Walk up to the counter at XD Arena and you will be asked one question before anything else: six, ten or fifteen reds? Most people pick at random. It is worth thirty seconds of thought, because the answer shapes the entire evening.
The short version
| Format | Typical frame | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Red | 10–20 min | Beginners, short visits, big groups |
| 10 Red | 20–30 min | The everyday choice |
| 15 Red | 30–45 min+ | Proper snooker, serious matches |
Times assume two club-level players. Two complete beginners will take noticeably longer; two strong players, less. Crucially, all three are priced per frame rather than by the clock — so a frame that runs long costs exactly the same as one that does not. Rates shown are for a single player; two players is double.
6 Red: the format people underrate
Six reds is not a watered-down game — it is a recognised format in its own right, played competitively at professional level. What changes is the pace. With only six reds there is no long grinding middle section, so every visit matters and frames swing fast.
Play 6 red when:
- Someone is new. A beginner gets to experience a complete frame — including the closing colours — instead of losing interest halfway through a fifteen-red marathon.
- You have a big group. Short frames mean everyone gets a turn on the table instead of two people monopolising it for an hour.
- You are short on time. An hour gives you three or four full frames rather than one and a half.
- You want a knockout. Six people, quick frames, winner stays on — this is the format for it.
It is also the cheapest of the three, which makes it the sensible choice when the group is really there to talk and the snooker is the excuse.
10 Red: the everyday frame
Ten reds is the middle ground and, for most regular players, the right default. You get a real frame with room to build a break and something to think about tactically, but it finishes inside half an hour.
Play 10 red when:
- You and your opponent are roughly matched and want a fair contest.
- You are playing best-of-three across an evening.
- You want to practise break-building without committing to a full frame every time.
It sits neatly between the two on price as well as length, and it is the format we set up most often.
15 Red: the full game
Fifteen reds is snooker as it is played on television. It is longer, slower and considerably more demanding — and it rewards things the short formats do not: safety play, patience, and the discipline to leave a shot alone.
Play 15 red when:
- You are playing a serious match against someone of similar standard.
- You want to build a big break — you simply need the reds on the table to do it.
- You are working on safety play, which barely features in a six-red frame.
- You have the evening, not just an hour.
One honest warning: fifteen reds between two beginners can turn into a very long, very slow frame with a lot of missed pots. There is no shame in starting at six and working up.
What about the tournament table?
Alongside the open tables, XD Arena keeps an international-standard tournament table — tighter pockets, truer cloth, and its own rates for the same three formats:
It carries its own per-frame rates, higher than the open tables across all three formats.
The premium buys you the table specification, not extra time. For a casual evening the open tables are the right call; for a match that actually matters — a challenge, a rivalry, a small competition — the tournament table is worth the difference.
Rule of thumb: if anyone in your group has never played, start at six reds. If you are two regulars settling something, take the tournament table. Everything in between is a ten-red evening.
Working out the cost
All open-table rates are per frame for a single player, and two players on the table is twice the rate. Because the price is fixed per frame, a long tactical game costs no more than a quick one — which is exactly why picking the right number of frames matters more than watching the clock.
A membership card takes 5–15% off automatically, and students get 5% off between 10 AM and 4 PM. Current rates are on the rates page, or message us on WhatsApp.
The honest recommendation
If you are still deciding as you read this: play ten reds. It is long enough to be a real game, short enough that you will get several frames in, and it costs the middle rate. Then try the other two and see which one you keep coming back to.