2022-23 EPL Survivor Pool

candylandriots

unkempt
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Mar 30, 2004
12,327
Berlin
I'm going to run this again. Those of you who participated in the past will have received an email just a little while ago. If you didn't get it, or if you're new and interested, please send an email to survivetheepl@gmail.com.

Here's what I sent out for anyone new interested in playing:

________

Hi Everyone!

The season is fast approaching, with the early start due to the World Cup. The first game is only three weeks from tonight, August 5 - with Crystal Palace (yay!) hosting Arsenal (boo!) to kick things off.

I'd love to have even more people join this time, so please feel free to share with anyone who is into the sport, friends, degenerate gamblers, people you don't like whose money you want to win, etc.

I'm posting the rules from last year below this email, but want to get some feedback about two potential changes to perhaps make the game last a bit longer:

Proposed Change 1: Two losses to be eliminated from the competition instead of just one.
Proposed Change 2: Each team may be selected up to 3x per season instead of 2x.

I'm happy to take any other feedback on how better to organize the game.

Hope you'll all be playing again, and hopefully bringing some friends along. Please let me know if you won't be joining, and I'll take you off the list -- otherwise I'll expect you!
Jeff

Here are the rules as given last year:
1. Each game week you must pick one team to win or draw their match.
2. You may pick each team in the league up to two times.
3. If the team you selected in a given week loses their match, you are eliminated.
4. Entry fee is $20.
5. Entries must be sent to survivetheepl@gmail.com before the first kickoff of the week.
6. Understand that games may be postponed for a variety of reasons. Most of them are announced well in advance, but I'll try to keep an updated list of which games are available during a given week.
7. If a game is postponed AFTER the kickoff of the first game of the week (weather, Covid, protests, who knows anymore), you will have the option of selecting another game that will be played that week, or doubling up the following week.
8. If there is a very limited number of games one week (say, a covid outbreak among many teams), I may combine games from multiple game weeks at my discretion.
9. If for some reason, due to scheduling and prior team selection, you have NO possible choices, you survive to the next week, but will required to make two picks.
10. If you miss making an entry before the first kickoff, you will be given the same entry as selected by the largest number of players. If that team is not available to you, then the second most, and so on.
11. If you miss making a second entry before the first kickoff, your entry will be eliminated from the competition. I'LL TRY TO REMIND PEOPLE, BUT REMEMBER THOSE RANDOM FRIDAY GAMES!
12. The last player standing will take the pot. In the unlikely event there are 50 or more entries, it will be split 70%/20%/10% among first, second and third place.
13. If more than 10% of the players are still alive after game week 30, picks are for teams only to WIN their game. Selecting a team that draws would elimnate you.
14. Beginning with the final two game weeks of the season, if there are more players alive than prizes available, you will need to select two teams to win each week. That is, you will have used up every possible team for your selections.
15. I don’t see that EVER happening.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
SoSH Member
Dec 16, 2010
53,837
Not a fan of picking a team 3x--you can cover almost half the season just with the top 6 squads. Definitely not a fan of it if we go to 2 losses to eliminate. I think if either of those go into play, then draws should maybe count against you. Or maybe count as half a loss--2 draws counts as a loss.

I know we want to keep it pretty straightforward, but if people like the 3x change maybe the 3rd time you pick a team it must be a win?

I don't know, I'm in no matter what.
 

candylandriots

unkempt
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Mar 30, 2004
12,327
Berlin
Not a fan of picking a team 3x--you can cover almost half the season just with the top 6 squads. Definitely not a fan of it if we go to 2 losses to eliminate. I think if either of those go into play, then draws should maybe count against you. Or maybe count as half a loss--2 draws counts as a loss.

I know we want to keep it pretty straightforward, but if people like the 3x change maybe the 3rd time you pick a team it must be a win?

I don't know, I'm in no matter what.
I tend to agree with you, but I think that the two competitions that we had last season lasted like only 13 and 9 game weeks (that one West Ham loss wiped out about 80% of the players!), with a little Covid break in between.

So I guess the question is maybe better posed: would you rather have one longer competition, or two shorter ones?
 

swiftaw

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 31, 2009
3,434
I'm in again, I'll send the money before opening day.

Did we confirm the rules yet?
 

candylandriots

unkempt
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Mar 30, 2004
12,327
Berlin
I just sent out an email to everyone who was involved last year. The feedback I've received about the rules has been slightly more in favor of having two losses to be eliminated, but I asked to have anyone with an opinion to send me an email to better gauge interest. I think that's now the only change to consider.

Season starts a week from Friday, so time to start thinking about who you'll pick. Please feel free to send me an email or PM if you have any questions.

Thanks!
 

Zososoxfan

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 30, 2009
9,208
South of North
Just sent you an email. This is my first season, so take the following with a grain of salt. I can see the argument for 1 or 2x for elimination, so I'll stay mum on that. 1 is more chaotic, and means we get a second competition. 2x means likely means 1 competition, and early season misses are more costly. No idea what's better.

Picking any club 3x definitely can't be adopted in addition to 2x misses = elimination. Frankly, I like games like this (and fantasy sports generally) that force you to learn about clubs and players you wouldn't otherwise know. So I'd vote to keep club selection to 2x/competition.

