Introduction
My name is John Hunter and I run Cuestars, which provides Junior Sections, and, for all ages, grass-root snooker tournaments across the South of England. Cuestars has more than 250 players registered and 20+ clubs affiliated.
Junior Sections
Junior Sections enable youngsters to play on full-sized snooker tables. Players are taught the basics, shown how to conduct themselves in a snooker club environment and are introduced to competition play. Click here to see our Junior Sections page Junior Sections
An Academy is available, which offers all Cuestars players a structured approach to learning the game. There are twenty eight levels to achieve, with the Bronze levels aimed at the beginner, Silver Levels at the fifty break maker, the Gold levels at the ton maker and the final levels aimed to challenge a professional player!
Competitions
The competitions season runs from September until May and cater for players of all ages. Click here to see our current Competition Calendar
All Sunday and Mid-week competition draws take place at 10.30am prompt. Entry fees are taken on the day. All tables used for competition matches are free of charge.
All Saturday competitions draws (Joe Perry Under-21 Super Series) take place at 10.00am prompt. Entry fees are taken by bank transfer in advance. All tables used for competition matches are free of charge.
The rankings points for all Open, Tour and Super Series events are as follows: –
Winner 25 points, Runner-up 18 points, Semis 15 points, Quarters 12 points, Last Sixteen 10 points, Last Thirty Two 8 points, Last Sixty Four 5 points, 3rd place in group 9 points, 4th place in group 7 points, 5th place in group 5 points, 6th place in group 4 points.
Championship Tour only – Plate Winner 3 points, Plate Runner Up 1 Point.
All round robin groups will consist of one top ranked player.
The dress code for all under-21 competitions (including Joe Perry Super Series) is smart trousers, shoes and a collared or polo shirt. There is no dress code for Championship, Senior (40+) and Masters (55+) Tour events. Click here to see our Competition Day Rules
Cuestars Championship Tour (no age limit)
- Nine knock-out ranking competitions with cash prizes subject to entries. Entry fee: £20 per event.
- £600 and Cuestars Championship Trophy to the top ranked player.
Cuestars Seniors Tour (for players aged 40 and over)
- Nine ranking competitions with cash prizes subject to entries received. Entry fee: £15 per event.
- £300 and Cuestars Senior Champion trophy to the top ranked player.
Cuestars Masters Mid-Week Tour (for players aged 55 and over)
- Ten round-robin competitions for cash prizes. Entry fee: £15 per event.
- £150 and Cuestars Masters Trophy awarded to the top ranked player.
Cuestars U21 Gold, Silver and Bronze Tours (for players aged under-21 before start of the start of the season on the 1st September)
U21 Tour criteria: –
- Gold is for promoted players and players with a 80 and over highest match break.
- Silver is for promoted players and players with a 40 and over highest match break.
- Bronze is for players whose match break is below 40.
- Ten competitions on each tour for trophies plus £100 guaranteed to each Gold Tour event winner.
- Entry fee: £10 per event.
- Gold £300 + Trophy, Silver £200 + Trophy and Bronze £100 + Trophy to each top ranked player.
- Top ranked players to be seeded at end-of-season Championships to find the Cuestars U21 Gold, Silver and Bronze Championship winners.
Cuestars Joe Perry U21 Super Series (for players aged under-21 before start of the start of the season on the 1st September)
- Three round-robin competitions each with £500 and a trophy to the winner!
- World Snooker Q School place paid by Joe Perry plus Trophy awarded to the top ranked player.
- Series pound a point highest break prize provided by Taom Chalk.
- Entry fee: £40 per event.
- Each event strictly limited to the first 24 paid entries received!!!
Table and scoreboard etiquette
Shake hands before and after the match, and before a deciding frame.
When your opponent is at the table, stand away from the table and not in his eye-line, if practical. Do not move until the object-ball reaches the pocket.
From a safety point of view, please hold your cue upright and in front of you at all times when you are not down on a shot.
Pay attention at all times to what your opponent is doing.
Always apologise or hold your hand up if you fluke a pot or fluke a snooker.
When your opponent pots a red, say out loud what the break is. When he pots a colour, roll it gently back onto its spot and then say what the break is. There is no need to say “one” when the first red of a break is potted.
When your opponent’s break has finished, tell him what he has scored and watch him put the score up before starting your pre-shot routine.
The only time you put your opponent’s points up is if you commit a foul.
Be aware at all times whether you or your opponent’s score is on the top or the bottom. The player who broke in that frame should be on top. And be aware of who is leading and roughly by how much.
