I've always found breaking it up to be extremely beneficial.

I think the problem with most people is that they torch half the bowl. Only burn the exact amount you are smoking so that none gets wasted. So I think the people who say that breaking it up makes it burn quicker, are simply burning it all at once. If you burn it right and break it up it can last longer.

I've always took a small sized nug and flattened it like a pancake to place it over the hole, and covered it with broken up smaller nugs. If you burn it correctly (only a little bit at a time) it will work the best.