a enamorada do primoroso poeta C. de Abreu…, D. Annicota Araujo, trajava formoso vestido de setinôta encarnada todo ennastrado de preto; enlaçando as negras tranças que voluptuosas dançavam sobre as opulentas espaduas—um laço de fita da cor de rosa; D. Sinuca, trajava: vestido encarnado sobre o qual via-se com to do a pericia d’arte, modellado com fitas pretas—um velocipede, D. Gotinha Miranda, trajava: gôrro azul, lunetta parda, atravéz da qual radiava os negros olhos da gentil joven, casaco de sitineta preta com peitilho da cor de rosa, decolado, ostentando-se o moreno regaço sobre o qual debruçavam-se dois niveos ramos de noivado, e saia de cheviot azulado com fita da cor de rosa na barra da mesma“
Translated into English:
“D. Izabel Pires wore: a pink cambric coat, with a delicate and white bouquet of bridal flowers on top of her neck, a yellow calico skirt with brown flowers and a blue butterfly (an art product) perched on her braids, the blue butterfly!… the lover of the exquisite poet C. de Abreu…, D. Annicota Araujo, wore a beautiful red satin dress all trimmed in black; entangling the black braids that danced voluptuously over the opulent shoulders—a pink ribbon bow; D. Sinuca wore a red dress, on which one could see all the skill of art, modeled with black ribbons—a velocipede; D. Gotinha Miranda wore a blue cap, brown glasses, through which the black eyes of the gentle young woman shone, a black satin jacket with a pink collar, low-cut, showing off the brown lap over which two snowy engagement bouquets were hanging, and a blue cheviot skirt with a pink ribbon at the hem.”
A review of the Brazilian press from the late nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century revealed approximately two hundred mentions of the name or nickname Sinuca. The search was halted at this point, as this was not the primary objective of the study. However, the investigation did reveal that the name was not uncommon and was used across various social strata, ranging from ordinary peasants to the upper classes.
To continue the discussion on the etymology of the word ‘sinuca’, please find below a quote from the online dictionary, Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa:
“sinuca
substantivo feminine (English: feminine noun)
1. [Brasil] [Jogos] Variedade de jogo de bilhar, semelhante ao bilhar inglês. (English: Variety of billiards game, similar to English billiards)
2. [Brasil] Mesa ou estabelecimento onde se pode jogar esse jogo. (English: Table or establishment where this game can be played)
3. O mesmo que sinuca de bico. (English: Same as snooker)
sinuca de bico
[Brasil] [Jogos] Situação no jogo da sinuca em que uma ou mais bolas estão entre a bola que se deve impelir com o taco e a bola que se deve meter no buraco. (English: A situation in snooker in which one or more balls lie between the cue ball and the object ball to be pocketed.)
[Brasil, Informal] Situação difícil. = SINUCA (English: Difficult situation)
Origem etimológica: inglês snooker. (English: Etymological origin: English snooker.)”
Concluding this subject, the following questions were posed for elucidation to our correspondents in Brazil, Lucas and Cristiane:
- How difficult is it for Portuguese-speaking people in Brazil to pronounce the English word ‘Snooker’?
- Is the phrase ‘Sinuca de bico’ used in ordinary conversations by people in Brazil, or is it a slang expression used only by snooker fans?
The following responses were received:
- It isn’t difficult to pronounce the word itself in our Brazilian accent, although it’s pretty uncommon to hear the term. ‘Sinuca’ is much easier to pronounce, and it’s a more rhythmic word in Brazilian Portuguese than ‘snooker.’
- ‘Sinuca de bico’ is very common in Brazil. It’s a slang expression that means someone has gotten themselves into a difficult or complicated situation. A rough translation would be ‘getting yourself in a tight corner.’ Funny enough, the phrase is used way more in daily conversations than in actual snooker games!
The following conclusion can be drawn from the preceding discussion. The description of Snooker and its rules most likely appeared in Brazil, not in printed form but in the oral version or in letters from individuals unfamiliar with billiards, unlike in other countries. Therefore, the name of the game is not an official term accepted all over the world but an adaptation of the original English word into a more easily pronounced version of Brazilian Portuguese.
Who brought snooker to Brazil and when did it happen?
