Poison Cues Explained: Maelith, Candy and VX From Predator’s Sister Brand

A shaft alone from the big carbon fiber names can run you close to what a whole cue costs, and that is before you have bought a butt to put it on. Poison flips that math. The wrapless Maelith and the pastel Candy both land at $449 complete, butt and carbon fiber shaft together, and the VX break cues start at $379. Poison is the sister brand of Predator, part of the same Predator Group headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. Predator chases the flagship look and the flagship price. Poison is aimed at players just getting serious about the game, or anyone who wants real carbon fiber performance without spending flagship money to get it. Where Predator keeps a restrained, tour-ready look, Poison goes louder: bold color stories, edgier names, graphics you notice from across the room. The detail that makes shopping easy is this: every current Poison cue, the Maelith, the Candy, the VX Break and the VX Jump/Break, runs the exact same shaft. Learn that one shaft and you understand the whole line.

That single-shaft policy also means Quarter King can stock every colorway at one price, so browsing the lineup means comparing four things: the graphic, the tip, the price, and whether you want a wrap at all.

What the Venom Carbon Fiber Shaft Is, and What It Is Not

Every Poison cue ships with the Venom carbon fiber shaft, a carbon fiber composite built on the same low-deflection principles Predator uses in its REVO line. Predator is upfront that Venom is not REVO technology. It is a separate, mid-tier shaft aimed at a different price point, not a cut-rate copy of the flagship. Low deflection matters because of what happens when you put sidespin on the cue ball. A stiffer, low-deflection shaft lets the cue ball travel closer to where you actually aimed, instead of squirting off line the way a thicker maple shaft can. That is the whole pitch for carbon fiber in one sentence: hit it where you aim, even with side.

Carbon fiber also solves problems maple never will. It does not warp with humidity the way wood can over a long season at your local room. It stays smooth shot after shot without regular sanding or burnishing. Most players notice it feels stiffer and gives a crisper hit, with a different sound and a bit less feedback through the shaft than maple. The Venom shaft on the Maelith and Candy playing cues measures 12.4mm, which is worth flagging up front, while the VX break cues carry a 13mm phenolic tip. If you are coming off a 13mm starter cue, the Poison shaft will feel a touch slimmer in your bridge hand. It is a small difference, but players notice it in the first rack.

Every Poison cue also uses the same Radial joint, a Predator Group pin design with a large-diameter radial thread. It is the same joint family used across Predator’s own cue lines, built to give a solid, wood-to-wood style connection between the two halves rather than a loose or springy feel. Knowing the shaft and the joint are consistent across the entire Poison range makes it easier to compare cues on the parts that actually differ: tip, wrap, and graphics.

Maelith: The Dark Line

The Maelith series is Poison’s dark, aggressive design. At Quarter King it comes built with the 12.4mm Venom carbon fiber shaft, a Radial joint, a wrapless handle and Poison’s multi-layered soft tip in yellow and red layers. Every Maelith colorway sells for the same $449 at Quarter King, so the decision comes down to looks, not budget. The Magenta/Black Maelith pairs a rich magenta base with six contrasting carbon-pink points, about as loud as a cue gets without shouting. The Dark/Light Grey Maelith is calmer, a smoke-tinted body with a light grey stripe running through it. Grey/Red, Black/Black with a logo handle, and Black/Red round out the colorways in stock.

The wrapless handle is worth a word on its own. Poison finishes the Maelith grip smooth, no wrap material at all, which suits players who like a clean grip and do not sweat heavily through a long session. If you are attached to an Irish linen or leather wrap, this is not the series for you, and neither is Candy. The soft, multi-layered tip is built for players who use a lot of spin. It holds chalk well and grips the cue ball for more sidespin than a harder tip would, though it will wear and need attention faster than a medium tip over heavy use.

Candy: The Pastel Line

Candy is the same cue as Maelith under a different mood. The build is identical: 12.4mm Venom carbon fiber shaft, Radial joint, wrapless handle, Poison’s multi-layered soft tip, priced at $449 across every colorway. What changes is the graphic package. Candy leans into bright, pastel cotton candy color stories instead of Maelith’s darker palette. The Pink/Light Blue Candy is the clearest example of that look, a true two-tone pastel split that stands out in any cue case. The Peach/Lavender Candy softens that further into a warmer, quieter pairing. Peach/Pink and Green/Yellow are also in stock if neither of those speaks to you.

Because Candy and Maelith share a build, choosing between them is really about which colors you want to carry into the room, not about performance. Anyone weighing a first carbon fiber cue can pick a Candy or a Maelith on looks alone and know the shaft, joint and tip underneath are the same either way.

VX Break and VX Jump/Break

The VX line trades the soft playing tip for a hard 13mm phenolic tip, built specifically for breaking and jumping rather than for everyday shot-making. Both VX cues carry the same Venom carbon fiber shaft and Radial joint as the playing cues, along with a sport wrap, what Predator calls a tri-color GTX pattern, with a racer stripe set opposite the logo.

The VX Break Cue is a dedicated two-piece break cue at 58 inches, priced at $379 and available in Black/Grey or Green/Pink. It ships with Poison Radial joint protectors included, a nice touch at this price. The VX Jump/Break Cue costs $20 more at $399 because it does more: the same break cue separates into a shorter jump cue when you need one, and it comes in Black/Grey, Grey/Black or Green/Pink. Remember that phenolic tip is for breaking and jumping only. It is a hard, durable tip meant to survive a full-force break, not for running out a rack.

Who Should Buy Which

A league player moving up from a starter cue and wanting a first real playing cue should look at either Maelith or Candy, priced the same at $449, and pick the colorway that fits their personality. A player who has never tried carbon fiber but does not want to spend on a standalone shaft can get a full Poison cue for roughly what a shaft alone costs elsewhere, which is the strongest argument for starting here. Someone who already owns a maple-shafted cue and wants a bold second cue in a color nobody else at the table is carrying should look at either line of Poison cues and buy on looks, since the shaft and joint are consistent across both. And anyone still breaking with their playing cue should pick up a VX Break or VX Jump/Break to protect the good shaft and tip on their main cue, at a price well below what most break cues cost. The wrapless grip and the 12.4mm shaft diameter are the two details to sit with before buying. If you want a wrap or you are used to a 13mm shaft, expect a short adjustment period rather than a mismatch.

Featured Poison Cues at Quarter King

These four are in stock now and ship from Quarter King: a Maelith and a Candy playing cue at $449 each, the VX Break at $379, and the VX Jump/Break at $399. Each one carries the Venom carbon fiber shaft and Radial joint described above, so the real choice is playing cue or breaker, and which color story you want to carry to the table.

Try a Poison Cue at Quarter King Billiards

The best way to judge a 12.4mm carbon fiber shaft and a wrapless grip is to put your hands on one. Quarter King carries the full Poison lineup alongside the rest of our pool cues, including the break cues built for the same punishment the VX line is designed to take. If you want to compare the Venom shaft against other carbon fiber shafts we carry, our staff in Wilmington can walk you through the difference in feel and price. Whether you land on a Maelith, a Candy, or a VX to back up your main cue, you are getting a real carbon fiber shaft and a Radial joint at a price that does not require flagship money.