What Is a ‘Nassau Bet’ in Sports Betting?
A “Nassau bet” is a popular type of wager, almost exclusively used in golf, that divides a round into three separate bets. It’s a way to keep a match competitive and interesting, even if one player has a bad start.
Instead of one bet on the entire 18-hole round, a Nassau splits the match into:
- The Front Nine: A bet on the winner of the first nine holes (1-9).
- The Back Nine: A second bet on the winner of the last nine holes (10-18).
- The Overall Match: A third bet on the winner of the full 18 holes.
The three bets are all for the same stake. For example, a “$2 Nassau” means you are betting $2 on the front nine, $2 on the back nine, and $2 on the overall 18 holes, for a total of $6 at risk.
How a Nassau Bet Works: An Example
Let’s say you and a friend are playing a round of match play with a $5 Nassau.
- The Front Nine (Holes 1-9): You play the first nine holes. You win more holes than your friend. You win the front nine bet and are up $5.
- The Back Nine (Holes 10-18): Your friend makes a comeback and wins more holes than you on the back nine. Your friend wins the back nine bet. You are now even.
- The Overall 18 Holes: You count up the total holes won across the entire round. Let’s say you won 6 holes, and your friend won 5 holes (with 7 holes halved). You win the overall bet and are up $5.
Final Result: You won two of the three bets ($5 for the front, $5 for the overall) and lost one ($5 for the back). You come out with a net profit of $5.
The “Press”: Adding Another Layer
A common and exciting feature of a Nassau is the option to “press” the bet. A press is essentially a new, identical bet that runs for the remainder of the current nine or overall match.
- Who can press? The option to press is always offered by the player or team that is losing the current bet.
- When can you press? A player who is down can propose a press. A common rule is that a player must be at least two holes down to press the bet.
- What happens? If the press is accepted, a new bet begins for the remaining holes of that nine (or the overall 18). This gives the losing player a chance to win the second bet and break even on that portion of the match, or it can lead to the winning player doubling their winnings.
Example of a Press:
- You are playing the front nine and are 2 holes down after 5 holes. You decide to “press.”
- A new $5 bet starts for the remaining 4 holes of the front nine (holes 6-9).
- The original $5 bet for the entire front nine is still active.
- If your opponent continues to beat you, they could win both the original bet and the press, winning $10 on the front nine alone. If you stage a comeback on the remaining holes, you could win the “press” bet and cut your losses.
The Nassau is a staple of club golf and friendly wagers because it keeps the game engaging. A player can have a disastrous front nine, lose that bet, and still have a fresh start with two more bets to play for on the back nine and the overall match.