How do entry fee payments work?

When participants join your pool, they pay their entry fee securely through our payment system. The money is held safely until the tournament ends, then automatically distributed to winners based on your payout structure (default: 70% / 20% / 10% for 1st / 2nd / 3rd place).

Yes. All payments are processed through bank-level secure payment infrastructure. Entry fees are held in escrow until the tournament concludes, then distributed automatically. We never touch your funds directly.

Can I really use it for free?

Yes! The Free tier supports up to 5 participants with basic pool features. Perfect for small friend groups. No credit card required to start. You only pay if you need automated payments, live scoring, and automatic payouts for larger pools (6+ players).

What tournaments can I use this for?

RunPools works for all major golf tournaments including The Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and The Open Championship. We're also expanding to support football, basketball, and other sports leagues.

How is this different from other golf pool platforms?

Most platforms only provide scoring tools - you still have to collect entry fees and pay winners manually via Venmo. RunPools automates the entire process: entry fee collection, live scoring, and instant winner payouts. Save 8+ hours per tournament.

What happens if a golfer misses the cut?

Golfers who miss the cut receive a standard penalty score (typically 10 over par for the remaining rounds). This ensures fair scoring while keeping all participants in contention throughout the tournament.

Do you support tiered and salary cap formats?

Yes! RunPools supports all popular formats including tiered (pick one golfer from each tier), salary cap (build your lineup within a budget), and snake draft formats. Choose the format that works best for your group.

How do payouts work for ties?

If multiple participants tie for a winning position, the prize money for those positions is combined and split evenly. For example, if two participants tie for 1st place, they split the 1st and 2nd place prizes (70% + 20% = 90% divided by 2 = 45% each).

Can I run pools for all four majors?

Absolutely! Our Enterprise plan ($199) includes all four major championships: The Masters (April), PGA Championship (May), U.S. Open (June), and The Open Championship (July). Pro plan covers individual tournaments at $49 each.

How long does it take to set up a pool?

Creating your pool takes about 90 seconds. Name your pool, set the entry fee, choose your format (tiered, salary cap, or draft), and generate your invite link. Participants can join and make picks immediately.

How to Calculate Nassau Payouts (Step-by-Step + Examples)

Nassau Payout Basics

Remember: A Nassau is actually three separate bets:

Front 9 — Lowest score on holes 1-9
Back 9 — Lowest score on holes 10-18
Total 18 — Lowest combined score

You calculate payouts separately for each bet, then add them up to find each player's net position.

2-Player Nassau Calculation

The simplest scenario. Winner takes the bet amount from the loser for each of the three bets.

Example: 2 Players, $10 Nassau

Bet	Alex	Blake	Winner
Front 9	41 🏆	43	Alex wins $10
Back 9	42	39 🏆	Blake wins $10
Total 18	83 🏆	82	Blake wins $10

Net positions:

Alex: +$10 (Front) -$10 (Back) -$10 (Total) = -$10
Blake: -$10 (Front) +$10 (Back) +$10 (Total) = +$10

Blake wins $10 overall. Simple.

3-Player Nassau Calculation

With 3+ players, the winner collects from every loser. This is where the math gets interesting.

Formula: Winner's Payout

Winner gets: Bet Amount × (Number of Players - 1)

Why this formula?

Each loser pays the bet amount to the winner. With 3 players total, there are 2 losers. So the winner collects: $10 × 2 = $20.

Example: 3 Players, $10 Nassau

Bet	Alex	Blake	Casey	Winner
Front 9	43	38 🏆	42	Blake wins $20
Back 9	40	44	37 🏆	Casey wins $20
Total 18	83 🏆	82	79	Casey wins $20

Step-by-step calculation:

Blake (Front 9 winner)

Wins Front 9: +$20 (collects $10 from Alex, $10 from Casey)
Loses Back 9: -$10 (pays Casey)
Loses Total 18: -$10 (pays Casey)
Net: +$20 -$10 -$10 = $0

Casey (Back 9 & Total 18 winner)

Loses Front 9: -$10 (pays Blake)
Wins Back 9: +$20 (collects $10 from Alex, $10 from Blake)
Wins Total 18: +$20 (collects $10 from Alex, $10 from Blake)
Net: -$10 +$20 +$20 = +$30

Alex (wins nothing)

Loses Front 9: -$10 (pays Blake)
Loses Back 9: -$10 (pays Casey)
Loses Total 18: -$10 (pays Casey)
Net: -$10 -$10 -$10 = -$30

✅ Verification Check:

$0 (Blake) + $30 (Casey) + (-$30) (Alex) = $0 ← All net positions must sum to zero

4-Player Nassau Calculation

Same formula applies. Winner collects from 3 losers.

