Hoppe or Sneaky Pete?

[Biloxi Boy]

I own a "classic" green veneered Predator which I bought some 20 years ago. Predator calls this cue "SPJLW" to denote Sneaky Pete Joint? Linen Wrap. But this leaves me very confused because I would call it a "Hoppe". To me, sneaky petes are cues designed to look like common house cues for the benefit of certain pool hustlers -- the idea being that an unsuspecting fish would not recognize that they were up against a sophisticated opponent wielding custom artillery. In order to fill the bill, a sneaky pete's joint would be wood to wood, never SS, would not be adorned with veneers, and would certainly not have a Hoppe Ring. To me, my green veneered Predator is a very good example of a Hoppe cue. Am I missing something, or did Predator completely miscue?

 

[Texas Carom Club]

There are plenty of "real" sneaky Pete cue's and not so sneaky ones made as well.

Your not hustling anyone these days unless your stealing

 

[Nullus]

I own a "classic" green veneered Predator which I bought some 20 years ago. Predator calls this cue "SPJLW" to denote Sneaky Pete Joint? Linen Wrap. But this leaves me very confused because I would call it a "Hoppe". To me, sneaky petes are cues designed to look like common house cues for the benefit of certain pool hustlers -- the idea being that an unsuspecting fish would not recognize that they were up against a sophisticated opponent wielding custom artillery. In order to fill the bill, a sneaky pete's joint would be wood to wood, never SS, would not be adorned with veneers, and would certainly not have a Hoppe Ring. To me, my green veneered Predator is a very good example of a Hoppe cue. Am I missing something, or did Predator completely miscue?

While I like Predator cues in general, I've always agreed with this sentiment regarding the Predator hustler models. I believe they were/are just taking advantage of the term in order to sell cues.

 

[Fatboy]

Your not hustling anyone these days unless your stealing

You mean using a gun

Hustling has always been stealing, it’s not gambling.

Best
Fatboy<———-

 

[mikemosconi]

The term for that style of cue that you cite is " Fancy Sneaky Pete" --- I once owned your exact cue and I once owned a Tim Scruggs cue with a similar design and it was always advertised as a TS " fancy SP".

Does it all really matter- not in my opinion. If somebody actually carried an expensive non fancy - plain Jane SP- say a TS or other well known maker- and you are in a bad ass bar "hustling folks" - would you leave that $1,000 TS plain Jane SP sitting near the cue rack while you go to the men's room - good chance it won't be there when you come back to the table; taking it with you is a dead giveaway that it may just be something special, or; if you do leave it there and the "hustled" bikers and other gentlemanly hustled folks see what you are really using- you may wish that they just took your SP and not your arms and legs

 

[Fatboy]

The real story is simple. A proper SP would only fool a drunk in a bar. Anyone know the pool room who played a lick would learn about a SP in the first couple months of spending anytime around pool. Actually it was counter productive in a pool room. Dead give away who ever was playing with a SP usually could play well above average.

It was a tool for drunks. Not to glamorous

That’s the real truth,
Fatboy<———-never felll for that one

 

[lakeman77]

to "fool" people, to be sneaky, better off buying a $50 cue at Walmart. Blue or red or green and has logo that says "Go Bears", or a Budweiser emblem

 

[Texas Carom Club]

still,almost any level of pool player should be able to recognize if a players got a stroke or not
unless of course your stealing , which it wont matter as that person wouldnt probably even notice anything about the stick thats being used against him

 

[RickLafayette]

The term "Sneaky Pete" has been bastardized to mean cues with visible joints, custom woods, inlays, etc. And to repeat what was posted above, no one is being hustled by a player using a Sneaky Pete anymore. The discussion over what a Sneaky Pete truly is, is fine. But the original purpose of the original Sneaky Petes has long been moot.

 

[Poolhall60561]

I bought my sneaky pete’s years ago when that what my budget allowed

 

[Texas Carom Club]

I have a few excellent sneakies won from apa tournaments that ive beaten great players with, 13mm tree trunk tip and all lol
other than a small black butt ring at the very bottom and the apa sticker its 100 percent full on sneaky
nice shimmery and even curly woods. i love em

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Think if you want to be sneaky use a house Cue, that is sneaky.

Guy I knew never own a Cue, he cared tip shaper, and cube of chalk.

Always played well off wall.

 

[ShootingArts]

Now you read "Sneaky Pete, SS joint, veneers, inlays, leather wrap, chrome, bugles, white sidewalls, tassels, and more!"

I saw my first sneaky at Greenway long long ago. As I was headed for the racks on the wall I saw a cue on the table. A quick roll, dead straight and I had already checked out the nice tip. I picked it up and headed for my table. A man came from the counter, popped the joint loose, and explained. As he walked back to the counter he said "It passes."

For starters now there is no effort made for the shaft to match the butt, wood color or grain. A blind man can see the difference. The real sneaky is dead. If I wanted one I would buy a decent one piece cue and cut a joint into it. Chances are if you take care of the shaft it will stay straight. Main thing is to change out the soft plastic ferrule and tip.

My sister picked up one of the six dollar budweiser cues complete with ripped vinyl case for me at a junk sale. Feeling silly at my shop one day I turned a shaft for it, cored as deeply as I could and put a maple dowel in it, good pin and insert, everything I could to make it play. I took it to a nearby pub where I wasn't known and started taking it out of the case. Before I could get it screwed together a half dozen kids were around admiring my "sneaky". Not fooled for half a second plus that soft assed whitewood butt still played like caca.

In over ten years of gambling nightly, wagering to be more accurate, I never played with a hinged cue. Had some at home, seemed like a good place for them. I played off the wall, often with a badly warped stick since they had the smoothest shafts and best tips. If I got a chance a little work with a brad tool and sandpaper from my watch pocket helped things a bit.

Hu

 

[mikemosconi]

The real story is simple. A proper SP would only fool a drunk in a bar. Anyone know the pool room who played a lick would learn about a SP in the first couple months of spending anytime around pool. Actually it was counter productive in a pool room. Dead give away who ever was playing with a SP usually could play well above average.

It was a tool for drunks. Not to glamorous

to "fool" people, to be sneaky, better off buying a $50 cue at Walmart. Blue or red or green and has logo that says "Go Bears", or a Budweiser emblem

That’s the real truth,
Fatboy<———-never felll for that one

Yep, in my mind, an SP in a room or bar setting usually means the guy knows quite a bit about the game.

 

[Fatboy]

Yep, in my mind, an SP in a room or bar setting usually means the guy knows quite a bit about the game.

1000%

 

[dirtvictim]

I prefer a plain Jane like Tad or espiritu.