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Notable players
In the professional era that began with Joe Davis in the 1930s and continues up until the present day, a relatively small number of players have succeeded at the top level. The most notable are those who have had the ability to win ranking tournaments consistently and perform at the highest level. In the modern era the financial rewards for reaching these high levels are significant, with career earnings in the multi-million pound territory for the top professionals. Reaching and maintaining a place amongst the snooker elite is a tough task, with the standards of the game being such that it requires many years of dedication and effort as well as natural ability.

Certain players have tended to dominate the game through the decades. Ray Reardon is generally regarded as the principal player through the 1970s, Steve Davis through the 1980s and Steven Hendry through the 1990s, winning 6, 6 and 7 World Championships respectively. In the 2000s no one player has dominated; however, Ronnie O'Sullivan has at times shown dominance but has been unable to show a consistency through tournaments or across multiple seasons.