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O’Sullivan has already stated his interest in pocketing near-£400k as the prize, but he could be cruelly denied even before he takes to the table. The Rocket famously turned down the chance of making maximum breaks in the past in protest of the nominal cash prize for doing so, but with the sums on offer in Saudi he will be preparing for some big breaks.

However, World Snooker Tour rules state that only the first player to make a 167 will be awarded the £395k bonus. That means those who take to the table before O’Sullivan have the opportunity to snatch the golden ball before he gets an opportunity to.

If O’Sullivan is the second, third or fourth player to make a 167, the current rules state that he would walk away without the huge prize on offer. Typical professional snooker tournaments give a cash prize away to each player that makes a 147.