First, let us look at the research results on this specific subject in the press from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
The earliest reference to billiards in the Brazilian press appears in the early nineteenth century, but this merely confirms that billiards had been present in the country for much longer than that. In the July 1809 edition of Correio Braziliense, on page 8, the following information is published:
“Mappa da Contribuição Extraordinária, que deverão pagar somente no presente anno de 1809, e no preciso e improrogavel termo de dois meses, os Empregos e Lojas abaixo declararadas.
<…>
Lojas de Bebidas e Liquores de 4.800 a 28.800
Ditas de Vinhos do Porto de 9.600 a 24.000
Casas de Cambio — de 24.000 a 96.000
a Cambistas — de 24.000
Casas de Bilhar de 9.600 a 24.000
Padeiros de 14.400 a 48.000“
Translated into English:
” Map of the Extraordinary Contribution, which must be paid only in the current year of 1809, and in the precise and non-extendable term of two months, the Jobs and Stores listed below.
<…>
Drinks and Liquor Stores from 4.800 to 28.800
Port Wine Ditas from 9.600 to 24.000
Exchange Houses — from 24.000 to 96.000
to money changers — from 24.000
Billiard halls from 9.600 to 24.000
Bakers from 14.400 to 48.000“
We are currently unable to access Brazilian press from the eighteenth century and earlier, but we are conducting ongoing research and will update information as new data becomes available.
Since 1912 (the first being the newspaper A Tribuna), the expression Sinuca de bico, meaning ‘difficult situation’ or ‘desperate situation,’ has been appearing with increasing frequency in articles not related to billiards or sports in general.
In support of the answers provided by our Brazilian correspondents, the following quotes are drawn from Brazilian publications. In contrast to the English-language press, in which the term ‘snooker’ is seldom used in isolation from the game of billiards, in Brazil the expressions ‘O sr. Penido em ‘sinuca’ de bico, na Camara Municipal‘, ‘Ai de nós quando, por falta de elementos, phantasiamos para nos livrar da sinuca que o imprevisto creou á nossa penna‘ or ‘Tio Getulio, constrangido, não quer desagradar a sens amigos de um e outro lado. Ficou numa sinuca de bico‘ are used by authors who have no knowledge of snooker.
It is pertinent to cite an exposition published in O Imparcial on October 14, 1937:
“Sinuca — Termo da giria carioca que indica estar o individuo num aperto tremendo, num becco sem sahida, “abafado” como bule de chá em mesa de café concerto… “
Translated into English:
“Sinuca – A carioca (someone or something from Rio de Janeiro) slang term that indicates that the individual is in dire straits, in a cul-de-sac with no way out, ‘muffled’ like a teapot on a concert coffee table.”
During the 1930s, the establishment of a Brunswick Balke Collender branch in Brazil resulted in a substantial increase in the number of publications concerning snooker.
Brazilian’s research into the history of Snooker
It is unfortunate that no comprehensive research has yet been conducted on the emergence of snooker in Brazil and its evolution to Sinuca Brasileira.
It is understood that snooker arrived in Brazil during the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, although no documentary evidence has yet been made public.
It is hypothesised that the game changed its name to Sinuca over time due to the difficulty of pronouncing ‘snooker’. This theory is not without contention, however, as the game is still known as snooker in Portugal.
Additionally, it has been asserted that the traditional pyramid of red balls gradually disappeared over time, leaving behind only one red ball. However, there is no documentation to support this claim of a gradual reduction in the number of red balls.
There is a paucity of literature on the history and evolution of snooker in Brazil. The book ‘Snooker. Tudo Sobre A Sinuca’ by Genebaldo Freire Dias (published in 2005), the article ‘Historia – os jogos do Bilhar e o nascimento do Snooker’ by Paulo Dirceu Dias (2012), the work ‘Aplicação Da Geometria No Jogo De Sinuca’ by Mailson Chaves Dos Reis (2019). Universidade Federal do Tocantins, Campus de Araguaína, Curso de Graduação em Licenciatura em Matemática, and the article ‘A história da sinuca,’ authored by Gustavo Corrêa and published on 24 October 2022.