Treat the game and your opponent, regardless of his or her standard, with respect. Treat them the same as you would like to be treated. Wandering away from the table while your opponent is playing a shot is not acceptable.
Apart from it not being the right thing to do, winding up your opponent will only make him or her more determined to beat you.
Website
Have you got any snooker news?
It doesn’t have to be from a Cuestars tournament.
Then please email our press officer Tim Dunkley at: [email protected] the details or contact him via Facebook and you could be on the Cuestars website and in your local newspaper.
I feel it also important to let you know Tim is a World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association qualified coach based in Southampton, Hampshire. He was taught by Del Hill.
He specialises in helping beginners.
Tim’s local club is Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club, which is just off the M3 between Southampton and Winchester. There, he helps club-owner Ray Cooper run the Saturday morning junior leagues and the school-holiday competitions.
Contact Tim by email or by ringing 02380 562647 or 07986 376114.
Further information
How Cuestars started
Cuestars can trace its history back to a Saturday morning junior section at Andover Snooker Club in the mid-1980s, writes World Snooker coach Tim Dunkley.
But the first seed was actually sown when a 13-year-old goalkeeper and keen cricketer grew “frustrated” with team games in 1979.
It was then that John Hunter first picked up a snooker cue. However, he did not play on full-sized tables until four years later at the Berkshire Club, in Windsor, where future world champion Steve Davis and his dad used to practise and which was owned by snooker commentator Jack Karnehm and table manufacturer Bill Hillman.
He joined in the January and remarkably made his first century in the November.
“The standard there was fantastic,” recalled Hunter. “It rubs off on you.
“I lived in that place. In those 11 months, I probably crammed more snooker in than other people do in three or four years.
“I just loved it. If you find something you do well, you just want to do it more and more. I was obsessive about trying to make my highest break – too obsessive, really.
“I should’ve focused a bit more on winning rather than break building,” he added ruefully.
Mentored by Mel Turner, Hunter won a Schweppes-sponsored national junior championship (where a certain Stephen Hendry was a semi-final casualty) at the age of 18.
“It all happened so fast,” he said.
Around 1985, Hunter’s dad, Ian, who was formerly in the building trade, bought Andover Snooker Club, which was later sold to Henry West, who used to manage some of the top players.
“I started a kids club on Saturday mornings because I wanted to give something back,” said Hunter.
Before long, he had initiated junior sections at Stonehenge, Durrington, Winchester and Aldershot. The first triangular match was between Winchester, Stonehenge and Andover in the late 1980s. And that was the start of the South of England circuit as we know it today.
Hunter, now 48, recalled: “I started to hold team competitions between the different kids clubs and then eventually I started to form a competition structure, which would be on Sundays. Because the junior side was so good, grown-up players wanted the same.”
Cuestars was set up with a government enterprise allowance grant. It grew to between 15-20 sections helped by Dave Norman and Ron Knight. When Knight retired, Norman bought Stoke Snooker Club from him.
Hunter said: “They were very helpful. Dave, at Swindon, was fantastic. And Ron did a brilliant kids club in Gosport.
“I can’t remember what made me think of the name. I had a friend who helped me with the logo.”
Although he loves to see Cuestars players progress and compete nationally and internationally (he helped Ben Harrison when he was 12-years-old), Hunter perhaps derives more pleasure from just seeing improvement in young players of all abilities.
“It’s all the kids – the ones who didn’t have a lot of ability – that became quite good,” he explained.
“They might have been a bit rough and ready when they signed up to it but they got on well in life. You feel like you’ve contributed a little bit to that.”
He tells a story about going to the bank to ask for a loan: “The person stood in front of me was in his 30s. He’d lost more of his hair than I had. He said ‘I used to be in your kids club’. And there I am sat there begging him for a loan.”
And did he give you the loan?
“He gave me a load of hassle, to be quite honest,” laughed Hunter.
Reflection on his near 30 years running Cuestars, he said: “I get a buzz; I enjoy it. I’m a snooker player myself. I was a kid who played snooker so I understand what makes things exciting. I’m constantly thinking of things that will capture their interest the way it captured my interest when I was younger.
“Not only did it give them a skill for playing snooker, it obviously helped their skills in life. I’ve always liked to organise things. Cuestars hasn’t been about me, it’s been about the people.
“But I can’t say I’m not proud,” which is about as much as you’ll ever get from a man who does not like to blow his own trumpet.