Hi Dennis,

I've explained to the several different people privately in email and I guess this would be a good time to explain the details as much as I can remember them here in a public forum...

First let me layout the situation:

We had 189 players and each player received $1,200 in starting chips. Given that as a basis, the total number of chips in play were $226,800.

When we got down to six players, the average chip stack based on these numbers would have been $37,800 in chips. When the topic of chopping the prize money was presented (for the record, I was the one to bring it up and requested that we discuss it), I had exactly $30,000 in chips in front of me which was under the average chip count but I did have the button.

The betting limits at that time were ridiculously high. The blinds were $5k and $10k and betting limits were $10k and $20k. We also had just lost player #7 and that resulted in a fairly even chip count among all the remaining players. There was not a clear cut chip leader at the time and as a result, we were ALL short stacked at this level.

You probably know me by now and that I am not afraid to play short-handed or heads-up against anyone. The problem I had in this tournament was that the blinds had gotten so high that I was now in a position to be "gambling" more and playing "poker" less because of how high the blinds were for ALL players.

Shortly before we did the 6 way chop, the 3 remaining chipboard "last man standing" participants agreed to split that prize as well.

I can't speak for the other players but I did it basically for the same reasons as I outlined above.

As Gene pointed out in a different message, chopping tournament prize money at the end of a poker tournament happens everyday in the poker world. He was specifically talking about poker tournament prize money and not the side pool that we had going.

I have no problem whatsoever with my decision with doing a chop with the other six players in regards to the prize money. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I think it was the proper thing to do for me.

There were a few people very upset with me about doing the 3 way chop on the "last man standing" pool. After further reflection, I do agree with them. We should have left that prize alone and let the "chips fall where they may". Even though the rules did not specifically indicate that a chop couldn't be done, I should have realized that this was a different type of contest and it should not have been chopped up. I am sorry that I made that decision but what is done is done. There's nothing that can be done about it now and I take full responsibility for that decision.

All I can say is that "no" you were not "shafted". All of these discussions about chopping and decisions were made after you had been eliminated from the poker tournament. There was nothing that done under the table. We discussed it right there at the table in the open as play was taking place.

For the record, after the deals were made we still played out the tournament to it FULL completion. No one gave up. As a result, I believe the club has a winner they can be proud of with Jeff Willcox as being the tournament champion. I also feel that Rich Moore was the "last man standing" winner and believe had owns bragging rights to that title.

Some folks have indicated to me that in poker tournaments that after a chop is declared, that they will play looser since the money is locked up. That may be true. But a poker player still has to adjust based on all of the given conditions in order to called the winner of the any tournament. You can bet that I wanted to be the winner and to be known as this year's champion. As a result, I feel the two players deserve to be called winners of the respective contests.