Our Game Defined

Kaufman's Dead Pool (KDP) is a game whereby a group of people each compile a rank-ordered list of famous people that they will die before the end of the year. Everybody contributes $10 to the pot, which is then awarded to 1 or more of the top finishers.

Player Eligibility

Kaufman's Dead Pool is a semi-open game - I don't want a lot of total strangers in on the fun. It's only my friends, family, and their friends and family.

Scoring

As mentioned above, the person with the most filled body bags at the end of the game wins. In the event of a tie, tie-breaker points will be used to determine standing.
Tie-breaker points are awarded in three different methods:

1. Age points - The player is awarded (100 - Celeb's Age at death) points. Celebs over 100 earn 0 age points.
2. Rank points - The #1 pick on a player's list is worth 10 points, the #2 is worth 9 points, etc
3. Referral points - Players earn 1 point for every current player that they personally referred. Referral points are awarded from the beginning of the game (i.e. no celebrity death is necessary). Note that the game maintainer does not award himself referral points.

Prizes

Between 1998 and 2004, we only had 1 year in which the pot was split among more than 1 player. Starting with the 2005 game, we will split the collected fees among the top 3 winners:

1st place = 75% of the pot

2nd place = 15%

3rd place = 10%

Gambling legality

CLARIFIED for 2005!. We have learned that as long as the house does not get a cut of the prize, that our game is legal! All of the money will be used as prize money. The entry fee is $10. I reserve the right to deny your prize if you haven't yet paid.

Fame Definition

UGH - The BIG question! Since nobody has been able to give me a concrete, objective method to determine fame - either BEFORE or AFTER a celeb's death, then this will forever be a gray area always open for controversy.

What I'm currently doing is asking people in good faith to only put people that they TRULY feel are famous on their lists. If the name is not familiar to me, I should be able to confirm it very easily on google. If I have to do a big internet search for the person, then that is a good sign that the celeb is lacking in fame. However, just because I CAN find somebody easily does not necessarily mean that they are famous enough. Basically you should be able to say to somebody "Hey - did you hear that XXX died?"; if they say "Who's that????", then the person might not be famous enough. Now granted, this still falls under the auspices of how well your acquaintances know all of the celebrities that YOU are familiar with. That's why, in the end, all that I (as the DP maintainer) can do is go by my own gut feeling. Believe me when I say that NOBODY wishes that there was a formalized list of rules to follow more than I do!

I've tried a number of different methods to give the players some guidelines. One of the earliest ones was one that I borrowed from other deadpools - using the AP. However, my experience has shown that

1. it takes pretty much NO level of fame to get an AP obit
2. finding a consistent source of easy-to-retrieve AP obits is very difficult
3. using an obit as a measure of fame would require the game to have a way of disqualifying picks for insufficient fame after the game started, and we don't have that at this time.

CLARIFIED for 2008! Note that in past years if a person was deemed "famous enough" at the beginning of the game, then they maintained that status until the end of the game. That is no longer the case - see below for FAME DISQUALIFICATION

Fame definition:
A notable personality who is accomplished in their field. It is not necessary for them to be a household name - they can be known better for their works. In short - you should be able to describe the person by a simple phrase or word and have most anybody else know who you are talking about.

Fame guidelines:
In order to be considered "famous enough", an individual must:
- Have national (U.S.) recognition, not just regional
- Not famous for being sick or still being alive
- Not famous merely for being the relative of a celebrity
- Be an adult (18+) Waiting for a child to die would stretch what little amount of taste resides in this game

With few exceptions, the following are all considered fair:
- Members of the Halls of Fame of Baseball, Football, Basketball and Hockey
- Any athlete currently playing at a major professional league level
- Any Academy Award winner for best Actor/Actress (including Supporting) or director
- Any MAJOR party presidential candidate (past or present)

Criminals - for the most part, allowed if their case has been in the media spotlight long enough. Note that the person will be disqualified if executed.

Note that these are just guidelines to help both of us come to a consensus about an individual's fame status.

Fame disqualification: New for 2008!!!
In years past, there was no mechanism in place to remove a person from a player's list after the start of the game if it was determined that the pick did not, in fact, have sufficient fame upon their death. Starting in 2008, we have that now. If a person's death occurred more than 7 days before SUFFICIENT media coverage of their death, then that person will be disqualified, and no points will be awarded. In this event, you will NOT be allowed to substitute another pick - you'll just be down one against everyone else.

