1st Place = $310
2nd Place = $160
3rd Place = $100
4th Place = $ 60
Bonus = $ 40

The Bonus Prize will work this way (similar to our HWCI NCAA Bonus Prize).

Bonus1 - Winningest Group

When the standings were released after the Group Stage, many of you were probably wondering what the last column "Win Grp" meant.  Well, when you completed your entry you were subliminally picking which Group would get the most wins in the tournament from the Round of 16 and beyond (i.e., bracket stage) and how many wins (PK shootout win counts as a win) that group would get via your direct picks.  Neat, eh?  So if you picked all the Group winners are the way through, your champion would have four wins from that group.  So no matter if you picked Brazil or Portugal to win it all, you still picked Group G with 4 wins (G4).  Of course, some of you thought more than one team from that group could go far, and if you had, let's say, Portugal vs. Spain in the Final, then Group G would get 7 wins (G7).  In order to reward better play, the first tiebreaker is the higher placement in the final pool standings (see 2a).

The rules of how to win this Bonus Prize is as follows:

1. The top 4 finishers not eligible (so no double-dipping)
2. Ties broken by (in order)
        a.  closest (above or below) to total goals in 3rd Place & Final matches (i.e., tiebreaker)
        b.  highest placement (i.e., point total) in final pool standings
3. If there is *still* a tie, money is split
4. If 2 (or more) groups tie for the most wins, both (or all) groups must have been picked correctly
5. If entry has 2 or more groups tied for most wins, only one must be correct to win (e.g. entry picks Group G and Group H with 4 wins a piece and the Group H ends up winning the most matches with 4, then contestant wins)

And, the Bonus Prize is worth $40, which is sixteen years worth of losing brackets. But if no one correctly picks the winningest group and wins, then the Bonus2 takes effect.

Bonus2 - Total Goals in 3rd Place & Final

If no one wins the Bonus1, then a second Bonus opportunity takes effect. The entry closest to the "Total goals in 3rd Place & Final" tiebreaker wins the $40. In order to reward better play, the tiebreaker is the higher placement in the final pool standings.  And because we allowed half-goals (which could never happen, except with FIFA you never really know), any half-goal picked is rounded down (e.g., 3.5 goals -> 3 goals, 4.5 goals -> 4 goals, etc.).

The rules of how to win this Bonus Prize is as follows:

1. The top 4 finishers not eligible (so no double-dipping)
2. "Closest" can be above or below actual total (if actual is 5, 4 & 6 are both 1 goal away)
3. Ties broken by highest placement (i.e., point total) in final pool standings
4. If there is *still* a tie, money is split

   SIDES & KICKS:  I actually wanted to do the Bonus1 as the most wins from a confederation (e.g., UEFA, CONCACAF, etc.) but forgot.  Since I had already publicized the most wins from a Group, I couldn't change it in mid-stream.  Sigh...  Well, in 2014, assuming we get more than 50 entries again, I think I'll be using Group Stage "ties" to be included as part of the Bonus.  I still like the simplicity of picking straight-winners but some people have recommended that "TIE" be an option.  Maybe that will be a compromise.  Basically, if you were picking between ENG and USA, you'd choose either "ENG", "ENG/TIE", "USA/TIE", or "USA".  The pool would still be a straight winners pool (so "ENG" and "ENG/TIE" are equal) and the Bonus would reward those who pick a "TIE" (either "ENG/TIE" or "USA/TIE").  If we do a Euro 2012 pool, this would be a great time to test this out... after the quarterfinals, the only possible outcomes for Winningest Group are Group A or E or H with 4 wins, Group D with 5 wins, or Groups A & D or D & E with 4 wins each.  No one picked Groups A & D or D & E with 4 wins each (if URU or NED beats GER in Final), so that is the only way we'd go to the Bonus2...