All of the aforementioned publications document the history of snooker from around the 1930s and 1940s onwards. Any events prior to this are described in a vague and unsourced manner.
We will attempt to consider the period from the end of the nineteenth century to the thirties of the twentieth century, in order to ascertain the possible versions of the arrival and development of snooker in Brazil during this time.
There can be multiple versions, and each one has its own set of pros and cons.
Influence of Burroughes & Watts
One of the most probable versions of events is based on the assumption that the first printed rules of snooker were brought to Brazil in the early 1880s by the company Burroughes & Watts. Documentary evidence indicates that this company had been working with Brazilian clients since at least the late 1870s, as confirmed by a publication in the Jornal do Commercio of 5 June 1878:
“Vapor “Rosse”. — Os agentes do vapor Rosse rogão aos consignatarios de 11 volumes marca F & S, embarcados em Londres por Burroughes & Watts, que os procurem á rua do Visconde de Inhaúma n. 20.”
Translated into English:
” “Rosse” steamer. – The agents of the steamer Rosse are asking the consignees of 11 F & S volumes, shipped to London by Burroughes & Watts, to contact them at Rua do Visconde de Inhaúma n. 20.”
Furthermore, from the mid-1880s to the beginning of the 20th century, advertisements were published almost weekly in the Jornal do Recife.
It’s quite plausible that Burroughes & Watts distributed early versions of snooker in the UK in the 1890s and were involved in the development of the first official rules.
British ex-patriate club
In 1903, a game known as ‘Snooker Pool’ was mentioned in the Brazilian press prior to its mention in the press of many European countries. The game was referred to as Snooker Pool, not Sinuca. An article noted that the game had been present in Brazil for some time and that snooker tournaments had even been organised. This article was published on 6 October 1903 in the English-language newspaper The Brazilian Review:
“Larangeiras Club. A delightful concert was given at this club on Saturday night, which was, however, marred by the absence of the principal guests, the officers of H. M. S. Cambrian, now lying in this port, who, we are sorry to say, failed to put in an appearance, due, doubtless, to the cricket match which took place at Icarahy.
One of the objects of the concert was to present Mr. Barton Allen with a prize (gold pencil case) for having won the Club’s billiard championship (1903). He was also winner of the Snooker Pool Tournament for which a cup was presented to the club this year by the President of the club. Mr. J. Cardoso Pereira won the billiard handicap 1903 for which he gets a gold penknife. Unfortunately none of them were present to receive their prizes, which was very annoying to the Committee as was also to see so few members present.”
Three years later, in 1906, an advertisement was published in Jornal do Comércio in the ‘For Sale’ section:
“A full-Sized English billiard table, in good condition, with all accessories, Including one set of snooker balls“
Here, it is appropriate to cite the opinion of Peter Ainsworth, with whom a preliminary version of the article was discussed and to whom we are very grateful for his constructive criticism and some very important comments:
“… first reference to the game being played in a British ex-patriate club in 1903, and it seems almost certain that snooker first appeared in one of these clubs which would have been widespread even before the 1880s. If the rules were first introduced by an individual <…>, I consider it a greater probability that this would have been a civilian, typically someone who had experienced the game being played in India, or elsewhere in the Empire, through a membership of a similar club. Although naval personnel clearly visited the Brazilian clubs when in harbour, they would have been mainly populated by a different class of member. The British had significant commercial interests in Brazil, and based on numbers alone, it seems more likely that any carrier of the rules would be a traveller connected to trade. There would have been many more individuals who came under this category than naval visitors, and they would have been just as mobile… “
Military sailors, civilian sailors, diplomats, or merchants?
Another possibility, as mentioned by Peter Ainsworth in the quote above, is the involvement of random independent individuals in the emergence of snooker in Brazil and its spread to clubs and taverns.
There is a high probability that someone who travelled to India, Australia, or Egypt for business or trade had encountered a new game on a billiard table in a club and subsequently arrived in Brazil, shared the description and rules (as far as they remembered and understood them) with others. It is plausible that several individuals arrived in different parts of Brazil, each contributing to the dissemination of the game.
This option is the least verifiable, as it is virtually impossible to find any documentary evidence of events in the 19th century at some minor harbour billiards venue. However, this version can be considered the most logical explanation for the transformation of Brazilian snooker into Sinuca Brasileira, which features six coloured and one red ball.
