Let's make a tournament deal--after I bust!

[bav]

In a tourney today, when it was down to 6-handed the monster chip leader proposed "give everybody $800 and play winner-take-all for the rest". An even split at that point woulda given everyone a bit over $1000. Everybody agreed and immediately the table play opened up and chips started moving around again. In short order it's 3-handed with the original chip leader still leading, me in second, and trailing is a fellow who's being a little wild. I finally bust him and he goes off happy to collect his $800. We play about 3 hands of heads-up and I take the chip lead and suggest we just split evenly. Fine, deal is done. But...

We wander over to collect our winnings and the 3rd place guy is complaining. "I didn't know it was for this much! I wouldn't have played like that if I knew there was this much money left over for first. How about we just split it 3 ways? That's fair." The other player I was splitting with actually said he would agree to that. I politely declined.

Hint: Don't bust out, and THEN try to make a deal. I imagine we coulda come to some terms other than winner-take-all while it was 3-handed if someone had spoken up while he still had chips. Ya kinda lose bargaining power once you're out.