Talking Poker NCAA Tournament Bracket Challenge

PShabi · #1 03-16-08, 07:32 PM

Setting one up for us right now on CBS.com. Couple of decisions:

1) Weighting:

Default is :

1st round = 1
2nd round = 2
3rd round = 4
4th round = 8
Semis = 16
Finals = 32

Do we want weigted games or just leave them all worth 1.

2) Bonus

You can add the seed. For example: If you pick a 12 seed the first round and they win. It's weighted at 1, and you add the 12 to the total to get 13.

You can also multiple the seed. Same example above but you multiply.. It would only impact if you were doing it in multiple rounds. Say that 12 seed wins a 2nd round game and you picked them. Weight = 2, seed = 12. That's 24 points.

* I'm in favor of adding the seed for the first round games only. I'm not sure how I feel about weighting. I'd be down for default or just making all the weights 1 with adding the seed for first round games only. What do you think?

3) Entry fee????? I'm down for $10-$20.

Lemme know and I'll get it drawn up and get a link out.

Talking Poker · #2 03-16-08, 10:05 PM

1. Weighted, for sure.

2. I don't like the weighted thing, but whatever.

3. Whatever. $10-20 is friendly. Feel free to have people ship to TalkingPoker on Stars.

melioris · #3 03-17-08, 09:30 AM

1) the only time I played a bracket without weighting was when you filled it out each week. So this week we filled out only for opening weekend, then after the first and second round you fill it out again, etc. This way all the games were worth equal value. Otherwise, weighting is better.

2). I think this is a mandatory for the first round, or first weekend. It benefits those that follow hoops (not me this year

) and makes the #4-#8 seeded games much more interesting.

3). whatever price sounds good.

Kurn · #4 03-17-08, 10:23 AM

1. Standard

2. Round weight * seed differential is my favorite way. But I don't follow college hoops, so that's why I like it.

3. $10 - $20 sounds fine.

PShabi · #5 03-17-08, 02:18 PM

I've done some research on weighting the rounds. From what I've read the following weighting seems to work well:

1-2-3-5-8-13

I don't like the default 1-2-4-8-16-32 because it renders the first round pretty much useless. From what I gathered, the fibonacci (super nerd time) sequence of 1-2-3-5-8-13 is a better method. Sooooo, let's go with that.

Last year, the pool I did gave points added for the seed picked, but only in Round 1. So, as stated above, a #12 wins and you pick 'em, you've got 13 points for that win in the first round. It was really fun, so we're going to go with that as well for first round only.

I'm sure $10 would get more people in, so we'll keep it at $10. I'm going to finish setting this up now. I don't THINK anyone would be a big enough douchebag to go to the contest and fill out a bracket without paying, but if they did, it would fuck up the contest, so I'll collect money through my Stars account and ship the pw once the entry is received. I'm off all week for Spring Break so I'll be around enough to keep this flowing easily.

The only thing left to discuss is payouts. Winner take all is fine with me. We could also pay the top 3 or just give #2 their money back and winner takes rest. We'll decide this by tonight.

I'm gonna finish setting up the scoring and get the pw for the contest. Should be fun and I will most definitely win, so yeah, it's gonna be awesomer.

PShabi · #6 03-17-08, 02:33 PM

Okay, it's setup. We can make changes until the tourney starts, if anyone is really opposed to what's setup.

To register:

1) Ship the $10 to PShabi on Stars
2) PM with an email addy
3) I will invite you via the email function on CBS.com and you will be sent the URL

This way it is all but guaranteed that there will be no crashers (where's Chip?)

MAYHEM45 · #7 03-17-08, 02:40 PM

Def never set up any brackets ever, its prob just a sign im gonna win!

PShabi · #8 03-17-08, 02:49 PM

Ever set up fantasy football or anything over on CBS? The "TPF" abbreviation was unavailable as well.

MAYHEM45 · #9 03-17-08, 02:57 PM

nope. very weird.

MAYHEM45 · #10 03-17-08, 03:01 PM

Fucking gay, someone else already has the username mayhem45.

drewjax · #11 03-17-08, 03:52 PM

I get a message saying this is a private league, and need an invite.

Kurn · #12 03-17-08, 03:54 PM

Same thing for me.

$10 shipped

PShabi · #13 03-17-08, 04:19 PM

From post #6 above.

Talking Poker · #14 03-17-08, 06:16 PM

Shipped.

I'm fine with whatever payouts you girls want.

PShabi · #15 03-17-08, 06:26 PM

I'm working on paper rough draft bracket right now. So far, I can't find any reason to knock off any #1 before the final 4.

MAYHEM45 · #16 03-17-08, 06:27 PM

Can I ship on FTP and just pick teams at random?

PShabi · #17 03-17-08, 06:36 PM

Yeah, I can cover you on Stars. Ship to HighOnTrife on FTP.

Also, I suggest a more scientific approach, like "cooler mascot" for your picks.

MAYHEM45 · #18 03-17-08, 06:58 PM

Biggest cheerleader combined cup size?

Talking Poker · #19 03-17-08, 06:58 PM

Am I right in understanding that first round picks are worth (1 point + seed) while round 2 picks are only worth 2 points total?

So, if you pick a #1 seed and they win in the first round, you get 2 points. If you pick a #5 seed and they win, you get 6. But making correct second round 2 picks are only worth 2 points?

That seems wacky to me. I think you should either go with bonuses or not go with them, but I think a first round only thing is going to totally skew the results.

Fildy · #20 03-17-08, 06:59 PM

or just avg hotness of cheerleader, duke loses first round if this is the case tho

PShabi · #21 03-17-08, 07:40 PM

It didn't in the one I was in last year, and Mel seems to have had experience with it. Let's hear from him, but imo, it makes it more interesting/fun (upsets are bigger) and won't skew nearly as much as you think.

melioris · #22 03-17-08, 08:56 PM

I have done it with the first round and the first and second round weighted by seed. Either way is good. Sure, it screws up the pure "fair" weighted pools, but I think it is well worth it. A #1 has never lost to a #16, so why should that game count as much? Think about the games and which ones you watch and typically where the upsets happen in the seedings. Picking the #12 over the #5 should be rewarded if you know enough to pick it. I would recommend a bigger gap in points distribution from the weighted seeded round(s) to non-weighted seeded rounds to dampen the overall affect of the weighted seeded round(s). For example, if the first two rounds are weighted seeded rounds, they can be worth 1 and 2 points each. and then the third round can be worth 8 points, and the fourth worth 8 points and on up. this way it counter acts teh first two rounds being worthless in teh traditional weighted by round scoring system.

Finally, it is our pool, whatever every the rules are, it is "fair" as long we all agree upon them at the start.

PS I think everything i just wrote might be jibberish, but I am too tired to proofread.

PShabi · #23 03-17-08, 09:57 PM

I REALLY like adding the seed in the first round. It made things sooooo much more interesting last year. My choices in order:

1) Let it ride how I set it up and if it blows, fire me as commisioner

2) Leave the weights how it is, but do the "seed added" thing for every round.

Talking Poker · #24 03-17-08, 10:02 PM

I like #2 better. If I get rewarded for picking an upset in round 1, I should be rewarded again (more so) for picking them to upset AGAIN in round 2. That's the more impressive pick IMO.

PShabi · #25 03-18-08, 05:08 PM

FYI: CBS must have the bracket submitted by 8AM est, on Thursday.

Hope to get at least a few more gambooolers in on this. Come on fellas!