What is going on in Canada?”
- Fifteen-Time World Snooker Champion Joe Davis upon hearing of Leo Levitt’s historic 147; an achievement that was to elude Davis for another nine years.

“A serious opponent.”
- Eight-time World Snooker Champion Fred Davis.

Leo Levitt is a legendary early pioneer of Canadian snooker, whose ground-breaking achievements inspired future Canadian superstars.

Levitt solidified his place in recorded snooker history as the first amateur snooker player in the world to make a maximum break of 147 in snooker, also known as a “perfect game” against an opponent. A snooker player compiles a maximum break by potting each of the 15 red balls in the triangle followed by a black ball as the first 30 shots – totalling 120 points; then potting each of the colours – yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black in order for a further 27 points totalling 147. It requires exceptional precision, skill and concentration. Levitt accomplished this celebrated feat at The Windsor Billiards & Bowling Club of Montreal on November 24, 1948.

Levitt’s triumph garnered world-wide attention and he received a letter of congratulations and an acknowledgment plaque from the Billiards Association and Control Council in England as well as front-page coverage in The Standard publication. This world record-breaking achievement sparked the most dominant figure in world snooker from the 1920s to the 1950s, fifteen-time World Champion Joe Davis, to say “What is going on in Canada?” It took Joe Davis almost his entire career to achieve a maximum break. Davis finally entered the record books himself when he made the first officially recognized maximum break in a 1955 exhibition match in London, nine years after his last World Championship victory in 1946. The first ratified maximum break in professional snooker competition was not accomplished until 1982 when Steve Davis achieved it on January 11th at the Lada Classic.

Whether it was inspiration, karma or destiny, Levitt’s singular world-first achievement was to be the start of Canadian snooker’s love affair with the glorious 147. Two of the most memorable 147s achieved in world competition would be achieved by Canadians. On April 23, 1983, Cliff Thorburn became the first player to make a 147 at the World Championship and the second player to do so in a televised match. And the following year, on January 28, 1984, Kirk Stevens made the first ever maximum at the Benson & Hedges Masters and became the third player to record a 147 in a televised match. The television coverage brought much acclaim to the players and Canada.

Forty years after Levitt blazed the trail, Montreal’s Alain Robidoux became only the sixth player to produce a perfect game in professional competition, making his 147 maximum at the 1988 European Open. A break of 147 is an exceptional achievement and over 66 other Canadians joined the distinguished players around the world in achieving the milestone, including Canadian Snooker Hall of Fame inductees: Eddy Agha, Robert Chaperon, George Chenier, Brady Gollan, Robert Paquette, Paul Thornley, Bill Werbeniuk, and Jim Wych.

Leo Levitt took part in challenge matches with Fred Davis and Joe Davis on their visits to Canada. He won his fair share of those challenges. He was an active amateur player in Canada and Quebec and was a multi-time Montreal City Champion and Quebec Provincial Champion. He competed in the North American Amateur Championship, often defeated by George Chenier. Towards the end of his life, he took part in the Canadian Open, an international event, at the Canadian National Exhibition. In 1975 he narrowly lost to three-time World Champion John Spencer by a score of 9-7. He played again in 1978 losing to Cliff Thorburn. Levitt was a notable snooker coach who was always happy to give back to the game and to younger players, helping them with technique and strategy.

Levitt’s 147 was the beginning of landmark events on the snooker scene in Canada. It brought the sport of snooker into the Canadian public consciousness and it created awareness on the world stage. Levitt’s achievement was the driving force for world famous snooker stars, most notably Joe Davis and Fred Davis, to travel from England to Canada to experience the calibre of Canadian snooker first hand. In turn, these appearances allowed snooker to rise in popularity and begin to flourish in Canada. He was inducted into the Canadian Snooker Hall of Fame in 1990.