Thursday, July 9, 1998 http://www.HWCI.com/wc98 Issue # 35.4.3 "Comments, pool status..." 1998 HWCI WORLD CUP TOURNAMENT POOL =================================== LE BIX TAKES POOL CROWN WHILE SOCCER SCOOTER/SPICE AWAIT FATE Any comments or questions about the pool so far? EL SEGUNDO, CA (smt)- While we await the third place and final matches to be played this weekend, now is probably a good time to get any comments on how this first HWCI World Cup pool was run. What did you like? Anything unfair? Was your $10 well spent? Did you like the points system? Tiebreakers? What did you hate? Did you have fun? I would love to hear your comments/complaints. Please try to post them to the message board (http://www.hwci.com/forum.htm) and I'll read them there. We based this pool on our NCAA one we've run for the past four years, to varying degrees of success. Personally, I think it has worked out better than I expectated. First of all, it wasn't as bad to keep track of points as I had originally dreaded. In four years there will probably be a more automated way of running things. Secondly, I think the point system worked out perfectly. It kept most people with a hope a little longer (maybe that's torture) while still rewarding those who are in the lead. The first round (1 pt/pick) was great. The first round killed me (lost six points to MLSBob) and even if France (I was the only one to pick them) wins it all and had Brazil lost to Holland, I would have missed first by a mere three points. The main difference for LE BIX's win over MLSBOB is that MLSBOB got one more win in the Round of 16 (5 points) while LE BIX got one more win in the Semifinals (9 points). The point system also is good because it doesn't totally favor someone who just gets the champion correct. For example, yours truly, is the only person to pick France to win it all. Now, in most pools, this nearly guarantees me victory if France wins Sunday, but this pool favors those who are the most consistent, thus I can't finish higher than 3rd place because I just had too much faith in USA (lost 17 points overall here). Now, the only thing I'm hesitant about the pool is the second tiebreaker it seemed no one understood :-) You know, pick the four groups the 3rd place winner will come from. Fortunately, it won't go this far this year. Thus, I may drop this tiebreaker in 2002 although it technically still is a good use of the meaningless 3rd place match. We'll see. Other than that, I think the pool has gone smoothly and 3rd and 4th place won't be decided until Sunday. As it stands: 1st LE BIX, 135 pts <---Won 1st: $115 2nd MLSBOB, 134 <---Won 2nd: $ 55 3rd NAW'DEEN, 118 <---Won at least 4th: $15 4th SOCCER SPICE, 114 8th SOCKER SCOOTER, 110 If France beats Brazil, SOCKER SCOOTER takes 3rd and NAW'DEEN 4th; if Brazil beats France, NAW'DEEN takes 3rd and SOCCER SPICE 4th. In meaningless tiebreaker situations (unless you have some pride): If France beats Brazil, then: * NO KORNIKOVA FOR RONALDO takes 7th over LUIS ENRIQUE'S ARMADA if - TOTAL GOALS SCORED IN 3RD & FINAL MATCHES = 6 or more - else LUIS ENRIQUE'S ARMADA takes 7th * JABIAN IV takes 11th over THE FLYING ELVI if - TOTAL GOALS = 6 or more - else THE FLYING ELVI takes 11th * TRIPLEX takes 14th over KING OF THE WORLD if - TOTAL GOALS = 9 or more - else KING OF THE WORLD takes 14th If Brazil beats France, then: * NO KORNIKOVA FOR RONALDO takes 6th over LUIS ENRIQUE'S ARMADA if - TOTAL GOALS SCORED IN 3RD & FINAL MATCHES = 6 or more - else LUIS ENRIQUE'S ARMADA takes 6th * TRIPLEX takes 10th over SAN DIEGO SUCKERS if - TOTAL GOALS = 11 or more - else SAN DIEGO SUCKERS takes 10th * JABIAN IV takes 12th over THE FLYING ELVI if - TOTAL GOALS = 6 or more - else THE FLYING ELVI takes 12th Ad: 5th HWCI NCAA Pool commences early March, 1999... Scott HW -----------------------------------------\\ || /\ || // ___ Scott M Tamashiro, HWCI Engineering \\||//\\||// /o-o\\ \ \ ` WC98 Pool Administrator \ / \ / (o-o-o)) ) > > > Email: scott@hwci.com || || \`o'// / / , Updates: http://www.HWCI.com/wc98 || || WORLD CUP ---------------------------------------------------- POOL 1998