If a military or civilian sailor, diplomat, or merchant, having travelled to India or other countries where Snooker (Snookers, Snooker Pool, Snookers Pool, Four Jolly Snookers, etc.) was already being played in full swing in the late 1870s and early 1880s, told on arrival in Brazil about a new game with either four or five coloured balls and either one or fifteen red balls (in Neville Chamberlain’s first version, based on Black Pool, there was no pyramid of red balls), it is quite possible that his rivals or partners twisted the name of the game and its rules to suit them because they had not seen the printed rules, and it is difficult to remember word for word what is said orally, especially after a good portion of cachaça.
From Snooker to Sinuca
It is interesting to note that the term ‘Sinuca de Bico’ appeared in the Brazilian press in the early 1910s, much earlier than the game known as ‘Sinuca’. While Snooker was first mentioned in 1903 and featured in newspapers until the 1940s, Sinuca as the name of the game began to appear in the press only in 1924.
It is likely that the rules and description of the game were disseminated in Brazil from multiple sources following the name change to Sinuca, which occasionally led to confusion with the official name. Meanwhile, the expression Sinuca de bico got a life of its own and was used without connection with the game.
As stated at the outset, the dissemination of the rules of the game is most likely not attributable to the formal printing of these regulations on paper and their display in clubs and taverns. Rather, it is likely that the spread occurred through informal oral communication. People either heard the name and description of the game or saw others playing it, then proceeded to pass the information in their own understanding. While it is evident that a number of printed sets of rules did arrive in Brazil with the assistance of Burroughes & Watts and other sources, it is equally important to acknowledge that their quantity was limited and that the predominant method of distribution was through oral means.
Revolution with Brunswick Balke Collender.
In the late 1920s, Brunswick Balke Collender began to expand into the Brazilian billiards market, and in the thirties, branches of the North American manufacturer of tables and equipment opened. In addition to other billiard games, they promoted American snooker as well, with the first official set of rules having been published in 1925.
Below is a summary of the table and ball requirements as outlined in the rules:
“The game of American “Snooker” is played on a 5 x 10 or 6 x 12 Snooker table…
<…>
The balls should be 2⅛” in diameter, of equal weight and twenty-two in number. “
Brunswick Balke Collender’s advertising campaign was very active, and within a few years, the North Americans had taken over the entire pool table and accessories market in Brazil. The following segment is taken from the article “A história da sinuca” by Brazilian journalist Gustavo Corrêa:
“The American company Brunswick Balke Collender established itself in Rio de Janeiro in 1930, later opening offices in Recife, Porto Alegre, and São Paulo, and a year later launching the “ABC do Bilhar: principais regras para aprender a jogar; regulamento para todos os jogos de bilhar em mesas francesas, inglesas e norte-americanas.” The preferred table in Brazil was the French model, measuring 2.84 by 1.42 meters, complete with pockets and diamonds—and these characteristics remained unchanged.”
Brunswick Balke Collender circulated the official rules, which called the game Snooker. Though it was all but too late, the expressions Sinuca and Sinuca de bico were already firmly established in the colloquial language in Brazil. Due to the fact that the word Sinuca is easier to pronounce than Snooker, it gradually became the official name used in publications. Sinuca defeated Snooker.
Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen … one!
Perhaps the most interesting issue regarding the evolution of classic snooker in Sinuca Brasileira is the reduction in the number of red balls from fifteen (pyramid) to one. This is a unique occurrence in the annals of international snooker.
There is, of course, a game known as Century in one region of Pakistan that also uses six coloured balls and one red. However, it should be noted that this game does not claim to be official or national and does not even have any resemblance to snooker in its name.
Additionally, Snooker Billiards was invented by Harold Williams and revised and published by Messrs. Thurston in the early 20th century (this version of the game did not spread). There were several other ‘stillborn’ variants of shortened snooker, the rules of which were invented in various clubs, but there are only occasional mentions of them in the press of the early part of the last century.
So why did Sinuca Brasileira, the only national snooker sport in the world, abandon the red ball pyramid and return to its roots? In other words, why did it go back to Neville Chamberlain’s original first Black Pool-based version?
