Scuttlebutt in Wyoming

Nobody held a gun to anyones head and told them they had to make thier living playing pool. You heard of the Shoping Club? How about the ABP Choping Club. My what class those guys have. Johnnyt
 
I hate to say it, but the truth is the truth. This happens is almost every tournament I have ever attended, to include the U.S. Open.

Sometimes players make savers with each other, like 10 percent. That way, if one of them loses, at least his 10-percent saver might help with expenses. Usually, it is friends that do this, but it has become kind of a trend in pool tournaments today. In fact, it's rampant.

One player who came in 3rd place at a Joss event at Turning Stone several years ago had so many savers that after he did the chop-chop with his stakehorse, e.g., entry fee, hotel expenses, food, paid out the three savers he made, he didn't pocket one penny. In fact, he approached one of the players he made a saver with after he paid him the saver and asked if the player would loan him a couple hundred dollars, because he was broke.

Sadly, the expenses to attend some of the events are brutal, and so savers and chop-chops have become the norm.



Anytime I go to a tournament Im spending around 1k for the weekend. If I have to take off of work for the weekend were I usually make around up to 350-400. Hotel is around 150 food and beverage around 75 gas around 100 (depending on how far away the event is.. no more than 4 hours mostly) and then the entry fee plus my calcutta fee (nobody knows me so im cheap :p) around another 100!!

So right around $425 excluding the money im not making by missing work. Would I take a saver?/ Probably but then again maybe not knowing I have steady income and rather beat a man (or women for that matter) on the square.

I understand where these pros are coming from but they chose to be professional (if you can believe that) and if thats what it takes then whatever.. Like I said before... Play your sets like a professional and then wack up the cash in private.

What boggles me is why do they make chopping a public debate?? Im sure this stuff gets leaked but why?? Why not say anything and hold on to what dignity you still have left??
 
Nobody held a gun to anyones head and told them they had to make thier living playing pool. You heard of the Shoping Club? How about the ABP Choping Club. My what class those guys have. Johnnyt

One thing for sure, if I was a tournament promoter and the ABP was trying to strong-arm me into their demands, much like the president of the newly formed UPA did to tournament promoters, I'd have me a little rebuttal about chop-chops. :grin:

Chop-chops, IMO, are different than savers. Savers are usually done between friends, privately, for a small percentage, but a chop-chop is quite different, especially taking the payouts of four places and chopping it up with four players.

I don't think there was any hanky panky going on in the Wyoming Open. In fact, I believe they played for the win.
 
Oh yeah and the whole sharking thing...


I think the first outbreak of sharking should be a one game penalty and one warning. The next one will be a forfeit. Its cheating at its highest degree and should be dealt with in this manner.
 
One thing for sure, if I was a tournament promoter and the ABP was trying to strong-arm me into their demands, much like the president of the newly formed UPA did to tournament promoters, I'd have me a little rebuttal about chop-chops. :grin:

Chop-chops, IMO, are different than savers. Savers are usually done between friends, privately, for a small percentage, but a chop-chop is quite different, especially taking the payouts of four places and chopping it up with four players.

I don't think there was any hanky panky going on in the Wyoming Open. In fact, I believe they played for the win.

Did they play for the win? Absolutely. Does the play change after a chop is agreed? Most definitely. If you know you're getting the same payout win or lose, it changes the game. Yes, they're still playing for the win, but the urgency/pressure is definitely changed.
 
Did they play for the win? Absolutely. Does the play change after a chop is agreed? Most definitely. If you know you're getting the same payout win or lose, it changes the game. Yes, they're still playing for the win, but the urgency/pressure is definitely changed.

You make a good point that I had not thought about. Hypothetically, if first and second place were duking it out in the finals, what incentive is there for them to give it their all? They each walk away pocketing the same amount. :p
 
Oh yeah and the whole sharking thing...


I think the first outbreak of sharking should be a one game penalty and one warning. The next one will be a forfeit. Its cheating at its highest degree and should be dealt with in this manner.

Your opinion means nothing!!!!!!!;)

'twas a Friggin Dragon Promotions event. Who the flukk is gonna tell the King what rules he is playing by?
Give him any shit and he will have you beheaded...or 'Then the owner texted Mark or called him and told him that he was no longer welcome in his tournament':rolleyes:
 
Your opinion means nothing!!!!!!!;)

'twas a Friggin Dragon Promotions event. Who the flukk is gonna tell the King what rules he is playing by?
Give him any shit and he will have you beheaded...or 'Then the owner texted Mark or called him and told him that he was no longer welcome in his tournament':rolleyes:

Therein likes the rub. Talk about favoritism. :angry:
 
Chopping 4-ways is pretty amazing to me. Add 1-4 prize money and you get $2175 each.

