Nassau bet calculator with presses
A Nassau is three match play bets, the front nine, the back nine and the overall 18, plus any presses, and it settles to one amount between the two sides. Enter who won each hole and the stakes, and the calculator scores every bet and press the way the Wedge app does and tells you who owes whom.
By Donato Di Ferdinando, creator of Wedge. Updated .
Presses you call
Who won each hole
Y: You won½: halvedO: Opponent wonNothing picked: not played
Front nine
Back nine
Results
You owe Opponent $30.
- Front nineHalved. $10 bet.
- $0
- Back nineOpponent won 1 up. $10 bet.
- $10 to Opponent
- OverallOpponent won 1 up. $10 bet.
- $10 to Opponent
- Press, holes 4 to 9You won 2 and 1. Automatic press on the front nine, after You went 2 down. $10 bet.
- $10 to You
- Press, holes 6 to 9Halved. Automatic press on the press on holes 4 to 9, after Opponent went 2 down. $10 bet.
- $0
- Press, holes 13 to 18Opponent won 3 and 2. Automatic press on the back nine, after Opponent went 2 down. $10 bet.
- $10 to Opponent
- Press, holes 15 to 18Opponent won 1 up. Automatic press on the press on holes 13 to 18, after You went 2 down. $10 bet.
- $10 to Opponent
- Net for YouEvery bet added up.
- -$30
How the three bets are scored
Each of the three bets is its own match play contest. The front nine covers holes 1 to 9, the back nine covers holes 10 to 18, and the overall covers all 18. Every hole is won by the side with the lower score or halved when the scores tie, and a bet is measured in holes up: win two more holes than the other side and you are 2 up.
A bet ends as soon as the lead is bigger than the number of holes left in it. A side that is 3 up with two holes to play on the front has won it 3 and 2, and holes 8 and 9 no longer count for the front, although they still count for the overall and for any press. A bet that goes to its last hole is won by the final margin, such as 1 up. A lead equal to the holes left, called dormie, is not over yet.
Each bet pays its full stake to the side that wins it, whatever the margin. A bet that finishes level is halved and pays nothing either way. On a $10 Nassau with the same stake on all three bets, $30 is at stake before any press.
How presses and automatic presses work
A press is a new bet that starts partway through a nine. It is scored exactly like the three main bets, over its own holes only, and pays its own stake to the side ahead at the end of them. These are the rules Wedge uses, and the calculator follows them:
- A press you call runs from the hole it is called on to the end of that nine: hole 9 on the front, hole 18 on the back. You choose the amount. A press called on hole 18 is a one-hole bet.
- An automatic press starts the first time either side is a set number of holes down on a bet. Wedge uses 2 down unless you choose a number from 1 to 4. The press starts on the next hole and runs to the last hole of the bet it presses. If the trigger comes on that last hole, there is no press.
- Which bets are pressed automatically: the front nine, the back nine and every automatic press. The overall is never pressed automatically, and neither is a press a player called.
- Each bet is pressed once. If the side that is down keeps losing, the main bet is not pressed again. Instead the press itself is pressed when that side falls 2 down on it, which gives a press on a press.
- The amount of an automatic press is the press amount set for the match, or the amount of the bet it presses when none is set.
A worked example
You and an opponent play a $10 Nassau, with $10 on each of the three bets, and automatic presses at 2 down for $10. This is the match the calculator opens with. The standings in each row are after that hole.
