LMFAO

10/10

wish we could schedule a pool date, i have a friend who took formal lessons when he was a kid and he has made me his padawan the past several years, we have a lot of fun when we go out. can't play on normal bar tables because the tables are complete shit. there are some specialty pool bars and when you get used to those tables it is really frustrating to go back to layman tables, i end up getting overambitious playing with players below our skill level and its astonishing how much a bad table impacts high risk/reward shots

Comes down to the table cloth and bumpers
Also balancing it is a bitch so you don't know if certain places balanced the tables right

yeah balancing (majorly) and bumpers (not as significant but still can be annoying) are what i was referring to

what kind of cue do you use?

McDermott Star S5 + G-Core Shaft 13mm
Players/Pure X Technology HXTE20 + HXT LD Shaft 12.75mm
OB 122 Wrapless + OB Pro Shaft 11.75mm
Players Break Cue

I mainly play with the players/pure x hxte20

I can help you out of you're looking for a cue

This post was edited by itzpookiie on Apr 14 2015 08:41am

Dented / grooved slate on abused tables is also a bitch. The felt can look fine, but then you hit a shot and you ball goes all wonky cause someone previously slammed something down on the table.

that awkward feeling when everyone's watching and the ball makes a curved roll away from the pocket

You can help my wife out haha, it's my birthday in a couple weeks and my pool buddy who I mentioned earlier is hopefully going to provide insights in this department. Will let you know what I end up getting!

If you ever need suggestions just let me know these

budget
soft or hard hit(tip)
soft or stiff feel(cue)
your English play on scale of 1-5

I know a lot of hook ups and stuff
Can even point you to a person you can reach if you want wholesale price for certain cue brands

Also saw an ad for a cue package locally that is also super bad ass and I'm trying to fight my urge not to buy it ($350, pm me for info cause it is a steal)

This post was edited by itzpookiie on Apr 14 2015 10:35am

That's cheap. My buddies stick are all over 1k. Joss west. And kickel, he's a private pool cue maker here locally.

I've played with high dollar cues and I can tell you that compared to average dollar cues, they don't have a $500+ difference in performance
Even the owners of those cues tell me the same thing
You're paying for the name, designs, inlays, and wood

If you're buying for purely performance and don't care about resell value/brand name, the shaft, taper, and the tip are the performance parts.
$200 under
McDermott G Series
Pure X Tech HXT's
Fury
Cuetec 360

$300-500
Joss
Pechauer
OB
Predator Sneaky Petes

Pechauer cues are FUUUUCKING GOOORRGGEEEOOUUUSS and plays well but $450 for a plain looking predator sneaky pete will last you a lifetime and you won't ever need another performance cue. Ever.

I honestly don't think anything over $500 is worth it unless you want to collect, name brand, resell, or specific design. Performance-wise there is little to no difference after the $400 price point.

I've heard of local cue makers making bad ass custom cues for around $300-$500 and plays awesome

Most importantly, play with the cue before you purchase it. Most billiard shops let you play with the cue before you purchase it.

My Players HXT was only $150 and I prefer it over the $400 OB cue

Will be purchasing a Predator Sneaky Pete next month though

This post was edited by itzpookiie on Apr 14 2015 11:48am