Is it "Common Practice" to Split the Money in the Finals These Days?

CJ Wiley

CJ Wiley

ESPN WORLD OPEN CHAMPION
Gold Member
Silver Member
After losing my first round I battled back to the finals today at Rusty's Billiards Bar Table Event in Ft. Worth Texas. I had to beat my opponent twice (playing races to 4) and he ask me if I wanted to just "split" the money and not play - this put me in an awkward position.

Since I had to beat him twice in relatively short sets (races to 4, then race to 3) I agreed, but now I'm wondering if I should have just went ahead and tried to win. In reality it caught me off guard when I was ask and I made a snap decision based on just being happy to go all the way through the loser's side.

What do you think? Should the players even be allowed to split the money in the finals of a tournament? There was also a sizeable calcutta involved too....does this make a difference?
 
See I feel like a hypocrite here because my dad's a big card player and when him and his friends are having a big cash game night I'm always happy when he chooses to split the last big pot with the guy he's left with.

But in pool I feel like it's kind of wrong.

At LEAST play the set out if you agree to just to see who would have won rightfully.

But I dunno. I know you can get banned for life from certain sport leagues/agencies/events if you agree to this.
 
This wasn't any kind of rules violation, the tournament director was fine with it....

ddadams said:
See I feel like a hypocrite here because my dad's a big card player and when him and his friends are having a big cash game night I'm always happy when he chooses to split the last big pot with the guy he's left with.

But in pool I feel like it's kind of wrong.

At LEAST play the set out if you agree to just to see who would have won rightfully.

But I dunno. I know you can get banned for life from certain sport leagues/agencies/events if you agree to this.
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This wasn't any kind of rules violation, the tournament director was fine with us not playing......and if there was any type of "gallery" I would have played for sure.

This was the end of a LONG DAY of playing and there was no one left on that side of the building (they have two sides and the gamblers were all playing on the other side).
 
Cj, I have got to say I'm very surprised you are even asking this as I was under the impression you were quite the road player and of course pro.
 
CJ Wiley said:
This wasn't any kind of rules violation, the tournament director was fine with us not playing......and if there was any type of "gallery" I would have played for sure.

This was the end of a LONG DAY of playing and there was no one left on that side of the building (they have two sides and the gamblers were all playing on the other side).
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If the director is fine with it I would have done it all day any day if it was as long as you said it was.


I'd do it.

No problem if the tournament is ok with it.
 
.just looking for some input for the future, that's all.

Centerpunch said:
Cj, I have got to say I'm very surprised you are even asking this as I was under the impression you were quite the road player and of course pro.
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Yes, in my day we usually ask the opponent to "bet it all," I can't remember ever splitting the money in a tournament in 30 years.......but I'm told it's "common practice" these days.....just trying to find out if this is true or not.....it was only a few hundred chips, so not a big deal......just looking for some input for the future, that's all. 'The Game is the Teacher'
 
I never understood the split ,for me it's wrong.

My question is, could you beat that guy, are you better than him? Do you have the answer?
 
If it was getting late and people have to get up early....maybe.
If that wasn't the case, you should have continued to kick ass!
Under some rules I've seen, you both would have conceded and third place guy would have won.
 
a race to 3 anyone could possibly win.

AlexandruM said:
I never understood the split ,for me it's wrong.

My question is, could you beat that guy, are you better than him? Do you have the answer?
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I can spot the guy the 6 and the last 4 playing 9-Ball, but this was 8-Ball on a bar table......of course in a race to 4, then a race to 3 anyone could possibly win....I can beat Shane, Johnny, or Earl a race to 4/alternate break at least 40% of the time.

I'd say I was a 70/30 favorite to win both races.....but no one can know for sure of course.
 
I don't agree with the split at all. I don't know of any other legitimate sport where the contestants in the final match split the money. I don't care how late it is. Play it out and either win 1st or come in 2nd. If it's that late and you want to go home forfeit the match and take 2nd and then go home.
 
