Neil Robertson reveals the demand he issued on table conditions upon joining snooker players' board

Following a frustrating few seasons which saw him drop outside the world’s top 16 and then fail to qualify for the Crucible for the first time in 20 years, Robertson ended a near two-and-a-half year wait for a ranking title when he won the English Open in September 2024.

Earlier this year, he continued his comeback with glory at the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong before securing one of his finest triumphs when he ousted Ronnie O’Sullivan in a deciding frame in the final to win the second edition of the Saudi Arabia Masters, collecting his biggest-ever payday of £500,000.

Back up to world number three, last week Robertson became only the fourth player in snooker history to have compiled 1,000 century breaks in professional competition.

Away from the match arena, it has also been a very busy few months for the 43-year-old.

Alongside world number one Judd Trump, Robertson co-founded a new snooker academy in Hong Kong, and he recently returned home to Australia to be presented with the very prestigious Medal of the Order of Australia.

Robertson is also having his say on the administrative side of the sport after being co-opted to join the Board of WPBSA Players in July.

Upon his new role, Robertson said: “I am delighted to join the WPBSA Players Board. It is an honour to have the opportunity to represent the views and feelings of my fellow professionals and to be able to use my own personal experiences to help the next generation of players on the World Snooker Tour.”

Pockets at Chinese snooker events playing “too big”

Table conditions at professional snooker events have always provided a keen talking point amongst players and fans alike, and there has been extra scrutiny on this debate in recent times with the record-breaking tally of 147 breaks that has been made on the World Snooker Tour.

The pockets on a table in a top-flight competition are considerably tighter than those on an average club table, although professionals do play in pristine conditions with world class equipment and extra-fine cloths that are heated and very well maintained.

There is an official template from the sport’s governing body the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association when it comes to the sizes of pockets used in top tier tournaments. However, there are other factors and variables that can make a table play easier or more difficult.

In recent years, there has been much talk about the pockets playing generously during tournaments held in China.

Professional player Michael Holt talked about this on his Instagram account last year, explaining how environmental factors can play a big part: “The biggest variable is sometimes the conditions. As far as the weather, if it’s warm and dry they play a lot slipperier so they play a bit easier. If they’re damp they cause a bit more friction and become a bit tighter.”

Holt added: “the tables in China, the pockets are playing a little bit too generous” and “the players chitter chatter amongst themselves and we accept that they are maybe playing too big”.

In the past, Robertson has been critical about the tables in China, previously labelling them after certain events as "an absolute joke" and that "they were like club tables".

After last year’s International Championship, Robertson brought up the situation again saying: “The pockets are definitely on the over-generous side. A lot of the skill is taken away. It just means the safety game is so important to create that first opportunity. I’ll be bringing it up at the Players Board.”

Since that comment, Robertson has joined the WPBSA Players Board, and in a recent post on X (formerly Twitter) he has revealed that he made this a priority when he took his seat:

Despite two 147s at the Wuhan Open, and two (so far) at the Xi’an Grand Prix in China, the general consensus seems to be that the situation has been resolved, and the pockets aren’t playing as generously now.

12-time world women’s champion Reanne Evans replied to Robertson’s post saying: “In Wuhan I thought the pockets were tighter”.

In terms of why there have been so many 147s over the past couple of years - there was a record 14 made in 2024, but that has already been smashed in 2025 with 22 (so far) - several exponents believe it is because the players are just simply getting better.

Mark Selby recently talked about the strength and depth of the professional player roster getting better, while Trump and Stan Moody have said in interviews this week about the standard increasing. UK Champion Trump believes that this 147 rush is snooker’s “new normal”.

Back on the table, Robertson was eliminated from the Xi’an Grand Prix on Wednesday as he was pipped by He Guoqiang, 5-4, on the colours in the round of 32.