One possible version is described in an article we have already referred to, “A história da sinuca” by Gustavo Corrêa:
“One of the rules stated: “It can also be played with two shots on the colored balls, whereby if on the second shot the called ball is not pocketed, the corresponding points are forfeited.” Thus, the Brazilian rule was born—initially with three red balls and later reduced to just one. “
In 2000, Mike Stooke also referred to the snooker variant that uses three red balls:
“This is a very short form of snooker that is ideal for a fast, fun tournament.
In the Salisbury area the local league have organised a 3 red tournament at the end of each season for over 30 years. Entries can number over a hundred and a few qualifying nights quickly reduce these to the last eight who play to a finish on finals night.”
However, in all variants of shortened snooker the red balls are arranged in a pyramid shape. The precise quantity – whether ten of them (Australian variant), six (standard Six Red Snooker), or three (the variant mentioned by Mike Stooke) – is inconsequential. In Sinuca Brasileira, the only red ball is placed between the right-side cushion and the pink ball. Explaining this evolution of the rules is challenging. It appears more probable that Sinuca evolved from a variant of snooker that initially incorporated a single red ball. Ultimately, if players simply reduced the number of red balls, it would be more logical to assume that the last red ball would remain at the top of the pyramid.
The second possibility is suggested by Peter Ainsworth when discussing a preliminary version of this article:
“Regarding the subsequent development of Sinuca Brasileira, it would seem logical to me that if the game played on a full-size billiard table was in the first instance transferred to an American Pool table, as may be found in a tavern (boteco) used by the local population, then it would have a much reduced playing area. Add to this the game also requiring larger balls to match the standard cushion height of American tables, and perhaps it was just overcrowding which dictated a reduction in the number of balls on the table. Could the explanation be as simple as being a practical adjustment to make the game more playable on a smaller table? American pool games use either 10 or 16 balls, so the format for Sinuca Brasileira isn’t too far away from what was considered optimum for the table size.”
This version is highly plausible, but American snooker is played on the same small table with a pyramid of reds and larger balls than those used in classic snooker.
However, it is likely that the key difference lies in the South American mentality and the desire to accelerate the pace of the game.
Other than that, an alternative version exists. It is conceivable that the original version of snooker, which emerged in Brazil in the late 1870s or early 1880s, did not feature a red pyramid. It was Neville Chamberlain’s variant based on Black Pool. According to some sources, this variant was common until the early 1880s in officers’ casinos in India, where billiards was played by traders and sailors, among others.
If this variant was brought to Brazil, it is possible that subsequent attempts to incorporate a red pyramid into the game and thereby make it slower may have been disregarded by billiard enthusiasts in South America.
All of these versions have a right to exist, and there is a strong possibility that they are all true to varying degrees. Given the legal complexities and the fragmentation of the country in the early 20th century, the development of snooker may have followed a different path in different regions of Brazil and in different clubs, occasionally adopting elements from alternatives. Following the Second World War, Snooker underwent a transformation into Sinuca, unifying all sets of rules into a single variant that resembles the contemporary version.
Neville Chamberlain and Brazil, is there a connection?
In conclusion, we would like to explain what Gustavo Corrêa meant by saying, ‘Snooker is French, English, Indian, and even has a Brazilian genetic touch’. (we have chosen to use these words as the epigraph of the article).
The fact is that the family history of Neville Chamberlain, the creator of snooker, is closely connected to Brazil. There is even a small possibility that the information about snooker reached Brazil directly from its creator. While the probability is low, it is not zero.
It is necessary to go back two generations. Neville Chamberlain’s grandfather, Henry Chamberlain, was born in 1773 and died in 1829. On 5 June 1813, he married Anne Eugenia Morgan, daughter of William Morgan, a merchant from London. Between 1815 and 1826, the couple had eight children:
Anne Beresford, born 1815
Harriet Mary, born 1816
William Charles, born 1818
Neville Bowles, born 1820
Crawford Trotter, born 1821
Thomas Hardy, born 1822
Katherine Cochrane, born 1824
Charles Francis Falcon, born 1826
Charles Francis Falcon was the father of Neville Francis Fitzgerald Chamberlain.
