JACKPOT Cue - Initial Review (No pictures yet)

RandyinHawaii said:

BLUF (Bottom line up front: IMHO Jack has hit a "home run " with this cue!!

I picked up the cue from post office this morning and then took it home and played with it for the last three hours.

Following is my initial review ( for info I am a 5 in APA, so hope better players that ordered one will post their review):

Design/Fit/Finish:

1 . As you may have read in other posts it is a Merry Widow with ebony front and back with maple handle. Love the looks of this cue and don't think it will get any unwanted attention when I take it to the places I play pool.

2. Looked cue over closely and could not find any imperfections. Shafts and butts line up perfectly (all have exact same diameter)

3. Butt weighs 15 oz with one shaft weighing 4 oz and the other 4 3/8 oz. Both tip diameters are about 13 mm. I do not know what the taper of the shafts are or what tips were used, but maybe Dean or Jack can chime in on that.

Playability/Deflection:

1. I have had many/many cues and none have moved the cue ball as effortlessly as this cue does. Maybe not more, but I also get as much action/spin as any cue I have tried.

2. What I was really surprised with it how little defection based on the shafts being a full 13 mm. I have been playing with Revo 12.4 (which I really dislike the feel of), and these two shafts seem to have about the same, maybe just a little bit more, amount of deflection. That doesn't make sense to me and could be I unconsciously adjusted.

Overall:

I want to say this cue is going to be my lifetime player, but know better and time will tell. I do know that it seems perfect for me. The balance and feel are what I like andI know that I play better with larger diameter tip, but also like lower deflection. This cue has that.

Enough writing and back to playing with what I think is an awesome cue!

Thanks to Dean for setting this up and any inputs he provided to Jack and to Jack for coming up with this cue. Hope you decide to make more cues in the future.

Aloha
Randy

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Sounds like a lovely cue, ebony front and butt with maple always a nice combo.

Sounds like a nice cue, Randy.

Post up a pic.

RandyinHawaii said:

Don't want to ruin any surprises, so will post pics when I find out everyone received their JACKPOT cue.

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You already mentioned the desgin, might as well post a pic.

Randy,

Bring it down to Brian's when you come next Sunday.

I want to give it a spin.

Merry Christmas

(you have plenty of new toys to play with)

OK folks, I'm going to chime in and agree with what Randy said.

He brought it to Brian's today and let me give it a whirl for a few minutes.

I didn't "inspect" the cue to look for any imperfections, but from what I saw, it seemed to be a first-class product.

It had two shafts with different material ferrules of different lengths. Also, it seemed that one shaft was sort of conical tapered (I think this was the one with the longer ferrule) and the other was pro tapered. I hit a few more balls with the pro taper than the other, but both played outstanding. The wood used in the shafts was "OUTSTANDING"...some of the best I've seen. I didn't bother to try to count rings and grain lines, but I could tell it was top quality wood. The shafts were super smooth and slick, too.

I don't know what kind of tips were on the shafts, but they weren't hard and "pingy", which is good to me because I prefer a more "muted" hit. The tips provided a lot of grip and action on the cue ball.

The joint fits impressed me. The pin fit into both shafts very snugly. There was no wobble or loose fitting feel when you screwed the butt and shafts together.

The cue was 19 ounces, but was balanced somewhere around 19 inches, so it felt lighter in the hand than it actually was. When you bent over the table to shoot with it, you really noticed how well it was balanced.

The butt and handle was a modern thin style and I liked the size of it.

I didn't really test it for deflection, but deflections isn't something I really worry about, unless the cue deflects so bad you can't hit the other end of the table. I didn't notice any unusual deflection and I made balls with it, so it was working for me immediately after using my Becue for a lot of hours.

The cue played OUTSTANDING. I say again, OUTSTANDING.

It played so good, that I offered Randy $46 for it, right then and there, but he wouldn't take it.

So, I called Dean to see if there were any more left and he said the last one went out yesterday. I told him to put me on a list to buy one if/when Jack gets around to making some more.

You can't go wrong with this cue. It ain't flashy, it ain't fancy, and it ain't expensive, but it plays DAMN GOOD.

Randy has and has had some high-dollar cues and he is always trying something new. He claims this cue will be his last cue and this is the one he will forever use. Knowing Randy, I won't hold him to it, but I told him that this cue plays better than all his other stuff and if he can't play with it, he can't play with anything.

Like I said, it played so good I immediately called Dean to see if any more were available and it isn't like I need another cue. As a matter of fact, I just ordered another custom cue two days ago and it will be done in a few months, so I needed another cue like I needed a hole in the head.