Does it make sense for the proposal to be:

If 1x = elimination, can only pick a club 1x?
If 2x = elimination, can only pick a club 2x?
 

candylandriots

unkempt
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Mar 30, 2004
12,327
Berlin
Just sent you an email. This is my first season, so take the following with a grain of salt. I can see the argument for 1 or 2x for elimination, so I'll stay mum on that. 1 is more chaotic, and means we get a second competition. 2x means likely means 1 competition, and early season misses are more costly. No idea what's better.

Picking any club 3x definitely can't be adopted in addition to 2x misses = elimination. Frankly, I like games like this (and fantasy sports generally) that force you to learn about clubs and players you wouldn't otherwise know. So I'd vote to keep club selection to 2x/competition.

Does it make sense for the proposal to be:

If 1x = elimination, can only pick a club 1x?
If 2x = elimination, can only pick a club 2x?
The feedback on being able to pick a team 3x was almost, if not universally negative. So I've decided to drop that as an option.

The 2 losses for elimination is still under discussion though. For reference last year, it looks like the competitions lasted 13 weeks and 8 weeks, with a gap in the middle for all the covid problems that I don't expect we'll have this time. Week 4 of the 2nd competition was an absolute bloodbath, with all but 4 players getting eliminated (all of those eliminated picked West Ham against Leeds, except for DJnVA, who had Everton against Norwich that week).

And @Zososoxfan I sent an email to you and your friends. Thanks for recruiting more players!
 

Zososoxfan

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 30, 2009
9,208
South of North
My pleasure! I used to play FF in an awful work league, and one of the partners also did an elimination pool, and that seems so much more interesting to me. When I was more into the NFL but not playing FF, I didn't know the good players on the bad team, but I sure as shit always knew the playoff picture. Seems similar dynamics here.

I may have missed it, but if I want to pay via Venmo, is that an option? If so, please send me the deets!
 

candylandriots

unkempt
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Mar 30, 2004
12,327
Berlin
My pleasure! I used to play FF in an awful work league, and one of the partners also did an elimination pool, and that seems so much more interesting to me. When I was more into the NFL but not playing FF, I didn't know the good players on the bad team, but I sure as shit always knew the playoff picture. Seems similar dynamics here.

I may have missed it, but if I want to pay via Venmo, is that an option? If so, please send me the deets!
There is a possibility to Venmo, but I have to ask my wife who is asleep right now what her address is…I’ll send you a PM in the morning. If anyone else needs Venmo, please let me know.
 

candylandriots

unkempt
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Mar 30, 2004
12,327
Berlin
Just sent out an email to everyone who has played before, or expressed interest. Based on the feedback I've gotten, I think we're going to go with the double-elimination format. I think that probably gives us enough time for two games during the season anyway, but TBD.

If you're reading this, haven't received an email, and want to play, please send a message to survivetheepl@gmail.com and I'll provide you with more information.
 

Jimy Hendrix

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 15, 2002
5,846
Felt clever sneaking Brentford in this week given how little faith I have in Everton right now. The performances say I was correct, but the score line stubbornly disagrees.
 

Dummy Hoy

Angry Pissbum
SoSH Member
Jul 22, 2006
8,232
Falmouth
Felt clever sneaking Brentford in this week given how little faith I have in Everton right now. The performances say I was correct, but the score line stubbornly disagrees.
Got away with it.

I took Pool but I thought Brentford was the other best (non-city) pick.
 

swiftaw

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 31, 2009
3,434
Looks like the Chelsea loss took out three and the Brighton loss took out a 4th.
 

Jimy Hendrix

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 15, 2002
5,846
Looks like Newcastle and Spurs are the potential losses to look for that would knock a ton of folks out this week.

Including me, if Spurs go down.
 

Zososoxfan

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 30, 2009
9,208
South of North
Looks like Newcastle and Spurs are the potential losses to look for that would knock a ton of folks out this week.

Including me, if Spurs go down.
Had 'em the whole way! The int'l break and the WC will certainly sow chaos in the return to action fixtures. LCFC just biding their time until their run to the top!
 

tmracht

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 19, 2009
3,070
Of course the week everyone picks Chelsea it's a quite hardly rotated first XI.
 

Jimy Hendrix

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 15, 2002
5,846
On the off chance it gets read here before in email, my pick was meant to be Arsenal over Leeds, not an ineligible 3rd Spurs pick.

My own fault for being chatty about how much I wish I could've picked Spurs this week before actually picking Arsenal.

In more broadly applicable news, this weekend could potentially be a minor bloodbath if Forest get one over on Wolves. Wolves are at home and Forest stink, but any bet that involves the idea that Wolves will score is always a bit risky...
 

candylandriots

unkempt
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Mar 30, 2004
12,327
Berlin
On the off chance it gets read here before in email, my pick was meant to be Arsenal over Leeds, not an ineligible 3rd Spurs pick.

My own fault for being chatty about how much I wish I could've picked Spurs this week before actually picking Arsenal.

In more broadly applicable news, this weekend could potentially be a minor bloodbath if Forest get one over on Wolves. Wolves are at home and Forest stink, but any bet that involves the idea that Wolves will score is always a bit risky...
Gotcha - you’re all good. Sorry for the mistake!
 

swiftaw

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 31, 2009
3,434
Yeah, I expected to be on an island with my Wolves pick, didn’t expect it to be the majority pick.
 

Jimy Hendrix

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 15, 2002
5,846
Yeah, I expected to be on an island with my Wolves pick, didn’t expect it to be the majority pick.
I strongly considered it because they’re at home and Forest feel like the worst team in the league.

But man, only three goals in the season and an interim manager a few games in is tough topull the trigger on.