In snooker, a maximum break scores 147 points.
The standard 147 consists of fifteen reds, each followed by a black, followed by all six colours. The reds and blacks score 15 × (1 + 7) = 120 points, while the colours add 27 points, producing 147.
A free ball can make breaks higher than 147 in unusual foul situations. Such breaks are sometimes called “超” or147-plus breaks, but they are not the standard maximum break. The 147 remains snooker’s best-known single-break target and one of the sport’s most difficult achievements.
The term maximum break is often confused with a century break. A century is any break of at least 100 points, whereas 147 identifies the perfect standard clearance with fifteen reds and fifteen blacks.