Second place was $2400; so I guess you aren't comfortable enough with your game to be in the top 2 out of the 4? :confused:

Hey I get it in case you are worried about finishing 4th for $1300..... Seems to me like playing not to lose instead of playing to win. Maybe I'm wrong.....

One thing that's not mentioned when you chop is that the winner has to pay taxes on the full amount of the winnings, not the chopped final amount.

So assuming a 15% federal tax bracket and 5% state tax bracket, the first place winner not only has to give back $1025 to the chop-chop but he will also have to pay about $205 in taxes on the $1025 that he didn't really make.
 
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One thing that's not mentioned when you chop is that the winner has to pay taxes on the full amount of the winnings, not the chopped final amount.

So assuming a 15% federal tax bracket and 5% state tax bracket, the first place winner not only has to give back $1025 to the chop-chop but he will also have to pay about $205 in taxes on the $1025 that he didn't really make. Probably not the savviest way to chop the prize fund, IMO.

I could be wrong, but some pool tournaments don't even send out 1099 forms. Bigger ones, like Joss Turning Stone events, Allen Hopkin's SBE, and even the now-defunct IPT indeed do send out 1099 forms. Smaller events, though, do not.

I know some pool players who most definitely care about paying taxes. Neils Feijin comes to mind. Some of the American players, though, I'm not so sure.

It is kind of a gray area, at least in American pool. :embarrassed2:
 
I wouldn't be surprised if this outfit is behind some of the trouble Earl runs into when he enters a big tournament precisely because Earl won't participate in their "games" and they know he has a high enough gear to win.
 
Unfortunately, that was not the only sharking Charlie did during the tournament - nor the favoritism towards him from the tournament director. The match to get to the money round, Charlie was playing a local CO player that plays pretty good bar table 8-ball but has a reputation of playing slow. He had Charlie 3-0 and was playing very well so Charlie stopped the game to talk to the "tournament director" about his slow play. They put the match on the clock. Charlie than slowed to a crawl from what I was told by more than one person, including his opponent, but although they had them on the clock, Charlie was never penalized.

For someone with Charlie's stature as promoter, "Union" leader, whatever, he sure lives by a double standard. Bad form Charlie.

Dave
 
Follow the bouncing ball .....

$3200 + $2400 + $1800 + $1300 = $8700

$8700 / 4 = $2175

Am I missing something?

Yes, you're assuming that Mark's $1300 was part of the chop. Mark probably wasn't involved in the chop so $750 should probably be used instead of $1300.

Using the revised chop assumptions, they each made $2038 (instead of $2175).
 
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One thing that's not mentioned when you chop is that the winner has to pay taxes on the full amount of the winnings, not the chopped final amount.

So assuming a 15% federal tax bracket and 5% state tax bracket, the first place winner not only has to give back $1025 to the chop-chop but he will also have to pay about $205 in taxes on the $1025 that he didn't really make.

Hadn't thought of that! So the $2175 becomes less than 2 dimes. Meanwhile, the lower finishing player actually nets out more.

Will this is certainly an incentive to lose......
 
..For someone with Charlie's stature as promoter, "Union" leader, whatever, he sure lives by a double standard. Bad form Charlie.

Dave
The grass is always greener...where the dogs are shitting.

KimThayilSoundgardenPA130411.jpg
 
look i don't care what they do with the money they win.they can burn it if the want.however to bring in pros to take all the money is wrong.look at the payout for 13 place.100.00 does not cover the entry fee.this is a double loss tourny with a redraw once in the finals.4 of the top 6 players were brought in.they got 8000 for the weekend.unless you have played these guys you have no idea how good they are.in one match rodney ran 7 racks in a race to 7.after the break he never missed and he never touched more than one ball at a time.amatures have no chance.yes i saw cw shark two people he played.after asking around to people who know him i was told thats what he does and hes good at it.this tourny started with no pros,i believe,damian p won it.next year they brought in pros.svb won then rodney won then cw won and now they bring in four and they get the cash.the payout is way to top heavy.when the best most can hope for is just to make the finals and if you do you dont get the entry back is just wrong.started as a great tourny now its about to blow up.greed
 
And this is why Mike Zuglan does it right and should be commended.
He'd rather get drilled 9-0 and be out of the tournament than risk his reputation and integrity.
 
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