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Got into a small spat with some of my friends about our upcoming season.

12 team league, $25 per person, total of $300. We had been doing $20 per until this year.

Since we pay out three spots, my suggestion was winner gets $200, second gets $75, and third gets $25. It's simple and clean: winner gets 8/12 of the pot, second gets 3/12 and third gets 1/12 (or basically got to play for free.)

Seems most of the league was on board, but two guys suggested something along the lines of 190-85-25 so the ratio of first to second is closer to 2:1 (I think they would've actually suggested $187.50 if they thought anyone would go for it.) Aside from being aesthetically displeasing, I have other issues with this.

My personal opinion: I think at a minimum the league winner should get 2/3 of the overall pot, and who cares what the ratio of what 1st to 2nd is. If I thought more of my friends would go for it, I would suggest 250 and 50 and eliminate a 3rd place payout. I would have been fine with 200-100 as well, but if we're going to pay out three spots, I feel third place's cut should come out of second place, not first and second. Am I crazy for thinking this?

First place is a Cadillac. Second place is a set of steak knives.

You play fantasy football with two sociopaths

Its $10. Who cares? How about just meet in the middle at $195-$80-$25.

Because that’s a dumb payout.

Because its not a round number? I mean, I get it, it looks weird, but, in a vaccum, how is you wanting nice round looking numbers any different than them wanting a nice 2:1 ratio? Its just a preference.

Also, is it worth the battle? I mean, do what you want, but its $10.

A little bit the nice round number yes.


But it would also be stupid to say “yeah I won $195 in my fantasy football league. It would’ve been $200 but we had to make sure second got five dollars more.”

Also $200 is equal to 8 of the 12 payouts. $195 is... a number, I guess ? It just doesn’t make sense.

The dollar amount is irrelevant to me. I’d be arguing the same if it was a $250 buy-in instead of $25. Or $2.50. I’m not going to lose friends over it, but couldn’t you say “it’s just ten dollars” in favor of my argument too?

Plus, first place is a Cadillac.

You could say it about both arguments. $195 is just a number. $200 is just a number. 2/3 is just a fraction. Why should the winner make at least 2/3 and not 3/4, or 3/5, or 2/5? Why is 8 of the 12 payouts important? Why not 7/12 or 1/2? Why not 9/12 or 5/6? They're all just numbers.

And if someone said to me "Yeah I won $195 in my fantasy football league!" I wouldn't say, "that's dumb, why wasn't it $200?" I'd say, "cool." I'd say the same thing if someone said they won $200, or $137.29. I wouldn't ask why it was an odd number. I'd probably ask who was on their team and their drafting, trading and FA strategy. I would assume there was some formula, and I'm probably an odd person in that I don't enjoy small talk about betting payout formulas, so I tend not to ask details about things that will likely lead to a conversation I don't find interesting, except around family, where boring conversations trump political battles.

They're all just numbers. Why not just have the league vote with an online survey? Majority rules, tie goes to a coin flip.

Also for the record, I'm not into betting and stuff like that, so if there is something significant about 2/3 in betting circles then I'm legitimately ignorant. Its just how I would play it. If that's not your style or there is a reason I'm ignorant of that makes it more important, then you should do what works for you.(Well, do what works for you anyways)