But, when a cue plays this good, you can't pass it up.

If Jack makes some more, you better get one while you can.

I'm basing my review on Randy's cue and I'm assuming they all play very similar if they were built identically.

Aloha.

In edit: I forgot that I tried Randy's new SVB Cuetec cue with the carbon fiber shaft last week. This Jackpot cue will run circles around that cue. I don't know what that cue costs, but there is no way in hell I'd take it over the Jackpot.

Randy ordered another Jackpot from the Dean's upcoming batch, so Randy and I did some horse trading and now I have his original Jackpot. FWIW, I also have another one coming from the new batch.

I played with this cue for about 8 hours today and had a chance to really test it out.

This cue plays OUTSTANDING and I'm glad I've already ordered another one.

I measured the balance point of the cue and it is at the 20-inch point The cue has a nice forward weight that makes if feel lighter than it actually is.

I weighed it today and it came out at exactly 19 ounces...15 ounces for the butt and 4 ounces for the shaft.

I don't know exactly what the taper of the shaft is, but it gradually gets bigger as you go down. It's not conical and it isn't a straight pro taper. Whatever it is, I really like it. It gives the shaft a lot of "spine" and the ebony cue nose really makes it easy to move the cue ball with very little effort.

To say that I'M HAPPY with this cue would be an UNDERSTATEMENT.

I'm hoping my next one that is being made hits as good as this one. If it does, I'll be super happy.

Jackpot Cues

I received my Jackpot cue and cannot put the cue down. I have played with many cue makers and I have to admit that this has the best hit. Balance is awesome, reminds me of a Cognoscenti.
All I can say, grab one while you can. I am going to grab another!

kevincarlberg said:

I received my Jackpot cue and cannot put the cue down. I have played with many cue makers and I have to admit that this has the best hit. Balance is awesome, reminds me of a Cognoscenti.
All I can say, grab one while you can. I am going to grab another!

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Another satisfied customer.
I am anxiously awaiting my delivery.

Knowing pool players that once the honeymoon is over there will be a few in the for sale section.
So good to know that these are quality cues.
Enjoy them until the next cute little curly maple butt catches your eye.

HawaiianEye said:

It played so good, that I offered Randy $46 for it, right then and there, but he wouldn't take it.

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So, in your opinion the cue is complete shite, and the rest of your review is an attempt at sarcasm?

7stud said:

So, in your opinion the cue is complete shite, and the rest of your review is an attempt at sarcasm?

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No.

I always joke with Randy about his new cues.

I have bought several cues from Randy and they all played good and I still have them.

I have Randy's first Jackpot and he has a brand new one and loves it. I hit with it last Sunday and it plays damn good, just like the first one did. The reason he sold it to me was that he decided he wanted a 60" instead of a 58" and he wanted it a bit heavier.

I have another one coming.

I have let people hit balls with mine and everybody loves it.

I have a closet full of cues and, for the last several weeks, I've only been taking two cues to the pool hall on Sundays. My BECUE and the Jackpot. I play with both of them during the day.

The Jackpot cues play damn good and that's a fact.

For comparison sake, I have a friend who has a Searing Sneaky Pete and another friend who has a Joey Merry Widow cue who sometimes comes on Sundays and I have hit balls with both of them. For resale value, they may get more than the Jackpot, but, for playing, I would take the Jackpot cue over them any day. That is my opinion, based upon how I like a cue to play.

HawaiianEye said:

No.

I always joke with Randy about his new cues.

I have bought several cues from Randy and they all played good and I still have them.

I have Randy's first Jackpot and he has a brand new one and loves it. I hit with it last Sunday and it plays damn good, just like the first one did. The reason he sold it to me was that he decided he wanted a 60" instead of a 58" and he wanted it a bit heavier.

I have another one coming.

I have let people hit balls with mine and everybody loves it.

I have a closet full of cues and, for the last several weeks, I've only been taking two cues to the pool hall on Sundays. My BECUE and the Jackpot. I play with both of them during the day.

The Jackpot cues play damn good and that's a fact.

For comparison sake, I have a friend who has a Searing Sneaky Pete and another friend who has a Joey Merry Widow cue who sometimes comes on Sundays and I have hit balls with both of them. For resale value, they may get more than the Jackpot, but, for playing, I would take the Jackpot cue over them any day. That is my opinion, based upon how I like a cue to play.

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Did you ever get the chance to snap a picture of that Searing, didn't you say it was from a Schmekle blank(I may have you confused with someone else) or maybe that was the jackpots?

