After being taught billiards by his father, a hotelkeeper, so that he could win money from travelling salesmen, Hoppe (then 18) captured the world 18.1 balkline championship from Maurice Vignaux in Paris in 1906. He then set a world record (not broken until 1926) by running 622 points in an 18.2 balkline exhibition. In balkline play he was world champion for many years in both 18.1 (1906–07, 1909–11, 1914–26, 1927; competition discontinued after he regained the title in 1927) and 18.2 (1907, 1910–20, 1923–24, 1927). Subsequently concentrating on the three-cushion game, he won 12 annual world championship tournaments (1936, 1940–44, 1947–52). In the 1940 tournament in Chicago he was undefeated in 20 matches. He retired after successfully defending his title in 1952.