There has been much grumbling in years past about the fame definition, I don't expect the above to eliminate that - I'm just hoping that it will keep it down to a minimum. Please remember that I'm the decider when it comes to questions of fame - if you think that my definition is too loose or too tight for you, then perhaps you'll feel more comfortable in another dead pool. I'm not trying to drive anybody away - I just want everyone to have a good time and not get so bent out of shape about this.

Game Dates

The game starts at 12:01 a.m. (EDT) 1/1/2008, and ends at 11:59 p.m. (EDT) 12/31/2008.

Any celebrity death not announced by that time does not count. Likewise, any deaths that occur BEFORE that time will not count, even if the death was not announced until AFTER the start of the game. Tough luck. In this event, the alternate pick will be used (see below).

Blackout Period: If you wait until the grace period between 1/1/2008 and 1/7/2008 to send your list, it will not be active until 1/8/2008. That means that if somebody on your list dies during that period - you don't get credit for it. This is an incentive for you to get me your list in a timely manner. All lists received before 1/1/2008 will be in play from the start of the game. Any celebrity that dies between the time you submit your list and the time it goes into effect will not be counted. Therefore, you should include one alternate pick to cover for the person that did die.

No lists will be accepted after 1/7/2008 for the 2008 game.

Use of the Alternate Pick

An 11th pick is requested when you submit your lists. This pick will be used in the event that one of your picks dies before the start of the game and I'm not able to get an updated list from you. It is also used in the event that one of your picks is either already dead, or determined to be not famous enough. In any event, if I am unable to contact you in time, then I will use the alternate pick as the new #10, promoting all picks below the dead/disqualified pick.

In the event that one of your picks is determined to have died prior to the start of the game, but the game has already started, then the alternate pick will be used in the same way to update your list.

If I use your alternate pick before the start of the game, then you are encouraged to send me a new alternate. If it is used in-game, then a replacement alternate will not be accepted.

Note that in games prior to 2005, the Alternate pick was referred to as the "Wildcard" pick. Starting with 2005, I've changed the name of the pick for clarity's sake; the use of the pick itself is unchanged.

Multiple entries

Players are allowed to enter multiple lists. All lists must be paid for. The player must designate one list as their primary list. All additional lists will be considered referrals of the primary list (i.e. the primary list will receive referral points for the additional lists). Since this is a friendly game and community, it is requested that nobody play their primary list anonymously. However, all additional lists can be named however you'd like.

Withdrawing after the game has started

To be fair to the other players, you may withdraw, but any entry fee will not be refunded.

Changing lists after submission

If the game hasn't started yet, you may submit a modified list. Once the game is under way, however, no changes will be allowed. If you've got a bunch of new picks, you are encouraged to submit a new entry (with entry fee, of course!).

Player Responsibilities - Before the game

Join the mailing list if you're not on it already. All game updates will be communicated through the mailing list. For those worried about excessive email, please be assured that for the most part, the list is pretty low-volume. You are more than welcome to sign up for the mailing list at more than one email address (work and home, for instance). Contact me if you need help doing this.

Compile a rank-ordered list of 10 celebrities, plus one alternate celebrity. (Be sure that it is very clear which is the alternate entry. If I can't tell, I will return it to you.) If the celebrity has a common name, then please tell me who it is, so that we are all talking about the same person.

Send your list directly to me via email: deadpool@terrik.com . If you're one of the lucky/cursed few that get to see me in real life, feel free to give me a hard-copy list if you'd like, but also be sure to send it to me in email, as well. That way I don't have to worry about keeping your hand-written list around for a year in case of a dispute.

Send me your list between 12/25/2007 and 12/31/2007 and it will be in effect at the start of the game (1/1/2008).

Send me your list between 1/1/2008 and 1/7/2008 and it will be in effect at 1/8/2008.

Send me your list after 1/7/2008 and you'll be out of luck, I'm afraid!

Send in your entry fee (hand me cash, mail me a check, or use paypal).

Player Responsibilities - After the game

Once the lists are made public (on 1/8/2008), check your list on the website to make sure that I didn't mess something up.

Send in your entry fee if you haven't paid already. I don't like asking for the money over and over, so please pay as promptly as your situation can handle so that we can both breathe a little easier, ok?

Please notify me when one of your picks dies - I try to keep a close eye on the news, but I might miss some of the more obscure hits.

If you enjoy this game, then please feel free to invite others to play in the next game.

If you don't enjoy this game, then please let me know why.