THE BREAK ROOM

What a sneaky pete is, why full-splice wrapless cues still win, and a price ladder from the $199 Players Zebrawood through Joss, Scorpion, McDermott, Lucasi and the carbon fiber Bull Carbon BCLD6.

How to shoot over a blocker, play a cue ball frozen to the rail, and bend a semi-masse around an obstacle, plus why chalk choice matters most on jacked-up shots. Kamui, Taom, Predator and Tiger compared.

Moritz Neuhausen took Turning Stone Classic XLII over Shaun Wilkie for $10,000. Three lessons from Verona on venue familiarity, four-day stamina, and equipment you never have to think about, with Cuetec Avid cues.

Dufferin and Rage own the $150 to $230 shelf. We compare tips, wraps, joints, and finishes across the D-233, D-403, RG95, and RG217 so you can pick the right first cue.

Sidespin does four predictable things to a shot. Learn the difference between inside and outside English, when each one earns its place, and a Jim Rempe Training Ball drill that lets you see the spin.

Steven Kelley and Mike Vinesett split the top two prizes at the Q City 9-Ball Tour’s $250-added Inman, SC stop on August 29. Here is how a handicapped regional bracket works, what it teaches a league player, and why a Bull Carbon shaft belongs in the trunk.

The balls that came with your table are probably costing you cloth life and consistency. Here is how the Aramith range actually ladders up from Continental to Tournament, where Predator Arcos fits, and how to pick the right set for a home table, a league room or a coin-op bar box.

Your bridge hand decides where the tip lands, yet almost nobody drills it. Here is how to build a stable open, closed, rail and elevated bridge, when the mechanical bridge is the smart play, and which bridge heads are worth putting on the stick.

Brandon Shuff went undefeated to the hot seat, lost it, then came back through Tony Chohan and Jeffrey De Luna to win the $20,000-added Texas Open One Pocket division. Here is what his 31-11 week teaches about patience, speed control and the cue you play a touch game with.

Valhalla is Viking’s premium import line. Same joint, same weight system, same lifetime warranty document, different shaft, materials and country of build. Here is how to choose between them.