3 Reasons why I think they should be banned:

1. Billiards has always been a 2-dimensional game. I feel there is something inherently wrong with deliberately leaving the boundaries and manipulating the physics of the playing surface with a special piece of equipment.

2. It takes the skill out of the game. People argue that you need skill to use a jump cue, but it is minimal compared to the amount of mastery required for one to execute complicated kick shots.

3. You can still jump with a full cue. If you can't hit a home run, you should work on your swing and mechanics rather than investing in a corked bat. The jump cue is just another piece of equipment we need to buy just to stay on a level playing field.

There is a reason why 8-ball will never die, and it is because it is the only game that everyone knows how to play. Think, what was the first game of pool you learned? Most likely it was 8-ball, unless you grew up in a particularly billiard oriented family. Still, despite the fact that you will rarely see it played on tv-- as it isn't as viewer oriented as a game like 9-ball, it is still the game that most amateurs around the world will continue to play-- and enjoy.

I have seen countless individuals fall victim to what I would call the pool drug. Of course there are the recreational users, but there are those who let it take over their lives. When I was still in school I saw so many people start playing pool, and forget about everything else. Their grades drops, relationships failed, etc. and before you knew it, these individuals had to drop out, and later went on to jail, and some became homeless. The question at hand is were these individuals already at a predisposition to fail? Did they already have "addictive personalities" and if they didn't start playing pool would eventually start abusing something else? I personally find pool to be more addictive than anything else I have tried, and I think that some people are just more susceptible to some stimuli more than others.

The long debate continues: Is pool better than snooker, or is snooker better than pool. Read comments on any Youtube video and you will see the nasty arguments ensue.