Snooker in its modern form originated in the latter half of the 19th century.[7] Billiards had been a popular activity amongst British Army officers stationed in India, and variations on the more traditional billiard games were devised. One variation, devised in the officers' mess inJabalpur during 1874 or 1875,[7] was to add coloured balls in addition to the reds and black which were used for pyramid pool and life pool.[8] The rules were formally finalised in 1884 by Sir Neville Chamberlain at Ootacamund.[citation needed] The word snooker also has military origins, being a slang term for first-year cadets or inexperienced personnel.[7] One version of events states that Colonel Sir Neville Chamberlain of the Devonshire regiment (not the later Prime Minister of the same name) was playing this new game when his opponent failed to pot a ball and Chamberlain called him a snooker.[8] It thus became attached to the billiards game now bearing its name as inexperienced players were labelled as snookers.[9]
Snooker grew in popularity in England but generally it was still a game for the gentry, and many well established gentleman clubs which had a billiards table would not allow nonmembers inside to play. To accommodate the popularity of the game, smaller and more open snooker-specific clubs started to be formed.
