Pool Rules

Weekly Pool

Each week constitutes a new pool. Each week costs $10.00 of which $8 goes into the pot paid to that week's winner(s) and $2 is reserved for the top 3 'winningest' teams. Note, however, that 20% of each week's pot is reserved for an overall award given at the end of the regular season.

To enter, fill in the entry form by making your pick for each game. The goal is to pick the winning team.

You will also be asked to guess the total points scored in the Monday Night Football game (or whatever the last scheduled game of that week is). This will be used as a tiebreaker.

The winner for each week will be the player with the highest score. In the event of a tie, the player who guessed closest to the actual point total of the tiebreaker game will win. Should any players still be tied after applying the tiebreaker, the pot will be divided equally among those players.

For the tiebreaker, it does not matter if your point total is over or under the actual score total. It is only the difference that counts.

Scoring

Your score is simply the number of games you correctly picked.

In the event a game ends in a tie, you will receive half a point for that game, provided you made a pick for it.

Making and Changing Weekly Entries

When filling in an entry form, you do not have to make a pick for each game. All that is required is that you enter a point total for the tiebreaker. This is helpful if there are early games scheduled for a given week (games played on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday). You may make your picks for these games beforehand and complete the rest later.

Locked Games

Games are automatically locked out on the entry form according to their scheduled date and time. Early games are locked at the start of the individual game. All remaining games (including any Monday night games) are locked at the scheduled start time of the first Sunday game.

Times displayed on the schedule are Eastern.

You may change your pick for any game up until the time that game is locked. You may also change your tiebreaker point total up until the time that all entries are locked on Sunday.

You can delete your entry, if desired, provided no games for that week have been locked.

Entries must be completed on time. Once a game is locked, you may not change your pick for it. If you did not make a pick for a particular game, it is counted as a loss. If you submit a partial entry and either forget or are unable to complete it, you are still responsible for the entry fee.

The Administrator may make exceptions for extenuating circumstances on an individual basis. By participating you agree to abide by the above rules and accept any decisions made by the Administrator.

If you have trouble accessing the site, logging in or otherwise completing your entry, please contact the Administrator for help.

Quick Picks

This feature let's you quickly fill in your weekly entry using one of these options to make a pick in each game:

• All Away picks all the visiting teams.
• All Home picks all the home teams.
• By Rank picks teams based on your personal team rankings. Note that this option is only available after you have set your personal team rankings (see below).
• Random picks teams at random.
• Clear unchecks all picks.

By default, quick picks are applied to all unlocked games, overwriting any current selections. You can prevent this for specific games by checking the Keep box next to the game. Unchecking the box will again allow the game to be updated with a quick pick.

You can use any combination of quick picks and manual selections prior to submitting your entry. Remember to also enter a tiebreak point total.

Editing Your Team Rankings

Use the edit team rankings form to set your personal team rankings. To assign a rank to a team, select the desired rank from the drop down list (#1 being the team you consider the best, #2 the second-best and so on). The display will automatically update to show the new order.

When you are satisfied with your rankings, press the Update button to save your data. You can then use these rankings make quick picks on the weekly entry form.

Overall Award

After all weekly pools are concluded, the overall award will be given to the player who made the most correct picks over the entire regular season.

Note that it is the total number of correct picks that counts, not the percentage. This is done to favor players who play more rather than ones who score well but only play a few weeks.

The size of the overall award will depend on the total number of weekly entries made. If there is a tie between two or more players, the award will be split equally among them.

5 Aces Survivor Pool

This pool is separate from the weekly picks pool. If you choose to participate, you must enter during the first week. The entry fee is $50.00.

The pool runs over the entire regular season. Each week, you must pick one team among those playing that you think will win its game. You can use each team only once.

The goal of the survivor pool is to outlast your fellow players. If your team wins, you survive and continue on to the next week. If your team loses, you are eliminated.

Note that if you do not make a pick for a given week, it counts as a loss. If the game ends in a tie, it is considered a loss. In the event all active players are eliminated in a single week, those players will be reinstated and continue to the next week.

When only one player remains, he or she wins the pot. If more than one player survives to the end of the regular season, they will split the pot equally.

Buybacks

If you are eliminated from the survivor pool, you have the option to buyback in for a fee. You are allowed one buyback which costs $25.00. If you choose to use a buyback, you must do so the week following your elimination or you cannot get back in. All buyback fees go into the survivor pool pot.

Keep in mind that the tiebreaker for the survivor pool is the number of correct picks. If, for example, you and one other player both survive the entire season but you used a buyback while the other player did not, that player would win by virtue of having made more correct picks. Also note that buybacks cannot be used after the pool has been won.

Making and Changing 5 Aces Survivor Picks

As with the weekly pool, you may make or change your pick for the 5 Aces Survivor up until all games for that particular week are locked. If you pick a team playing an early game, you cannot change that pick once that game is locked. Likewise, you cannot pick a team whose game has been locked.

You can make your picks in advance for upcoming weeks. Note, however, that when you make a pick, that team is no longer available for use in other weeks. So if you later decide you want to use that team in a different week, you'll first need to change or delete the existing entry for it.

MINK Playoffs Pool

This pool works similar to a weekly pool with some minor differences. All the postseason games are included. Scoring is the same as in a weekly pool except that there is no tiebreaker. Players who tie for the winning score will split the pot equally. If you choose to participate, the entry fee is $25.00.

Entries are broken up into individual playoff rounds:

• Wild Card Games (four games)
• Divisional Playoffs (four games)
• Conference Championships (two games)
• Super Bowl

Once the Administrator has set the opposing teams for each game in a round, you can make your picks for those games. As with the weekly pools, you can make or change any pick until those games are locked.

All games for a given round are locked at the start time of the first game in that round.

After all games in the current round have been decided, the Administrator will set the games for the next round. You must then go back to the entry form and make your picks for them.

To make picks, view results and find additional information, see the site map.