Nassau Press

[whit6419]

Good Morning Everyone,

I've been a long time watcher of this site, and have gotten a lot of great info on here.  A recent event has made me finally bite the bullet and become a member.  I've been playing golf for 34 years now and have played many Nassau's over the years.  Just recently the guys I have play with have started using "presses" in our matches, but we disagree how they are used.  My buddies say that if a player(s) declares a press, and only halve the press, that player(s) end up losing the press.  In the past, I've always played it where the press is a separate match and if the player(s) that presses ends up halving the press, it means the same as if you halved the original bet.  My buddies say they'd press every time if that were the case since there is nothing to lose, but I say of course there is something to lose, you could lose the press.  

I hope I've explained it so you can understand where I'm coming from, and maybe help clear this up.  This may be a case where it's up to the individuals playing the match.   Thanks in advance for the help with this issue.

Edited August 8, 2016 by whit6419
Added more info.

[Gunther]

Playing for $100, you're 2 up with 1 to play.  Opponent presses.

If you win the last hole, opponent pays you $200.

If you push the last hole, opponent pays you the original $100.

If opponent wins last hole, bet is pushed, no $ changes hands.

[whit6419]

This is what I thought, but even our pro said he agreed with them.

[DaveP043]

I've always played it the way you think it should be:  A press is a new bet, and it can be halved.  These guys are essentially saying that the press starts with the pressing team being down a half-hole, which is something I've never heard of.

I did play for a while with a guy who liked to add another bet to the Nassau, that was called the "hog"  The hog is an additional back nine bet.  In the hog, the player who lost the front would start the hog up by half the margin from the front nine.  Say you beat me 1-up for the front.  We start the back even, and we start the hog on hole 10 with me being up by half a hole.  If we halve the entire back nine, I win the hog (up 1/2, just the way we started on 10), you win the 18, 1-up, you won the front, 1-up, so you're up one bet for the day.  

[whit6419]

Thanks guys.  To me it's just another way of doing a double or nothing, giving someone a chance to win their money back, or for me to win more!  I wish the latter happened more often.

[Gunther]

1 minute ago, whit6419 said:

Thanks guys.  To me it's just another way of doing a double or nothing, giving someone a chance to win their money back, or for me to win more!  I wish the latter happened more often.

That's essentially correct except the odds are more in your favor because you won the initial bet, after all.  So, if you halve the press, the opponent still pays out the original bet.

[iacas]

3 hours ago, whit6419 said:

In the past, I've always played it where the press is a separate match and if the player(s) that presses ends up halving the press, it means the same as if you halved the original bet.  My buddies say they'd press every time if that were the case since there is nothing to lose, but I say of course there is something to lose, you could lose the press.  

Halving the press doesn't change the original bet at all. A press is a new match starting at the point of the press.

Maybe that was a mistype or something like that… but yeah, the press is a totally new bet.

Some groups have automatic presses when two down. If you're playing a Nassau you can get a lot of bets going.

6 minutes ago, whit6419 said:

Thanks guys.  To me it's just another way of doing a double or nothing, giving someone a chance to win their money back, or for me to win more!  I wish the latter happened more often.

You're not always guaranteed to "double or nothing" either. That isn't right either.

I could press you when I'm two down on the 10th hole, but I might end up winning the match, and the press of course, so I could win both ways. Or maybe you press me when I go 3 up on 17, and you win 17 and 18, and so I won the original bet, and my press, but you won your press.

A press does not change the status of any match in progress.

[BuckeyeNut]

7 hours ago, whit6419 said:

Thanks guys.  To me it's just another way of doing a double or nothing, giving someone a chance to win their money back, or for me to win more!  I wish the latter happened more often.

My sentiments exactly..................    Pressing is doubling the bet in attempt to recoup losses.  If you press and fail.....you double your losses.   

[jsgolfer]

I agree with the others, a press is always a new bet and has no bearing on the original bet.  I've never heard of anyone playing the way the OP said some of his group want to play.

We do the automatic press when you're two down and one of the groups I play with always gives the team who is losing an opportunity to add an additional press on 9 or 18.  And then if you lose the front you have the option to double the bet on the back. So our normal $5 Nassau becomes $10.  They call it going to Dublin.