As a billiard hall owner, you've got pool cues all over the place. But do you really know how to use them? You may have simply decided to take advantage of a great investment opportunity when you bought your establishment, but really knowing how to play the game will entice customers and convince them that your establishment is worthy of their patronage.

Playing pool is just geometry and physics, but it is rather complex. Knowing how to use your pool cue stick to make more than just the basic shots is important if you want to prove that you're an authority on the game. If you can master using pool cues for a variety of shots, you'll be running the table in no time and patrons will be impressed with your skills.

1. Perfect your break. Sturdy billiard cues with solid tips are best for this power shot.

2. Work on shots involving the rail. You can use your billiard cue to master both bank shots and kick shots.

3. Use your cue stick to do jump shots when you have no choice other than to hop the cue ball over balls that are in your way.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Start the game out by properly breaking the rack with your billiard stick

When choosing a breaking cue, understand that it should be solid and sturdy. The amount of force used to break can warp or even break standard cues, so if you have a custom pool cue that you play with, don't take a chance by breaking with it. Some players prefer to use a lighter stick, believing that it will allow them to move through the stroke faster, while others prefer a heavy cue since the weight can add a bit of power. Whatever pool stick you choose, make sure to hit the cue ball dead center and follow through.

I recommend: Read through the short but sweet article at Esquire magazine. Watch the YouTube video of Deans Pool Tips: Breaking The Balls for a wealth of information on how to select a cue and use it to make that first shot of the game.

Use pool cues to sink bank shots and kick shots

Once you've mastered the basics of the game, your next step is to use your cue to make shots off the rails. You can make bank shots by hitting the cue ball into the object ball, which in turn bounces off a rail and into a pocket. The flip side of this is the kick shot, where the cue ball ricochets off the rail to hit the object ball into the pocket. Using your cue stick to put english (spin) on the ball, set up your angles and apply the right amount of force is key to making these types of shots.

I recommend: Take some advice from the legendary Steve Mizerak at the American Poolplayers Association. Once you've gotten natural-angle bank shots mastered, Billiards.com has some great charts showing the geometry and physics of bank shots and kick shots as well as an article explaining how to use english to spin the ball and help you make these shots.

Practice your jump shots with billiard pool cues

This shot is accomplished by literally jumping your cue ball over other balls to hit your object ball. You can execute a jump shot with a full-length cue or a jump cue, which is shorter. It's important to note that jumps shots can ruin your felt, so only pull them out of your bag of tricks when you absolutely have to.

I recommend: Determine the difference between a legal and illegal jump shot at Expert Village. Check out the slow-motion video of a jump shot at AOL Video.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Drawing back the ball after hitting the object ball is an important technique to learn. By using bottom english (aiming the billiard cue at the bottom of the ball) and quickly drawing the cue back after executing the shot, you can effectively draw the cue ball back toward you. This is a great way to avoid scratching, and helps you leave the cue ball where you want it.

Pool is a popular game played on a special table with a pool cue stick. You can find this game at bars, lounges, pool halls, game rooms, resorts and clubs. If you are the owner, operator or recreation manager of a business looking to generate some excitement in your recreation area and provide hours of enjoyment for players of all ages, pool is a great option for your business.

In America, pool is the most popular of the three cue sports: pool, billiards and snooker. You play pool on a pool table with six pockets. A player knocks pool balls in these holes using a pool stick, also called a pool cue. In billiards, the tables have no pockets, but players use billiard cues to hit an opponent’s ball and score points. Snooker, which is very popular in England, involves knocking a series of colored balls into holes on a snooker table in a predetermined order to garner the most points.

Pool cues are obviously an essential piece of equipment for both beginner and advanced players. Providing high-performance pool cues will help players achieve their maximum performance. When buying pool cues, you will need to do the following:

1. Choose a wide range of pool cues and accessories that are sure to appeal to every skill and experience level
2. Cultivate productive and valuable relationships with pool experts and manufacturers who will keep you informed of latest trends and styles
3. Stock pool cue repair and maintenance products that will keep your cues in top condition

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Offer a selection of high-performance pool cues to fit all ages and levels of experience

Serious pool players will want pool cues that combine performance and cool graphics. Choose well-crafted billiard cues that will appeal to casual and advanced players.

