How many 147s have there been at the Crucible?
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Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry share the record for the most maximum 147 breaks in World Snooker Championship history.
O'Sullivan's trio of 147s in the history of the tournament came in 1997, 2003 and 2008. The first of those was the fastest ever recorded, at five minutes and eight seconds.
Stephen Hendry, who like O'Sullivan is a seven-time world champion, is the only other player to record multiple perfect breaks at the Crucible.
They came at the 1995, 2009 and 2012 editions of the tournament.
A total of 15 maximum breaks have been made in the main draw of the tournament.
Cliff Thorburn was the first player to ever record one in 1983, doing so in a second-round match against Terry Griffiths.
There was then a nine-year wait for the second, with Jimmy White scoring one in 1992 in a first-round meeting with Tony Drago.
Mark Allen was the most recent player to score a Crucible maximum, doing so in last year's tournament against Chris Wakelin.
Mark Williams, Ali Carter, John Higgins, Neil Robertson, Kyren Wilson and Mark Selby have also recorded perfect breaks at the tournament.
Any player making a 147 at this year's World Championship stands to earn a bonus of £40,000.
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How often does a 147 lead to a win?
Mark Selby recorded a 147 break at the Crucible Theatre during the 2023 World Snooker Championship final against Luca Brecel, which Brecel went on to win
Of the 15 maximum breaks, the difference between players scoring them and going on to win, or going on to lose, is fairly slim.
Nine of the 147s in Crucible history have led to victories, with the other six occasions being by players who would go on to lose.
The first four 147s - by Thorburn, White, Hendry and O'Sullivan - all came in victories.
The two most recent maximums, scored by Selby and Allen, both came in losses. Selby made the first 147 in a World Championship final in 2023 but could not prevent Luca Brecel lifting the trophy.
Every 147 break at the World Snooker Championship
Cliff Thorburn v Terry Griffiths (1983)
Jimmy White v Tony Drago (1992)
Stephen Hendry v Jimmy White (1995)
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Mick Price (1997)
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Marco Fu (2003)
Mark Williams v Robert Milkins (2005)
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Mark Williams (2008)
Ali Carter v Peter Ebdon (2008)
Stephen Hendry v Shaun Murphy (2009)
Stephen Hendry v Stuart Bingham (2012)
John Higgins v Kurt Maflin (2020)
Neil Robertson v Jack Lisowski (2022)
Kyren Wilson v Ryan Day (2023)
Mark Selby v Luca Brecel (2023)
Mark Allen v Chris Wakelin (2025)
What is the 'Midnite Maximum'?
Starting at the 2025 edition, the Midnite Maximum prize is awarded to a lucky member of the Crucible crowd if a maximum 147 break is achieved during the World Snooker Championship.
At last year's tournament, a flat prize of £25,000 was awarded to spectator Brian Nicholls following Allen's perfect break against Wakelin.
This year the sponsor-linked initiative has returned, but with a more staggered rate of distribution that increases throughout the tournament.
In the first round, a 147 break would win a fan £5,000 – doubling to £10,000 in the second round.
This jumps up in the quarter-finals to £25,000, emulating last year's prize fund.
In the semi-finals, it doubles again to offer £50,000 to a supporter if there is a maximum. This again doubles in the final to £100,000.
This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.