I noticed at the Snooker club

[Dean_H]

I started playing Snooker a few months ago. One thing i noticed at the club I play at is that most players play with a one piece cue. The owner"s of the one piece cue(s) usually have a long case for thier cue and just leave it underneath a table. I guess thier is an advantage to using a one piece cue versus a 3/4 cue? I imagine the wood is less likely to warp in a one piece then in a jointed shaft.

 

[drsnooker]

I'm playing with a two piece (joint in the middle). Biggest advantage is that it'll fit in your checked bag so there's much less risk of it getting damaged (see Stephen Hendry's cue and many others).
The warp comes from the wood grain not being straight, but on high-end cues the wood is picked so it won't warp as much. Still, you cannot leave it in the trunk of your car in the hot sun.
The joint does add mass, so it moves the balance of the cue, but that might just be a matter of getting used to.

Supposedly one piece (and 3/4) cues are able to deliver more power. But that might just be an urban legend. Not sure if anybody actually tested it....