For professional players, the most important shot of the game is the break. Having a perfect break and making a ball in the process ensures them a winning game. Using the break cue gives them control over their break and it gives them an edge over their opponents. The use of jump cues may sound fancy to some but in a professional tournament some critical shots have to be done and being armed with the right equipment can get a billiard player to claim the prize.
Break and jump cues differ from the regular playing cues. The break cue, for instance, has a flatter and wider cue tip compared to the playing cue. This type of tip enables a more surface contact between the cue tip and cue ball thereby causing a powerful and solid hit break.

Jump cues, as the name suggests, are used for making jump shots. These are often used by billiard players during exhibition games where they get to perform fascinating trick shots. The jump cues are considerably shorter than the regular playing cues. This shorter length allows players to jack up the butt of the cue. To launch the ball, the butt is tilted to a 45-degree angle so the player can drive the jump cue swiftly.