Re: Ram Vaswani speaks about that \'Golf Game\'.
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Funny how DN called out guys who hustle golf like this a few years ago, but when his buddy does the same thing, it's fine.
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I was thinking the same thing.
The Main Issues are,
1.Was this a "Friendship Game" where the "agreement" is that everybody gives full information as to their current expected playing level per practice, recent play, health, etc?
2. If (1) applies, did Ivey break that "agreement" by withholding such information or misrepresenting it?
The fact that the Group of Arbitrators, despite possibly being weighted in Ivey's favor, suggested the outcome of the wagers be adjusted indicates that they thought there was some truth for yes answers to both (1) and (2). Otherwise, why adjust anything? If the negotiated Strokes were indeed based on good faith information there should be NO adjustment. The bets should stand as is and Ram should pay up Fully. The same is true even if (2) holds but (1) doesn't. If it was not a "Friendship Game" and anything goes in the negotiation for strokes, then Ram just got legitimately hustled and should pay up IN FULL.
But the Aribitrator Group did not decide Ram should pay up IN FULL. Now here's the Twist. If they are going to say that the Payoff should be adjusted, what should it be adjusted to based on (1) and (2)? Well, it should be adjusted to the outcome that would have resulted if the Strokes had been on the basis of Ivey's Real expected playing level.
What is the best indicator for what that expected playing level was? The easiest answer is simply the Play which he performed in those two days. If you adjust the Strokes to That level, you should get a payoff of zero.
Better yet, if the Arbitrators decided that Ivey's violation of (2) indicates he was sandbagging on the First Day, they might decide that his play the Second Day was the best indicator for his expected playing level, and award the Strokes on Both Days according to that level. In that case, a Fair Arbitration Decision on adjusting the payoffs could actually end up showing that IVEY OWES RAM MONEY!
PairTheBoard
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