Some basics and the rules:
The website address is the same as it is every year (yet I always receive anxious emails during Championship Week of "hey, I have a new email this year. Are you still going to do the Hopski this year?"), so simply click here: HOPSKI INTERNATIONAL POOL WEBSITE and create your entry any time up until this coming Thursday at 12:30 EST.
Scoring rules have not changed as there is something to be said for tradition and aside from that - turbo tourney is not so flexible.......
The entry fee this year has been bumped to $30!! More importantly, so we can all feel somewhat productive or contributory as a result of this Madness of March, $5 of each entry fee will go to Great Lakes Outreach, a charity close to the Hopski heart that is working to build a better Burundi. If the $5 seems paltry - GREAT!! Click link to go to the Great Lakes Outreach and make a tax deductible and more than $50-) donation and your Hopski entry will be FREE (just let me know about it!). Nothing like a bit of ingenuity towards making your Hopski participation tax deductible!!!
If not feeling generous to GLO - not a problem of course!! Payment of $30 USD should be made as a "PAYMENT TO A FRIEND OR FAMILY" via PAYPAL.
This is NOT an option for rookies beyond this Thursday midnight EST. For returning Hopski participants, a 3 day grace period is all that will be accepted - next Sunday Midnight! NOTE, it is well appreciated if you just make payment along with your entry and do not pull a Mark Iantosca or Brandon Snow on me and force me to send rabid emails for the next 3 weeks to get you to pull the trigger on a $30 payment!! THIS YEAR above other years - I really do not have the time!! PLN and EURO options exist - just contact me privately.
Good Dancing.......
The Commish
**Here are the full rules of The Hopski
OFFICIAL RULES
1. HOW TO ENTER: Entries will be accepted by internet (PREFERRED) OR email through the start of the first tournament game, at 12:30 PM EST 21st March 2019. A fully completed entry will include selections of the winners of all 63 games main bracket games (WE ARE IGNORING THE FIRST FOUR - MEANING YOU MAY WISH TO ENTER AFTER THEY ARE PLAYED SO AS TO DECIDE IF YOU WISH TO PICK THE WINNER OR NOT) as well as a prediction of the total combined points of the two teams in the championship game. In each round after the first round, the selected winning team must have been chosen as a winning team in prior rounds (e.g. you cannot pick a first round upset and then pick the predicted losing team to win in a later round);
2. ENTRY NAME: Please provide a fun name for your entry, aside from picking the #13 seed to win it all this is your best chance to enamor the field with your wit, charm and creativity. Best entry name as voted on by pool entrants gets free entry next year to the Hopski.
3. ENTRY FORM: PLEASE enter directly on the website, however, any bracketed form is acceptable if received before the deadline.
4. ENTRY FEE & PRIZE POOL: An entry fee of $30 USD is required for each entry. Prize Pool is split 60% to the winner, 25% to 2nd place, 10% to 3rd place and 5% for the 2nd chance pool. $5 of each entry will go as an anonymous donation to Great Lakes Outreach. Prize pool is 100% of collected entry fees less the Toilet Bowl and Best Entry Name and $29 for software and hosting (NOTHING FOR THE COMMISH - THE "LOVE OF THE POOL" CLAUSE).
5. PAYMENT REQUIRED BY THIS THURSDAY 9PM EST if you are a rookie or an unknown commodity to me!! If your payment is not received, you will be booted out of the pool - NO EXCEPTIONS. ALL RETURNING HOPSKI PARTICIPANTS get a 3 day grace period – so payment BY SUNDAY NIGHT!
6. USD ONLY PAYMENTS TO A FRIEND OR FAMILY VIA PAYPAL (WWW.PAYPAL.COM) using markhopski@gmail.com. DO NOT REFERENCE ANYTHING RELATED TO MARCH MADNESS OR THIS POOL OR PAYPAL WILL SHUT ME DOWN!!! JUST SIMPLY YOUR NAME as reference point and ensure $30 NET to the recipient - DON'T SHORT THE POOL!). I can also provide a PLN OR EURO account details for bank transfers (when will the US join the world in inexpensive bank to bank transfers, I ASK YOU?!).
7. SCORING: Scoring will be calculated on the following basis for each entry:
First round (32 games) 1 point per correct pick; Second round (16 games) 3 points per correct pick; Regionals (8 games) 5 points per pick; Regional Final (4 games) 9 points per pick; Final Four (2 games) 17 points per pick; Championship 30 points for picking the winner; MAX regular points is 220.
8. CINDERELLA BONUS POINTS: This will be a VERY wide open year I think. Ensure that you do not miss out on bonus points and pick a few upsets!! Bonus points will be awarded for each victory by a team which has a lower seed than the team it defeats. For example, say a #14 seed defeats a #3 seed: the entry correctly forecasting this upset will receive 11 bonus points! These bonus points are awarded for EACH VICTORY by a team with a lower seeding than the team which it defeats. The bonus point system should make it more interesting for people to pick upsets AND be properly rewarded!!! Examples of how this works:
Round 1: #5 Purdue vs #12 Harvard -- John Doe picks Harvard
Harvard wins, John Doe would get points for underdog bonus.
Round 1: #4 Tennessee vs #13 Colorado -- John Doe picks Colorado,
Tennessee wins, John Doe gets no points
Round 2: Matchup is #12 Harvard vs #4 Tennessee
John Doe picked #12 Harvard over #13 Colorado.
THERE IS NO UNDERDOG RISK IN THIS GAME. HE IS PICKING A HIGHER SEEDED TEAM ON HIS SHEET therefore even if Harvard beats Tennessee, John Doe will get no underdog bonus points.
9. THE TOILET BOWL AWARD: You can even win by losing! The entry with the lowest point total receives free entry in next year's Hopski.
10. SECOND CHANCE POOL!! Included within your main pool entry fee is free entry into the 2nd Chance Pool as from the Round of 16. Details will be on the website and you must enter by Thursday the 22nd at 6pm EST to be eligible!!
11. ALL DECISIONS OF THE COMMISSIONERS OFFICE ARE FINAL. I CAN AND WILL BOOT ENTRIES NOT ADHERING TO THE MADNESS CODE OF HONOR (E.G. TRY AND WIN!!).
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