Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Updated 2011 Rules

Changes for 2011

1. Payment must be made before kickoff of the first game in Week 1, which is Thursday, September 8. If you don't pay by then, you'll be eliminated from both pools.


2. If there is a Thursday-night game, and you wish to choose a team playing in that game, your pick must be submitted by kickoff of that game. However, if you are choosing a team from any other game that week (including Monday night), your pick needs to be submitted by kickoff of the first Sunday game. If there is a Saturday game (Weeks 15 and 16), ALL picks must be submitted before kickoff of the SATURDAY game (unless, of course, you're choosing a Thursday team).


General Overview

This is a two-part pool.


Pool A is a traditional King of the Hill (or Survivor or Last Man Standing) pool. Pick one team to win each week (you can pick each team only once). If that team wins, you keep going; if that team loses or ties, you're out. But you're only out of that part of the pool, because...


Pool B is a points-based system, which continues throughout the season whether you pick a losing team or not. The team you pick applies to both Pool A and Pool B. If that team wins, you get one point in Pool B. If that team loses or ties, you get no points. At the end of the regular season, the person with the most points wins. If there is a tie at the end of the regular season, the people who are tied move on to the playoffs, where it becomes win or go home.


The entry fee is $30. You can enter as many times as you want, but it's $30 per entry. The pot will be split: $20 of each person's entry fee goes to the winner of Pool A; $10 of each person's fee goes to the winner of Pool B. A 10 percent gratuity to the fine man who runs the league is very strongly encouraged.



Full Rules


Pool A: Traditional King of the Hill

1. Pick one team each week to win its game. Point spreads don't matter — this is win and you're in. If the team you chose wins, you move on; if your team loses or ties, you're eliminated from this part of the pool. Don't worry, though. You get to keep playing in Pool B.


2. You can choose each team only once. If you choose the Broncos in Week 1, for example, you clearly don't watch much football and maybe shouldn't be playing at all. Also, you can't use them again for the rest of the season — so choose wisely.


3. The last person standing in this part of the pool will win 66.67 percent of the pool, or $20 of each person's $30 entry fee. (A 10 percent gratuity to the manager of the pool is strongly encouraged.) If all of the remaining people lose or tie in the same week, those people will continue the next week. They do not, however, get to choose their team from the previous week again (more about this in No. 4).


4. If all remaining people in Pool A lose in the same week, they will, as stated above, continue in the next week. They will not be able to pick the team they picked in the previous (losing) week. They will, however, be given one loss on their record in Pool B.


For example, let's say that it's Week 14 and there are only four people remaining: Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia. Dorothy and Blanche each pick the Broncos, and Rose and Sophia pick the Bengals. Both the Broncos and Bengals lose. Since all four lost in the same week, no winner can be crowned; all four will continue in Pool A in Week 15. Now let's say that Dorothy and Blanche both pick the Ravens in Week 15, and Rose and Sophia pick the Texans. The Ravens lose and the Texans win. Rose and Sophia continue in Pool A, obviously. But Dorothy and Blanche will be relegated to Pool B, where they will have two losses on their records—one for their Week 14 Broncos pick and one for their Week 15 Ravens pick. Even though they continued in Pool A they still picked a losing team, so it will be counted that way once they're in Pool B.


5. If more than one person is left at the end of the regular season, the pool continues into the playoffs. Each person will start fresh with teams from which to choose, but the rules from the regular season still apply: You can pick each team in the playoffs only once. If the pool continues to the Super Bowl, it's a straight-up pick 'em. You can pick either team, even if you've already picked them in the regular season and/or playoffs. If there is more than one person remaining after the Super Bowl, the Pool A portion of the pot is split among those people.


6. It is possible for the winner of Pool A to win both pools. If Pool A continues into the NFL playoffs, everyone in Pool B will be automatically eliminated, and whoever wins Pool A will win both pools.


7. Splitting the pot in Pool A is allowed. If all of the people remaining in Pool A decide independently that they would rather take the money than continue to play, that is fine. It should be noted, though, that these people will, with good reason, be ridiculed by the majority of the league.


Pool B: Nontraditional King of the Hill

1. The team you picked for Pool A is also the team you get for Pool B. Point spreads don't matter here either. If the team you chose wins its game, you get one point; if your team loses or ties, you get zero points. You're not eliminated, though. Whether your team wins or not, you continue to the next week in Pool B.


2. You can choose each team only once. So again, if you pick the Broncos in Week 1, you can't use them again for the rest of the season (which is probably a blessing).


3. At the end of the regular season, the person with the most points wins 33.33 percent of the pot. Or $10 of each person's entry fee. (A 10 percent gratuity is strongly encouraged.) If there is a tie at the end of the regular season, the people who are tied will continue into the playoffs. In the playoffs, though, there are no points awarded, and the rules of Pool A take over. If the team you pick loses, you're out. Last man standing wins. Anyone remaining after the Super Bowl will split the Pool B portion of the pot.


Additional Info

Joining

To join, send an email to kingofthehillnyc@gmail.com letting me know you want in. The entry fee is $30 per entry. $20 of that will go to the winner of Game A; $10 will go to the winner of Game B. You can enter as many times as you want, but it is $30 for each entry. Your entry fee must be paid by the beginning of Week 1. If I don't have it by then, you won't be able to play. You can either pay using PayPal (use the link on the right side on the homepage), pay me in person, or mail cash or a check to:


Andrew Shafer
240 Waverly Place, Apt. 2
New York, NY 10014


If you mail cash or a check to me, it has to be postmarked by the Thursday of Week 1. If you pay with PayPal, the entry fee is $31, because I'm charged a $1 fee every time someone uses that method. Ah, the price we pay for convenience.


Choosing Teams

You choose only one team each week, and that team is your team for both Pool A and Pool B. You cannot choose one team for Pool A and a different team for Pool B.


Submitting Picks

Picks must be submitted before kickoff of the first game each week, with the exception of Thursday games. If you're picking a Thursday game, you have to have your pick in by kickoff of that game. If you're picking any other team (including a Monday-night team), your pick needs to be in by kickoff of the first game on Sunday. If there are Saturday games, ALL PICKS must be in by kickoff of the Saturday game. If your pick is late, it counts as a loss. Advance picks are fine, so if you know you're going to be gone for a week, it's fine to submit multiple weeks at the same time. To submit your choices, email me at kingofthehillnyc@gmail.com with your pick.


Your choices must be submitted by email, and not by phone, text, or anything else. The reason for this is that if there is a dispute over which team you chose or when you submitted the pick, there will be documentation with a time and date stamp.


Posting Picks

For total transparency, I will be posting each person's pick on this blog before the beginning of the first game each week. I will also be posting the winners and losers after each week and some random updates here and there, so check back often.