I've never walked off with a cue, but, something weird in the Rum Rummer in Vegas happened to me.
I was playing some guy from Portland $50 9 ball and taking it to him pretty nicely.
There was a guy from Jersey there and betting on me and just as happy as a pig in shit. He was ahead quite well when he announced he had to take his girl to the room and would be back in 30 minutes. He then asked if I would watch his cue while he was gone which was a real nice Szanboti. I said well, yep I guess so.
The guy I was playing raised the bet and went empty pretty quickly and it was over. About an hour had gone by and the guy who left his cue with me had not returned.
By now it is like 5-6 in the morning and I'm tired, but, think he will be back soon, so I begin to drink. I have one after the other until almost 9am and have had enough it is time to slelep.
But, I have this cue and don't know what to do, so I grab my cue, his cue and head for the door. Just as I reach for the door the guy is coming in, sees his cue in my hand heading out and goes irrate on me. He calls me every name in the book until finally, I, BONK, and put him on his ass, threw his cue at him and walk out.
I never saw this guy agin and never knew why he was gone so long. For years I've thought I would run into him again someday, but, no so far.