A quick guide to Caddie Stakes Golf's seven formats — Nassau, Match Play, Catraca, Medal, Skins, Stableford and Sindicato — exactly the way the app actually calculates each one.
Every format compares net scores, not gross — that's what lets players of different skill levels compete on even footing. What changes from one format to another is the reference for the strokes (table below).
| Format | Strokes each player gets |
|---|---|
| Medal and Stableford | Against the course: each player's full handicap (the same "Total Net" shown on the card) |
| Nassau, Match Play and Catraca (individual) | The handicap difference between the two players in the match (e.g. 11 vs 6 → 5 strokes to the 11) |
| Skins, Sindicato and Nassau team play | Off the lowest handicap in the group (the lowest plays with no strokes) |
Three bets in a single round: Front 9 (holes 1–9), Back 9 (10–18) and Total 18 — each with its own value (app default: R$20 / R$20 / R$40).
Whenever a bet's running score reaches ±2 points (individual match) or ±4 points (team match), a Press is automatically born — a new side bet, same stakes, starting fresh from that hole through the end of the segment. It gives whoever's losing a chance to claw back, and more than one Press can cascade within the same Front or Back.
On this Front 9: the player loses holes 1 and 2 (down −2) — by hole 3 they're down −3, so a Press is born, counting from hole 4 onward. From the midpoint on they fight back and close the Front in the black on both the original bet and the Press.
It's the exact Nassau you just read about — Front 9 / Back 9 / Total 18, same values, same hole-by-hole scoring — just without the Press. The running score plays straight through from the first to the last hole of each segment, with no side bet spawning midway.
Nassau turned all the way up: instead of waiting for a ±2-point gap (individual match) before a Press fires, here 1 point is enough — the score "ratchets" (that's what catraca means) with every hole of advantage. In team play, the Press trigger stays the same as regular Nassau (±4 points).
Each Press is worth R$5 (the amount entered). But the nine itself — Front 9 and Back 9 — starts out worth R$10 each, double the Press, even before the first Press fires. Total 18 stays at R$10, exactly as entered, with no Press and no doubling.
Pure stroke play, as three independent games: Front 9, Back 9 and Total 18. In each one, every player stakes that game's amount, and whoever has the lowest net-stroke total takes the whole pot.
Each game has an R$80 pot (4 × R$20) — R$240 across all three. Whoever wins the Front 9 collects R$20 from each of the other three (+R$60). Win all three games and you close the round at +R$180, with each opponent at −R$60.
Two players tied for the lowest Back 9 total split the R$80: each takes R$40 (+R$20 net), and the other two pay R$20 each.
Every hole is worth 1 skin. Whoever has the sole lowest net score on that hole takes it.
Holes 6 and 7 tie — 2 skins sit unclaimed. On hole 8, someone wins it outright and takes 3 skins at once (1 from hole 8 itself + the 2 carried over).
Points, not strokes — one bad hole only costs you that hole's point, it doesn't wreck the rest of the round.
| Result on the hole (net vs. par) | Points |
|---|---|
| Albatross (3 under) — and +1 point for each stroke further under | 5 |
| Eagle | 4 |
| Birdie | 3 |
| Par | 2 |
| Bogey | 1 |
| Double bogey or worse | 0 |
Every player for themselves, no teams: each hole hands out a fixed number of points by net-score order. At the end, whoever piled up the most points takes the biggest share of a pot everyone put in before the round. Only for 3 or 4 players — the app picks the right version automatically. (In the app, it shows up as Sindicato.)
| Points per hole | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Six — 3 players (6 pts per hole) | 4 | 2 | 0 | – |
| Twelves — 4 players (12 pts per hole) | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
Six: two players tie for the lowest net → they split 4 + 2 = 3 points each; the third gets 0. All three tie → 2 points each.
Twelves: one player alone in 1st (6 pts) and two tied right behind → they split 4 + 2 = 3 points each; the last player gets 0.
Before teeing off, the group sets the pot amount and the payout split by finishing position (in %). Every player puts in an equal share, and each player's final balance is what they take from the pot minus what they put in.
Six (3 players, default 70 / 30 / 0): each puts in R$40. 1st takes R$84 (+R$44), 2nd takes R$36 (−R$4) and 3rd takes nothing (−R$40).
Twelves (4 players, default 60 / 30 / 10 / 0): each puts in R$30. 1st takes R$72 (+R$42), 2nd R$36 (+R$6), 3rd R$12 (−R$18) and 4th nothing (−R$30).
A tie in the final standings works the same way as a tie on a hole: two players tied for 1st in a Six split 70% + 30% = 50% of the pot each.