Mostly depends on the money. If the tourney director makes the spread between 1st and 2nd 2 large, he's asking for a split. 2 players play all day to get to the finals and the winner gets 5k and the loser gets 2k, there going to split! I think the better way is to play for $500-$1000 and split the rest. I've rarely seen a player ask to 'play for it all' unless one was the 'nutz' over the other. In the 70's, I saw the 1st & 2nd place guys 'go to gamblin' with each other playin pushout. Nobody wanted to gamble playing tournment rules ( 1 foul ) back then.
 
CJ: Back in 2006, a annual 7 state tournament is held in our area that consists of a scotch doubles tournament begins on a Friday morning before a five person team tournament starts on Saturday morning. My partner and I are locked in and run through the winners side sitting on the hill. The semi final losers side is a horrific match with both teams shooting under par if you will. We are at the championship table, waiting for the semi final to get over with and when it does, we are approached if we want to split the money and since we were on the winners side, we would be declared the winner of the tournament as it was 2:00 am and the team started at 9:00 am. So, it's possible we could get this championship match done by either 3:15 am or maybe 5:00 am. My partner and I mentioned as long as it was ok'd by the tournament operator, fine, which he went up and said something. The guy said he wanted to go to bed. We accepted, received first place, got the photo taken and money was split. We went to the room, grabbed our first beer and went back to the tournament and saw this guy sitting there watching his wife play until 4:00 in the morning. I told my partner, should have played it out even if we lost. To some people, it's all about the money. For me and my partner, it was all about the $ 8.00 plaque. Never again, if someone wants to do that again, I will sit a object ball on a table and call it the 8 ball and they can shoot it in a pocket that is different than one called to lose the games. We have so many tournaments that don't get played out, it's sad. The matches would be fun to watch. I think, if it does not get played out, both teams can sit out a year. Sounds tough as when it's that early in the morning, it can be a excuse, but, man, this was a 7 state tournament. To me, it's unreal that it was proposed to you when you were on the losers side !!. I again, even in the losers side like you were, would have said the only way I am splitting money is I am considered the champion also, if you don't like it. Rack Em UP !!!
It could also be a ploy that your competition does not want you to get confidence in winning tournaments as that can be a big kick off to a hot streak.
Just my thoughts.
 
Most of the tournaments I went to when I first started playing was played during the week and it would be extremely late when the last matches was played. If both people agreed the pot would be split and a coin flip would decide winner. I did this multiple times if the opponate wanted to.
 
I see this happening more often than not when the match drags on into the wee hours. I, personally have never offered to split a pot and prefer to play it out with a 1st Place Winner.
 
Chrisw83 said:
Most of the tournaments I went to when I first started playing was played during the week and it would be extremely late when the last matches was played. If both people agreed the pot would be split and a coin flip would decide winner. I did this multiple times if the opponate wanted to.
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Scheduling a tournament on a week night is kind of foolish to begin with. People have to work for a living.
 
I was at the VNEA tournament in Vegas in 1987 where I heard that Tommy Kennedy and his next opponent played the night before for the cash and their next match. TK lost and did not show his match, so forfeited. I don't know it if was true.

In tournaments where a patch for the 8-ball is used, or call pocket is the rule, players have agreed to not use the patch or not call the obvious shots. Conceding the game ball or even the table is accepted.

Can two players agree to their own competition as long as it doesn't delay the normal flow of the tournament? Could they play 9-ball in an 8-ball tournament? A race to 3 in a race to 5 tournament? Best of 9 coin flipping? A game of cards or dice?

I don't see any problem with splitting the money in the final if there are no other parties affected by the decision such as side action, Calcutta or live streaming.
 
Is there any other game or sport where the final two contestants/players in a tournament format are allowed to split?

I always prefer to play for it as I think there should be a clear cut 1st and 2nd place. One thing I'm fine with doing is splitting it 40/40 or 45/45, and then playing for the remainder with one [slightly] extended race.
 
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