I recommend: Viking Cue is one of the top manufacturers of billiard pool cues. They have a wide selection of various styles and shaft designs for discerning players. Lucasipoolcues.com offers a popular line of billiard cues. McDermott Handcrafted Cues supplies several well-known lines of highly crafted pool cues: Star, Lucky, McDermott, Stinger and Sledgehammer.

Find a durable cue case and pool cue rack

Billiard cues need to be safely stored to prevent damage. In transit, billiard cue cases allow players to transport their expensive or custom pool cue from tournament to tournament. In contrast, you mount pool cue racks on a wall or temporarily on the table to keep pool cues out of the way.

I recommend: Creative Inventions carries a variety of portable cue racks, tools to repair and shape pool cues and replacement tips. Talisman Billiards Accessories manufactures a series of sleek and resilient pool cue cases. J&J America Billiards Inc. designs a number of vinyl and leather cue cases, pool cues, and pool cue repair and maintenance products.

Pool cue accessories are necessary to maintain your equipment

Expensive and customized equipment requires vigilant maintenance. Be sure to stock cleaning and polishing products for customers.

I recommend: BorderBilliards.com is a supplier of pool cue accessories, such as sanders, polishers, repair kits, shavers, burnishers and shaft cleaners. Webb Custom Cues offers cue repair services.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you are stocking a game room, bar or lounge that features pool tables and cues, ruminate on what your needs are, and choose your equipment accordingly.
• •  If you are opening a retail store that will sell pool cues, make sure to stock top brands and attractive styles. Not only do players want cutting-edge technology and durability in their billiard cues, but they also demand interesting graphics and colors.

It's hard to believe that something as seemingly simple as a billiard cue could have so many complex variations and styles. Although a novice billiard supply dealer might think a pool cue is a pool cue, just ask the professional players: nothing could be further from the truth.

A tremendous amount goes into making a variety of billiard pool cues and, if you're looking to be the "go-to" person at your organization who knows all of the shots about billiard cues, seek out some pool cues education and training that will best serve your clientele:

1. Pool cues are more than just shaped sticks, and if you're selling them, it's important to know the other components that come together to form a complete, ready-for-play pool cue.

2. Know what a customer wants from a pool cue. For serious players, it goes far beyond length and looks.

3. Personalized pool cues are big business, and providing a custom pool cue stick is all but imperative for a shop that caters to high-performance pool players.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Educate yourself, your staff on the components that make up a pool cue

Far from being just a shaped pieces of wood, a quality pool cue stick is a piece of craftsmanship comprised of a number of parts and components. Different combinations of the various materials and components that make up a complete pool cue are what give each cue a different hit and feel, and anyone selling cues has to be well-versed in cue makeup.

I recommend: Visit Cue Components for comprehensive lessons in anything and everything related to pool cues, their components and how they're made. The site offers online videos and DVDs for purchase as well as extensive narrative on the making of a billiard stick. If you're looking for a simpler, more surface-level lesson in the makeup of a pool cue, Pooldawg offers a nice visual of a pool stick with all of its components labeled and explained.

Learn what customers look for in a pool cue and why each aspect is important to their game

Although length is important and looks matter to most buyers, serious pool players have many more characteristics on their pool cue shopping lists. You need to know and understand the meaning of terms such as deflection, feel, energy, balance, quality and control in a pool cue -- and which cues offer or are known for each of these characteristics.

I recommend: Learn how to advise shoppers on the best cue for the money with Dr G's School of Pool article, "Choosing a Pool Cue." Easypooltutor.com offers lessons on equipment selection, a must-read for anyone who will be on the selling end of a cue stick sale and wants to know more about their customers' criteria for the perfect cue.

Become informed on the business of custom and personalized pool sticks

Customizing your pool cue stick, not only for outward appearance but also on the inside for performance, is big business in the billiards industry. Like in any sport, different players have different styles and preferences, and plenty of companies stand ready to cater to those preferences and create one-of-a-kind pool cues to help their customers make the perfect shot.

I recommend: If you're looking to make your own cues or sell handmade cues, the American Cuemakers Association has an excellent "how to get started" article and other resource information posted on its website. Raven Custom Cues offers a build your own pool cue page that allows you to piece one together yourself, and walking through the process could help you better serve your pool-playing patrons.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  A pool cue retailer's knowledge of pool cues will go a long way on the sales floor, but you and your staffers may get a better education from a professional pool player. Try and find a pro to come answer your sales and general pool-playing questions, and use the pro's answers to come up with some scripted answers for your staff.