147
147 is the maximum break in snooker: fifteen reds each followed by a black, then all six colours.
- Odd
- Composite
Where 147 fits
Why 147 is special
147 is a number produced entirely by a rulebook. Fifteen reds at one point each, each followed by the black at seven, gives 120; clearing the six colours in order adds 27. The first officially recognised competitive 147 was made by Joe Davis in 1955, and it remains rare enough that individual maximums are still counted and reported.
147 connects to:
- 155 — contrasts with
Same number, different meanings
How 147 is understood across different contexts — never implying one meaning because of another.
- Mathematics
147 is a number produced entirely by a rulebook. Fifteen reds at one point each, each followed by the black at seven, gives 120; clearing the six colours in order adds 27. The first officially recognised competitive 147 was made by Joe Davis in 1955, and it remains rare enough that individual maximums are still counted and reported.
- History
Joe Davis made the first officially recognised competitive maximum in 1955, and for decades a 147 was rare enough that each one was news. They have become more frequent as standards rose, but the governing body still records them individually — a maximum is one of the few sporting achievements tracked as a discrete list rather than a statistic.
- Sport
A 147 break requires fifteen reds each followed by a black, then all six colours. It has been made in professional competition several hundred times since the first recorded instance.
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (6)
- 1, 3, 7, 21, 49, 147
- Prime factorisation
- 3 × 7^2
- Digit sum
- 12
- Digital root
- 3
Representations
- Decimal
- 147
- Scientific notation
- 1.470 × 10^2
Roman numerals
C X L V I I
CXLVII uses the subtractive pair XL: ten before fifty — fifty minus ten.
Binary
1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1
1 × 128 + 0 × 64 + 0 × 32 + 1 × 16 + 0 × 8 + 0 × 4 + 1 × 2 + 1 × 1 = 147
Octal
2 2 3
2 × 64 + 2 × 8 + 3 × 1 = 147
Hexadecimal
9 3
9 × 16 + 3 × 1 = 147
Read as powers of two: 128 + 16 + 2 + 1 = 147.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
1 coil of rope, 4 hobbles, 7 strokes
1 × 100 + 4 × 10 + 7 × 1 = 147. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
2 vertical wedges (sixties place), 2 corner wedges + 7 vertical wedges (units place)
2 × 60 + 27 = 147. Places are separated by a space on the tablet, with the higher place written first.
Greek (Ionic)
rho, then mu, then zeta, marked as a numeral
rho-mu-zeta + keraia
rho + mu + zeta written in descending order and added — the letters carry their values wherever they stand, so this is addition, not place value.
Hebrew numerals
qof, then mem, then zayin
qof-mem-zayin
qof (100) + mem (40) + zayin (7) = 147, written in descending order.
Maya
1 bar + 2 dots (upper, twenties place) over 1 bar + 2 dots (lower, units place)
7 × 20 + 7 = 147. Places stack vertically with the smallest at the bottom, so the upper group is worth twenty times the lower.
Systems that simply cannot reach this value are left out. Where a script needs a font most readers do not have, the reading is given instead of the glyphs — see number systems for each system in full.
Other mathematical patterns
- Deficient number
Related numbers & connections
Snooker's normal maximum is 147; a free ball after a foul raises the theoretical maximum to 155. No professional has ever made one in competition.
View 155 →Other connections
- contrasts with155
why?
Strength 0.50, confidence "high".
History
Joe Davis made the first officially recognised competitive maximum in 1955, and for decades a 147 was rare enough that each one was news. They have become more frequent as standards rose, but the governing body still records them individually — a maximum is one of the few sporting achievements tracked as a discrete list rather than a statistic.
DocumentedHistoryGeography: professional snookerPeriod: 1955 – present
Sport
A 147 break requires fifteen reds each followed by a black, then all six colours. It has been made in professional competition several hundred times since the first recorded instance.
DocumentedSportGeography: InternationalPeriod: 1955–147 is the maximum in normal play, but a free ball awarded after a foul can add an extra red and colour before the frame proper begins, so a higher break is legal: the theoretical ceiling is 155. Jamie Burnett made 148 in qualifying for the 2004 UK Championship, and a small number of other breaks above 147 have followed. This is why the governing body's records distinguish a 'maximum break' from the 'highest break', which are not the same thing.
DocumentedSportPeriod: 1st recorded 148 in 2004The maximum break in snooker under normal circumstances is 147.
DocumentedSportGeography: worldwideThe 147 is fully determined by the rules: fifteen reds at one point each, each answered by the black at seven, is 15 + 105 = 120, and clearing yellow through black in sequence adds 2+3+4+5+6+7 = 27. Nothing about the number is arbitrary — change the colour values and the maximum changes with them.
DocumentedSport
Mathematics
147 factors as 3 × 7², and the 7 is not a coincidence in the snooker context: the black is worth seven, and fifteen blacks plus the fifteen reds gives 15 × 8 = 120, with the colours adding 27. The arithmetic of the maximum is entirely determined by the colour values, so a rulebook change to any ball's value would move the number.
DocumentedMathematics
Common questions
Can a snooker break be higher than 147?
Yes, legally. A free ball awarded after a foul can add an extra red and colour before the frame proper begins, making 155 the theoretical ceiling. Jamie Burnett made 148 in qualifying for the 2004 UK Championship. This is why the governing body distinguishes a 'maximum break' from the 'highest break' — they are not the same record.
Is 147 a prime number?
No, 147 is not prime.
What are the factors of 147?
The factors of 147 are 1, 3, 7, 21, 49, 147.
What is 147 in Roman numerals?
147 in Roman numerals is CXLVII. XL is subtractive: ten before fifty — fifty minus ten. Written additively it would be CXXXXVII, which Roman inscriptions used freely — the strict subtractive form is a later convention.
About this page's data
Mathematical facts:computed directly from the number's value — nothing to source or verify externally.
Contextual records: 6 reviewer-confirmed records, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026