To quote excerpts from the biographical book ‘Colonel Sir Neville Chamberlain’ by Celia Webb-Carter:
“Most of Henry’s Consular Service was in Rio de Janeiro where he was Consular General for South America and Charge d’Affaires.
On 22nd February 1828 he was created a baronet for the good service he rendered to the state in negotiating a treaty of Commerce with Brazil. In 1829, he was appointed to go to Portugal.”
“Neville Francis Fitzgerald Chamberlain was born on 13th January 1856. He was born at Upton Park in Buckinghamshire, the home of his great grandmother. He was baptised two months later on 9th March 1856 in the Parish of Paddington.
He was the son of Charles Francis Falcon Chamberlain, and Marian Ormsby Drury. She was the daughter of George Drury, of the Madras Civil Service. They had married in Bath, 3rd June 1852. Neville was the second child. A daughter, Mary Cecilia, was born on 14th February 1854.”
“From the day N.C. arrived in India in 1873 he corresponded weekly to his sister, Mary Cecilia and there was often a sketch depicting his life there. He did this until her death on 30th March 1884 at Menton in France. She had also lived in London, and died aged 30 and was unmarried. Her death was a great sadness to N.C. and she never knew his wife and daughter.”
“As already mentioned he wrote each week to his sister, Mary Cecilia. These letters always told her of the sport which he had enjoyed and very often included a sketch of some sporting occasion.”
Mary Cecilia, who passed away at a premature age, actively corresponded with not only her beloved brother but also numerous relatives. Although Charles Francis Falcon Chamberlain’s children had no connections to Brazil, it is possible that their uncles and aunts may have retained contacts in the country where they spent their childhood. The contacts in question are likely to have been members of the Brazilian aristocracy and the families of diplomats.
Of course, this is only speculation, and there is no evidence to support this hypothesis. However, it is reasonable to assume that a young lieutenant in the 11th Devonshire Regiment, having added some coloured balls to Black Pool and received the approval of his fellow soldiers (as he himself wrote in his letter to The Field in 1938: ‘Officers in other regiments at Jubbulpore followed suit with the game in their messes.’), he may well have informed his beloved sister in a letter about the invention of the new game.
At that time, billiards and related activities were not typically of interest to women of the upper class. Nevertheless, the girl was unable to refrain from sharing this information with her cousins, recognizing the significance of her brother’s accomplishments.
Especially as the word ‘snooker’ was well known to the older generation of Chamberlains, as Neville Bowles, Neville’s uncle and namesake, had been a ‘snooker’ for some time during his youth at Woolwich.
Could information about the creation of the new game have been obtained by correspondents in Brazil directly from family members of its creator? As we said before, it is unlikely, but still possible.
However, the fact that the grandfather of Neville Chamberlain had a good career in Rio de Janeiro and his aunts and uncles were born in this beautiful country implies that the history of snooker is inextricably linked with Brazil.
Conclusion
We would like to conclude this short research study with a brief summary. Due to the paucity of information, we are only able to make conjectures and propose possibilities, each with a certain degree of validity.
Sinuca Brasileira is a unique variant of the snooker game, blending the strategic depth of the traditional game with the fast-paced and high-risk nature of Pool. It reflects the spirit of the Brazilian people with precision and authenticity.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank all the Brazilian researchers of Sinuca Brasileira history, including Genebaldo Freire Dias, Paulo Dirceu Dias, Mailson Chaves Dos Reis, and Gustavo Corrêa, who, despite the scarcity of information, were able to gather data and publish articles and books.
The constructive criticism and excellent comments provided by Peter Ainsworth were instrumental in the development of this article. We are deeply indebted to him.
We are extremely grateful to Celia Webb-Carter, whose remarkable biographical book, “Colonel Sir Neville Chamberlain,” provides invaluable insights into her distinguished ancestor.
We also wish to thank Mike Stooke for granting us permission to utilise the information collected on his website.
Special thanks to the contribution of our correspondents in Brazil, Cristiane B. and Lucas M., who provided comprehensive translations from Brazilian Portuguese, and we are pleased to anticipate a long-standing and productive collaboration with them.
The article is available to be downloaded in PDF format from the following link: