Reigning world snooker champion Kyren Wilson was forced to give up £30,000 of his winnings after Mark Selby hit a stunning 147 at the Crucible two years ago. Wilson etched his name into snooker lore in 2023 at the iconic Sheffield venue by achieving a perfect frame.
He became just the 13th player ever to do so since the World Snooker Championship began in his first-round clash against Ryan Day. The current world No. 2 was delighted at raking in a hefty £55,000 for the highest break and maximum break prizes in that year’s World Snooker Championship.
Yet, after a day of drinking and celebrating with his wife, Wilson’s joy soon turned to dismay when he discovered Selby had pinched a whopping £27,500 right from under his nose.
As it turned out, The Jester from Leicester remarkably hit a maximum of his own in the final against Luca Brecel, marking the first ever 147 in the Crucible showpiece. As such, Wilson was forced to split both of his prizes, marking the “worst hangover” over his life.
He said in an interview with the Daily Star: “I was at a bottomless brunch with my wife. I’d had a few too many celebrating my maximum and ended up in bed for 9pm.
“I woke up the next day to about 20 missed calls. I had loads of messages but the one I saw first was from Shaun Murphy and had one of those emojis with the covered face.
“I thought ‘what’s happened here,’ so I clicked on them, and it was like ‘Selby has had a 147!’ It was the worst hangover I’ve ever had! Selby cost me almost £30,000.” But despite suffering a blow financially, Wilson still cherishes the memory of his achievement.
“It’s something I can hold onto forever,” he explained. “My kids were at school in different sides of the building on the day it happened, and the teachers were following their progress.
“They got them to take time out as I was potting along, and they ended up watching the maximum, so they were buzzing as well.”
Two years later, Mark Allen emulated Wilson and Selby’s feat by managing a 147 break in the 2025 World Championship’s Friday morning session.
After losing the first four frames and trailing 10-2, Allen retreated to the practice table during the interval and returned to produce perfection in the first frame after the restart.
The Northern Irishman achieved the 15th maximum in the tournament’s main draw stage, earning him £45,000 – a sum that could be split if another player achieves a 147.
However, the 39-year-old is on the verge of exiting the tournament, trailing 12-4 ahead of the match’s resumption at 7pm (BST).
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