| Hole | Won by | Nine | Overall | Presses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Opponent | Opponent 1 up | Opponent 1 up | None |
| 2 | Halved | Opponent 1 up | Opponent 1 up | None |
| 3 | Opponent | Opponent 2 up | Opponent 2 up | You are 2 down, so a press starts on hole 4 |
| 4 | You | Opponent 1 up | Opponent 1 up | Holes 4 to 9: You 1 up |
| 5 | You | All square | All square | Holes 4 to 9: You 2 up, so a press on it starts on hole 6 |
| 6 | Opponent | Opponent 1 up | Opponent 1 up | 4 to 9: You 1 up. 6 to 9: Opponent 1 up |
| 7 | Halved | Opponent 1 up | Opponent 1 up | 4 to 9: You 1 up. 6 to 9: Opponent 1 up |
| 8 | You | All square | All square | 4 to 9: You win 2 and 1. 6 to 9: all square |
| 9 | Halved | Front nine halved | All square | 6 to 9: halved |
| 10 | You | You 1 up | You 1 up | None |
| 11 | Halved | You 1 up | You 1 up | None |
| 12 | You | You 2 up | You 2 up | Opponent is 2 down, so a press starts on hole 13 |
| 13 | Opponent | You 1 up | You 1 up | Holes 13 to 18: Opponent 1 up |
| 14 | Opponent | All square | All square | Holes 13 to 18: Opponent 2 up, so a press on it starts on hole 15 |
| 15 | Halved | All square | All square | 13 to 18: Opponent 2 up. 15 to 18: all square |
| 16 | Opponent | Opponent 1 up | Opponent 1 up | 13 to 18: Opponent wins 3 and 2. 15 to 18: Opponent 1 up |
| 17 | You | All square | All square | 15 to 18: all square |
| 18 | Opponent | Opponent wins 1 up | Opponent wins 1 up | 15 to 18: Opponent wins 1 up |
The front nine ends level, so it pays nothing, even though two presses were played inside it. The overall was never pressed, although it was 2 up for one side after hole 3 and again after hole 12.
| Bet | Result | Money |
|---|---|---|
| Front nine | Halved | $0 |
| Back nine | Opponent won 1 up | $10 to Opponent |
| Overall | Opponent won 1 up | $10 to Opponent |
| Press, holes 4 to 9 | You won 2 and 1 | $10 to You |
| Press, holes 6 to 9 | Halved | $0 |
| Press, holes 13 to 18 | Opponent won 3 and 2 | $10 to Opponent |
| Press, holes 15 to 18 | Opponent won 1 up | $10 to Opponent |
| Net | Opponent won four bets, You won one | You owe Opponent $30 |
Common settlement mistakes
- Running a front nine press to hole 18. A press called or triggered on the front nine ends at hole 9. Only a press that starts on the back nine runs to 18.
- Paying a halved bet. A bet that finishes level pays nothing, and nothing carries over to the next bet.
- Counting holes after a bet is closed out. A front nine won 3 and 2 stays won. Holes 8 and 9 cannot change it, though they still count for the overall and any press running.
- Pressing the same bet twice. Once a bet has its automatic press, falling further behind on it does not start another one. The next press comes from going 2 down on the press.
- Pressing the overall automatically. Some groups do, but Wedge does not, and the calculator follows Wedge.
- Paying per side instead of per player in a two on two. Each player on the losing side pays one player on the winning side the stake, so a $10 bet moves $20 between the two teams.
- Settling bet by bet. Add every bet into one figure first. Seven separate $10 payments in the example come down to one payment of $30.
Gross or net
In a gross Nassau each hole goes to the lower score as played. In a net Nassau, Wedge has every player play off the lowest course handicap in the match: each player receives the difference between their course handicap and that low number, one stroke a hole on the hardest holes by stroke index. A player who is 6 strokes higher than the low player gets a stroke on each of the six hardest holes, and the lower net score wins the hole.
In a two on two, each side counts its better ball on every hole, gross or net. Either way a hole has one result: one side wins it or it is halved. So when you use the calculator for a net match, enter the hole winners on net scores.
Play it in Wedge
In Wedge the Nassau is scored as each hole goes in, gross or net. Automatic presses start on their own at the threshold you set, any player can call a press or an Aloha on any hole, and when the match ends the debt ledger nets every bet into one amount for each pair of players.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a $10 Nassau?
Three bets of $10 each: front nine, back nine and overall. Without presses the most one side can win is $30, and presses add their own stakes on top.
How long does a press last?
To the end of the nine it starts on: hole 9 on the front, hole 18 on the back. An automatic press runs to the last hole of the bet it presses.
When does an automatic press start?
On the hole after a side first goes 2 down on the front nine, the back nine or another automatic press, unless the group sets a different number. A bet is pressed only once; after that, the press itself can be pressed.
What happens to a halved bet?
Nobody wins it and nobody pays it. It does not carry over to another bet.
What if the round stops early?
Leave the remaining holes blank. Each bet then goes to the side ahead on the holes played and a level bet pays nothing, which is how Wedge settles a match that finishes early, for example after 14 holes.
How does a two on two Nassau pay?
Each hole goes to the side with the better ball, and each player on the losing side pays one player on the winning side the net amount.
Related
- How to play a NassauThe Nassau is three bets in one: the front nine, the back nine and the full 18. Here is how it is scored, how presses and automatic presses work, and how to settle up.
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