Example: 4 Players, $10 Nassau

Bet	Alex	Blake	Casey	Drew	Winner
Front 9	41	38 🏆	43	42	Blake wins $30
Back 9	39	44	37 🏆	42	Casey wins $30
Total 18	80 🏆	82	80	84	Alex wins $30

Final standings:

Alex: -$10 (Front) -$10 (Back) +$30 (Total) = +$10
Blake: +$30 (Front) -$10 (Back) -$10 (Total) = +$10
Casey: -$10 (Front) +$30 (Back) -$10 (Total) = +$10
Drew: -$10 (Front) -$10 (Back) -$10 (Total) = -$30

Drew loses all three bets and pays $30 total. The other three players each win one bet and net +$10.

Handling Ties

What happens when two or more players tie for the lowest score on a bet?

Standard Tie Rule: Push

Traditional rule: Ties push. No money changes hands for that bet.

Example: 3 Players, Front 9 Tie

Bet	Alex	Blake	Casey	Result
Front 9	40	40	43	TIE (no payout)

Alex and Blake tied at 40. Casey scored 43. Since there's no outright winner, the Front 9 bet pushes—nobody wins or loses money.

Alternative: Split the Pot

Some groups play that tied winners split the pot:

Total pot: $10 (from Casey)
Alex gets: $5
Blake gets: $5
Casey pays: $10 total

Important: Agree on tie rules before the round starts to avoid arguments.

Nassau Payout Worksheet

Use this step-by-step worksheet to calculate payouts manually:

Step 1: Record Scores

Player	Front 9	Back 9	Total 18
_________	____	____	____
_________	____	____	____
_________	____	____	____

Step 2: Identify Winners

Front 9 winner: _____________
Back 9 winner: _____________
Total 18 winner: _____________

Step 3: Calculate Payouts

Bet amount: $_____

Number of players: _____

Winner collects: Bet × (Players - 1) = $_____

Step 4: Calculate Net Positions

Player	Front 9	Back 9	Total 18	NET
_________	___	___	___	___
_________	___	___	___	___
_________	___	___	___	___

Common Calculation Mistakes

❌ Mistake #1: Forgetting to Multiply

Wrong: "3-player game, $10 bet, winner gets $10"
Right: Winner gets $10 × 2 = $20 (collects from both losers)

❌ Mistake #2: Treating It Like Stroke Play

Nassau uses match play scoring for Front 9 and Back 9. Lowest total score wins each bet—it's not about how many strokes you beat someone by.

❌ Mistake #3: Not Verifying the Zero-Sum

All net positions must add to $0. If they don't, you made a math error. Always double-check before settling up.

❌ Mistake #4: Applying Presses Incorrectly

Presses are new bets that run alongside the original bet. Track them separately and add at the end.

Automatic Payout Calculator

Manual calculation works fine for 2-3 players. But with 4+ players (or when adding press bets), the math gets tedious and error-prone.

Solution: Use our free Nassau calculator. Just enter:

Bet amount
Each player's Front 9, Back 9, and Total 18 scores

The calculator instantly shows:

✅ Winners for all three bets
✅ How much each winner collects
✅ Final net positions for all players
✅ Zero math errors, zero arguments

Works for 2-8 players. No signup required. Completely free.

FAQ: Nassau Payout Math

Can you win all three bets?

Yes. If you have the lowest Front 9, lowest Back 9, and lowest Total 18, you sweep all three bets. In a 4-player $10 Nassau, that's $30 × 3 = $90 total winnings.

What if I win Front 9 but lose Back 9 and Total?

You still collect for the Front 9 bet. Each bet is independent. Your net position will be positive (Front 9 win) minus two losses (Back 9 and Total).

Do I need to track every hole?

No. You only need three numbers per player: Front 9 total, Back 9 total, and Full 18 total. Individual hole scores don't matter for standard Nassau.

How do presses affect payouts?

Presses are additional bets that activate when a player falls behind. Calculate press payouts separately, then add them to the base Nassau totals.

Start Calculating Nassau Payouts

Nassau is the most popular golf bet because it's simple to understand but creates consistent action across all 18 holes.

With 2 players, the math is trivial. With 3+ players, use the formula: Winner gets Bet × (Players - 1). Always verify that net positions sum to zero.

Or skip the math entirely: Try our free Nassau calculator and get instant, accurate payouts every time.