Steiner and the Hypnotic Cue

CHAPTER 10 Of Mice and Men

Here was the plan:

First, we would video two matches: one  between myself and Hendry and then a second between myself and Stephen Maguire, who also agreed to get on board.

Second, we would post the videos on YOUTUBE and then send copies to the newspapers and television broadcasting stations.

Third, at the end of the videos Stephen Hendry would announce that he would pay one million pounds to any professional player who could beat me. Said player would have no forfeit.

By the last week in July, everything was ready.

Of course, Stephen should have kept his wife informed of everything. When she found out about the prize money, she went, as we describe it in Scotland, ‘absolutely radge’. I am absolutely sure that needs no translation.

With the camera all set up,  I played Stephen first, the best of three.

He had taught me well, but he hadn’t taught me everything. His angles and ability to snooker me caught me off guard,  but, as it turned out, he was just delaying the inevitable. I took the first game by only 7 clear points. I broke in the second and cleared 78 points.

Maguire watched and worried. Hendry had retired, but Maguire  was still competing and he didn’t want to look a fool on  TV nor on  YOUTUBE.  He demanded the best of five.

So the best of five it was: 3:2 to me.

I won’t bore you with more details (you can check it out on YOUTUBE), but I managed a 147 break. (I also managed a 97 break, but who remembers those?)

There was some debate over the release date of the material. The London Olympics dominated all forms of media. Dave Noble argued that our efforts might be drowned out. Hendry and Scott argued that it was so sensational that people would take notice, despite the nationwide mania for Team-GB. Plus, they added,  it was costing Noble money.

We released it as soon as.