Never surprises me and should never surprise anyone what goes on in the first rounds of lowest ranked tournaments of the schedule, many players turn up for R1 prize money in 250's and put in half hearted efforts, always more surprised when I hear it at slams, where it's much more worth any players while to get as far as they can.
This type of thing is not exclusive to certain parts of the world (where players are from like Dolgopolov), many from South America, Europe and Asia pull fast one's, some just want to go back home asap for personal reasons, like something as simple as family members birthday party.
Never surprises me and should never surprise anyone what goes on in the first rounds of lowest ranked tournaments of the schedule, many players turn up for R1 prize money in 250's and put in half hearted efforts, always more surprised when I hear it
Way back in the mid 1990s I had a holiday job as a Billy hill cashier. The Dad of a well know snooker player (who shall remain nameless) was a regular. One wet Monday morning he came in and told me that his son was in Asia for a minor tourney but that he was shattered and only going for the appearance money.
This was not a match fix as such but just an insight into the life of touring pros who travel the world week in week out and are expected to perform at the highest level every week.
Being a poor student I had my max bet of 10quid on his Chinese opponent who I had never heard of at the cracking odds of 11/4. Checked the teletext at 5am in the morning when I woke up mid dream (snooker dream not surprisingly), no text update yet. Got into work at 10am for my next shift and checked the hills results section on the screens. Booooooom, my Asian friend had won.
The point is this has been going on for years and always will in the first round of tournaments. There are four possibilities:
1. Player tanks deliberately for prize money but no money made from betting 2. Player tanks deliberately and a few people close to home make small money from betting, under the radar. 3. Player tanks deliberately and an unintended gamble snowballs as the likes of me would have found the info from a close source and gone on to tell mates etc so a fair bit of money goes on and hits the radar. 4. The tank is part of a fully orchestrated coup.
Now I class 4 as match fixing but as for 1 to 3 what is your view?
1. Cannot be proven. But what about w and 3 and even if they are proven are they a crime, criminal or otherwise?
Has anyone had a day in work where they have not been eup for it and effectively TANKED.
Way back in the mid 1990s I had a holiday job as a Billy hill cashier. The Dad of a well know snooker player (who shall remain nameless) was a regular. One wet Monday morning he came in and told me that his son was in Asia for a minor tourney but tha