Update on Travis Rettenmaier $100K Bet
On October 25th, 2022, we accepted Travis Rettenmaier’s $100,000 2 vs. 1 challenge – click on the link if you want the full details that led to accepting Travis’ challenge.
What is wild is that about 13 minutes after we posted our acceptance on Instagram, Travis doubled down on his challenge and accepted our acceptance of his challenge. A double acceptance if you will.
Since we initially posted our acceptance of the challenge and Travis came out publicly that it was on, we have had quite a few people reach out to us ranging from excitement to whether it was a publicity stunt to following up for updates on the status of the match. People still reach out to us almost daily asking for an update. This post is your current update.
Let’s get one thing straight, this was never a publicity stunt. Our full intention was to proceed with a match and it still is.
We initially made some headway on the match and got a date lined up for December 17th at Ferg’s Sports Bar in St. Petersburg, Florida. After some haggling about format, which has since been agreed to (best 3 out of 5 games, MLP rally scoring to 15, freeze at 12 points), Travis told us date was no longer available for the venue and we agreed to a new date of January 7th. That date did not end up working out either and we worked to aim for a date in February.
Travis later informed us that it is illegal to hold a private bet in the state of Florida, which apparently is true if you do some brief Googling. At this point, we were at the end of November. Travis told us he would work on finding an alternate location and venue.
Why a venue anyway? Since the beginning of this, it has been very important to Travis that we hold this bet at a venue and have it as an event. We have been happy to do this as an event but have made it clear throughout that we are just as happy to do this at any local courts. From our perspective, we simply want whatever is easiest to make the bet happen.
We followed-up with Travis a couple of times in December, but received no response or update from Travis. We followed up with Travis once again in January. After almost a month and a half without an update, Travis let us know that he has been talking to some venues, but has had other things going on in his life. He confirmed in our latest exchange of messages that he will only do this if it is “held publicly at an appropriate venue.”
We have responded that we want to have dates finalized by the end of February and advised him that we can make any date at any location work between April and October so long as we have enough advance notice. We even suggested doing it at the Newport MLP event in June if the MLP people are on board with letting us hold it there.
Travis responded that he’s going to do his best.
For all those asking, we are still very much wanting to ensure this bet happens. We are hopeful that the stars will align for this to happen and we’ll keep everyone updated when we have more to provide. Thanks to everyone for their interest and patience!
My money is on the 2 of you. And I can’t wait to see this match!
That’s confident of you to agree to do it even almost a year after the challenge assuming it happens late in 2023. Travis will have been playing a lot longer than when the challenge initially happened. He may not be the same level as when you initially “scorned” his achievements by not mentioning them. Did you get an expert referee’s opinion on the format – they’ve seen a thing or two so have valuable insight on what’s fair to all parties. Could Travis go to international waters to get around betting laws – maybe a Caribbean island? Glad you found out in time about Florida’s law so you didn’t play and then no one can claim the $100K. Though it would have been the pickleball news story of the year if cops showed up during the match and arrested all of you! Participating in the upcoming MLP event should motivate Travis to finalize everything after that event ends – since that is where his challenge started. Just snub him again in that coverage and it’ll all be set. ha, ha
like Sam ,Travis ego is bigger than his game. Kick his ass thanks fellas !
I didn’t realize Travis was so jacked… I still think two 5.0’s will beat a pro 2 v 1 though haha.
Very much anticipated event. Thanks for the update gentleman. Hope it happens but as time passes and it moves from PB consciousness the momentum it had dwindles in the public eye. Understand the difficulties but seems a bit peculiar.
We hope so too. We’ll try to keep people updated and only waited so long as we wanted a more concrete update to give.
I think the cap at 12 is a mistake as it will pull all the games closer but if that is what Travis needs to get to lose to you two then I am OK with it. Kick his butt. As an aside it certainly seems like he is ducking you. How long would a best of three with rally scoring match take? No way it is an hour…guy has to have an hour to play pickleball which he obviously is already doing many times a week. Guy is scared.
The cap at 12 and scoring to 15 is not optimal for sure when you are the team with the advantage. It is why we had some disagreement on format but, ultimately, we conceded to try to get this done. His time estimates he has said publicly about games to 21 rally scoring are not correct to start with. We are not sure what 3 to 21 would take though.
Thanks for the update.
Has anyone checked Vegas? Surely they would allow it to happen?
We have suggested Vegas
Feels like Travis isn’t as motivated as you guys are to play. He must be realizing that his chances to win are pretty Slim. I’d suggest going public with an offer for him to buy out of the bet for whatever you’d take (maybe $85-90K?). It might at least get him to respond. Good Luck
We are unsure of his motivations. It would only be speculation.
Check the 5th of Neverwary . . . .seems like always best date for this type of bs – T
Haha possibly!
Watching John Cincola vs two 5.0’s has me thinking Travis has a chance. Travis is better than John, though I’m not sure about singles. I hope you guys do it for a smaller amount or for bragging rights if that’s what it takes to get it done, I just want to see it happen.
Good call Grant. That was fun to watch as well.
We would agree in theory with what you have said but the 5.0 match that Cincola showed was only one game to 11, unlike his match he barely won against two 4.5s. Also, in that match the players lost a number of points to the end of that game due to foolishly switching on Cincola’s serve, giving him an opportunity to drive and crash against a switch. In any event, it definitely is not an impossibility he wins but we still think we have the definite advantage.