The Official Blind Luck Info Page Welcome to the "BLIND LUCK FOOTBALL POOL." This year we will be running four pools; a Weekly Pool, a Seasonal Pool (first half and second half), Lowest Player(s) Out Pool and a Survivor Pool. If that wasn't enough we will also have a "You do nothing" weekly Sports Box, which is also lovingly known as the "Idiot Box", for your personal enjoyment. The following should answer any and all questions you might have. WEEKLY POOL This pool is run each and every week, therefore the name "weekly pool", although maybe "weakly" might be more suitable for some players. The goal is to try and get as many points as possible based on the Confidence Points Method. The player with the most points wins. If a game ends in a tie you will receive half of the points you placed on that game. If two or more players are tied with the most points the first tiebreaker will be total points on the tiebreaker game. (Usually the last game of the week.) If there is still a tie the 2nd and final tiebreaker is total wins for the week. Big Money Payoff: First: $177 Second: $30 (Based on a 52 player pool and a secret formula) SEASON POOL This pool is divided into two halves. The first half consists of weeks 1 thru 8. The second half consists of weeks 9 thru 17. Weekly confidence points scored are accummulated for weeks 1-8 and 9-17. The top three players with the most overall points win money in each half. Big Money Payoffs: First: $177 Second: $110.00 Third: $55 Fourth: $30 (Based on a 52 player pool and lunar, or possibly lunacy, influence) SURVIVOR POOL This pool runs until it is no longer running. As with the other pools, point spreads will not be used to determine winners or losers. The goal is to stay alive as the season progresses. The rules for this pool are simple: Each week, you only have to pick a team who you think will win. If your team wins, you're still in, if they lose or tie, then that's strike one. Two strikes and you are out for the ENTIRE season. If you miss a week...its a strike. Sounds easy enough, right? The only catch is that once you pick a team, you CANNOT pick that team for the rest of the regular season. You are responsible for making sure you don't pick the same team twice, if you pick the same team twice you will receive a strike. If you already have one strike and you pick a duplicate team you are out for the season. You can make your Survivor Pool picks on the weekly pick sheet. Top prize goes to the last one standing, winner takes all. If there are players tied at the end of the regular season, i.e., players with no strikes or players with one strike, these players will enter the playoffs with a clean slate. Note that the previous sentence said, players with no strikes or players with one strike, i.e., one or the other, not both, will enter the playoff round. After the regular season ends each player who is blind lucky enough to still be surviving will have all the teams at their disposal at the beginning of the playoffs. However, if you are fortunate enough to make it into the playoff round you are also unfortunate enough to enter the round of one strike and you're out. Also, as in years past, you must be taking part in the current pool, i.e., 2nd half or playoff, to continue on in the Survivor pool. See TIEBREAKER METHODS in case of ties. Big Money Payoff: First: $176.30 (Based on a 52 player pool and ouija board input) LOWEST PLAYER(S) OUT Each week a set number of players with the lowest point totals will be eliminated. The amount dropped each week will depend on the number of players in the pool and will be calculated so this pool ends with week 17. (Hopefully.) Big Money Payoff: $187.50 SPORTS BOX The Sports Box is a 100 square box to which names and numbers are randomly assigned. The winner will be determined by the final score of a designated game, usually the Monday night game. There can be no multiple winners of the Sports Box in each half. This is truly Blind Luck, as we know it, at its' finest. The Sports Box, aka The Idiot Box, pays $55 weekly.(Based on a 52 player pool and tidal charts written in haiku PLAYOFF POOL Once the regular season has ended the Playoff Pool kicks into action. In this pool 3 picks are made for each game. Winner straight up, winner using the point spread and total points over or under. It may sound confusing to some but trust me, it's not. WHEN ARE MY PICKS DUE? For weekday games, such as the first game of the season, there will be a deadline given. This deadline will usually be 30 minutes before the start of the game. If you miss the deadline for the first game you get the worst pick for that game. However you can still make the balance of your picks. For weekends where all games are on Sunday, 9:30 am Pacific time Sunday is the deadline for your picks. The Grand Exalted Pool Commissioner is not, and will not be held responsible for computer malfunctions, modem failures, internet