Snooker Theory said:

Did you ever get the chance to snap a picture of that Searing, didn't you say it was from a Schmekle blank(I may have you confused with someone else) or maybe that was the jackpots?

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I was going to take a picture of it the next week, and last week, but he brought his TAD to play with. He has lots of fancy toys to play with...Lambros, TAD, Searing, Bluegrass, etc. and he switches up.

I asked him again, the next week after I posted, and he says the cue is made from a Schmelke blank and I have no reason to doubt him.

I see him every Sunday and I'll take a picture when he brings it in again.

And, like I said, I've hit with that cue and I prefer the play of the Jackpot to that cue.

Just because a cue is made by a "Big Name" and costs a lot of money doesn't mean it plays better than some other cues that cost way less. Same goes for production vs custom. I've sold custom cues that didn't play as good as some of my production cues.

HawaiianEye said:

I was going to take a picture of it the next week, and last week, but he brought his TAD to play with. He has lots of fancy toys to play with...Lambros, TAD, Searing, Bluegrass, etc. and he switches up.

I asked him again, the next week after I posted, and he says the cue is made from a Schmelke blank and I have no reason to doubt him.

I see him every Sunday and I'll take a picture when he brings it in again.

And, like I said, I've hit with that cue and I prefer the play of the Jackpot to that cue.

Just because a cue is made by a "Big Name" and costs a lot of money doesn't mean it plays better than some other cues that cost way less. Same goes for production vs custom. I've sold custom cues that didn't play as good as some of my production cues.

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Cool, look forward to it whenever the time comes and if the opportunity presents itself. I have seen a Schmekle sneaky pete conversion by Searing for sale on here before.

On a side note, the thread we were talking about it, it was interesting reading that link about how Leon Sly used the same logo as Searing in the early days, not saying that is in anyways the case with your friend, and with his collection it's seems improbable.
But I do wonder how does one discern the two logos apart, they looked exactly the same to my untrained eye.

Snooker Theory said:

Cool, look forward to it whenever the time comes and if the opportunity presents itself. I have seen a Schmekle sneaky pete conversion by Searing for sale on here before.

On a side note, the thread we were talking about it, it was interesting reading that link about how Leon Sly used the same logo as Searing in the early days, not saying that is in anyways the case with your friend, and with his collection it's seems improbable.
But I do wonder how does one discern the two logos apart, they looked exactly the same to my untrained eye.

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There is NO WAY, that I'm aware of, that you could ever discern, with 100% accuracy, who the custom maker was of any cue, without the actual maker certifying it. Lots of Richard Black cues were sold as Balabushka cues in the early days.

After playing for over 50 years, I know that "names" are just that..."names".

I am convinced that, with today's technology and the vast amount of knowledge available, that super quality cues can be made by people without "names".

Cues are are made of wood and only a few other parts (simple playing cues, that is) and there are only so many ways you can put them together. There is NO single cue maker that has a "secret formula" that other cue makers don't know about or can't copy.

I have some "name" cues, but I didn't buy them for the "name". I bought them to play with.

To me, Searing is nothing more than another maker. Same goes for a lot of the other big name makers. Most of the cues that they make have fancy crap that looks good and costs more...I don't like fancy crap. I like simple playing cues.

The people on here who keep preaching about "names" are the people who own those cues and don't want the resale value of them going down by admitting that cues made by lesser known makers or production cues can be of the same quality and play just as well, if not better.

HawaiianEye said:

No.



I have Randy's first Jackpot and he has a brand new one and loves it. I hit with it last Sunday and it plays damn good, just like the first one did. The reason he sold it to me was that he decided he wanted a 60" instead of a 58" and he wanted it a bit heavier.

I have another one coming.

I have let people hit balls with mine and everybody loves it.

The Jackpot cues play damn good and that's a fact.

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Got mine, and have to agree, very nice hitting cue.
Everybody I let shoot with it agrees it's a damn nice cue.

I just got another Zorro/Jackpot cue yesterday. It looks good and feels good with the weight and balance.

This one is 60' and my original one is 58". So now I got several different combinations of butts and shafts I can experiment with. 30" butt with 30" shaft, 30" butt with 29" shaft, 29" butt with 29" shaft, 29" butt with 30" shaft, and I can switch back and forth between butts and shafts since they all match.

It is different than the original ones that were made. It has a camphor burl handle (cored with purple heart) instead of the maple handle.

I can't wait to hit some balls with it, when, and if, this virus situation gets under control.