implosions, memory lapses, cases of severe dementia, moments of megalomania or the myriad of excuses that could be avoided simply by submitting your picks with time to spare before the deadline. The preferred method for entering picks is over the internet via the web page but picks may also be submitted via paper entry. In extreme cases entries may be entered via e-mail, however there may be an additional beverage charge for this service. HOW MUCH IS ALL THIS FUN GOING TO COST ME? The 1st half is $55 and includes weekly, 1st half, lowest player out and Survivor Pools plus participation in the Sports Box. the 2nd half is also $55. If you did not partake in the first half the cost for the 2nd half is also $55 and includes the weekly, 2nd half and lowest player out pools as well as the joy of the Sports Box.The Playoff pool is $20. CONFIDENCE POINTS METHOD: Each week will have either 16, 14, 12 or 10 games. The confidence points will range from 16 down to 7, 5, 3 or 1. Each confidence point value can be used only once. Your goal is to assign each of your picks with a confidence point value based on how you think the particular pick will fair. Your highest confidence point value should be placed on the game whose outcome you feel has the best chance of matching yours. In contrast, you should put your low point value on the game you feel most likely could go the other way. If your pick wins, you will receive the number of confidence points you assigned to that particular game. Should a game end in a tie, you will receive half of the points you placed on that game. The player having the most confidence points will be designated the winner. Should two or more players end up with the same total points, the appropriate Tiebreaker method described below will be used. TIEBREAKER METHODS: Total Points Tiebreaker: This tiebreaker uses your Total Points guess you entered on your picksheet. The player that is closest with their guess to the actual points scored is the winner. You can be either over or under the actual points scored. Total Wins Tiebreaker: This tiebreaker uses the sum of the total number of games won over the course of the pool involved. The player with the most wins is the winner. Lowest Monday Night Difference Tiebreaker: This tiebreaker uses the sum of the differences between your Monday Night Total Points guess and the actual scores. That sum is then divided by the number of weeks played to get your Average difference. The player with the Lowest Average difference is the winner. Lowest Strikes Against Tiebreaker: This tiebreaker uses the sum of the Strikes against a player. The player with the Lowest Strikes against them is the winner. Weekly Pool: The 1st tiebreaker will use the Total Points method using your Monday Night Total Points entry. Should there still be a tie, the 2nd tiebreaker will use the Total Wins method for the week. If a tie still exists then the pot will be divided between those players still deadlocked. Season Pool: The 1st tiebreaker will use the Lowest Monday Night Difference method for the regular season. Should there still be a tie, the 2nd tiebreaker will be the Total Wins method. If a tie still exists after applying both tiebreakers, then the players which are still tied, will split the prize accordingly (i.e., if two players are tied for 1st they will split the combined 1st and 2nd prize amounts, and so on). Survivor Pool: If there are players tied at the end of the regular season, i.e., players with no strikes or players with one strike, these players will enter the playoffs with a clean slate. Note that the previous sentence said, players with no strikes or players with one strike, i.e., one or the other, not both, will enter the playoff round. After the regular season ends each player who is blind lucky enough to still be surviving will have all the teams at their disposal at the beginning of the playoffs. However, if you are fortunate enough to make it into the playoff round you are also unfortunate enough to enter the round of one strike and you're out. Also, as in years past, you must be taking part in the current pool, i.e., 2nd half or playoff, to continue on in the Survivor pool. IN CLOSING As in years past, the Blind Luck Football Pool Commissioner is All Seeing and All Knowing. His decision is final. Remember: Never play the football pool with "scared money", i.e., money you can not afford to lose. Make sure you have taken care of all your everyday essentials such as alcohol and tobacco products, the numerous lottery tickets, the various comfort foods and of course any and all medications needed to make it to the next Blind Luck challenge before taking another step to a life of riches brought to you courtesy of the Blind Luck Football Pool. Enjoy The Pool! It's Not A Life And Death Situation Remember: We care and we can help. The Blind Luck Football Pool: Throwing Good Money After Bad. Again and Again Enjoy The Pool!