http://www.gottalk.com/index.php?autocom=s...tats_2&id=1

That is the quick link to the Got Talk 2009 NFL Playoff Bracket contest.

Some notes:

1. You can also go to it by clicking Betting at the top of any page and then go down near the bottom of the front betting page and click on the proper contest name.

2. Once on the page I listed above, simply click the link to make selections and then it's obvious how to make your picks.

3. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I read the rules and it states that the #1 seeds play the WORST team from their conference who gets past game 1. So in other words if the #6 upsets the #3, then #1 plays #6. Otherwise #1 will play the winner of #4 vs. #5. I believe this is correct. It better be since I implemented that into the system. You'll notice it when you pick. If you pick #6 in either matchup, you'll see it will pair them up with a different part of the bracket than if you pick #3 to beat #6.

4. That may present some sort of problem. Say you pick #4 to go all the way, well if you mess up with the OTHER game's pick, your #4 will be on the wrong side of the bracket and you could lose even if you pick the proper team. If you think it shouldn't be that way, let me know and I can attempt to alter the payout functions later on. I could probably fix it somehow where if your team goes to the wrong side you still would get credit. IN ONE WAY it seems fair, HOWEVER, in another way it seems fair how I have it now. If you pick a team to beat Tennessee and then that team does win a game, but it isn't against Tennessee then in a way it seems like you should miss it and in a way it seems like you should get it correct. Either way go ahead and fill them out because I can worry with that when time to pay out.

5. I went through all of my coding several times, but let me know if you find an issue. I tested it some, but I could have overlooked a typo. Be sure it puts your proper picks at the bottom of the page.

6. The cost to join is 100 points.

7. You receive 200 points per first round win, 300 per second, 500 per third, and 1,000 for the super bowl.

8. There is a jackpot of 3,000 points.

9. If you get a perfect bracket you will get around 16,000-17,000 points due to a perfect bonus, the original jackpot, your points for each win, and entry fee points.

10. Entry fees increase the jackpot, so you will get your own points back and everyone else's.

11. YOU MUST COMPLETE YOUR ENTIRE BRACKET by the start of Game 1 Saturday afternoon or you will not be able to make picks for the games you didn't finish. So complete your entire bracket before that date listed. The date and time is listed in the time zone you have selected for your time zone here on the site.

Nice layout. Thanks

could you please change my bracket.

I would like to switch from SD to Indy.

and

Carolina beating the Giants.

Thank You

See if it looksd right now.

lmao there is some error though. My bracket shows minnesota THREE times in the second round. I will ahve to see if it's simply an error showing it or if it truly added them each time. I'm sure it's just an error showing them.

ok, fixed the Minnesota issue. That was two typos in displaying it, not in the adding process.

Be sure your bracket looks right. I did the two changes you said and I think I did them right.

edit: I just changed my own picks also. DRASTICALLY. The team I originally picked to win the super bowl I now have losing their FIRST game.

By the way I am thinking of having it give half credit if you pick the correct winners in round 2, but in the wrong games (due to incorrect picks putting them in the wrong side of the bracket).

So let me know what you think. Both of you two who entered the contest are going to have your entire second round messed up if your #6 seeds lose in round 1. Because if so then you will have everyone on the wrong side of the bracket.

Meanwhile if the #6 seeds DO win, I will be the one messed up.

So let me know what to do. I need to decide before tomorrow since those games are played tomorrow. Right now I have it where you get no credit, but if no #6 wins you guys are going to be messed up if you have anyone other than a #1 or #2 winning in round 2. I have names marked as green for correct or red for incorrect. Maybe I will do blue for correct win but wrong side of bracket and give half credit?

example: you both have indy and pitt playing each other. I have indy playing tennessee. So see one of us is going to have indianapolis in the wrong side of the bracket (only for round 2). it looks like this could cost one of us as many as 2 correct picks.

I'm sure ill lose my picks anyway but I would prefer credit.

I'm probably making it half because when you picked the teams to win in the second round you picked them to beat specific teams. If you had known they would have had different opponents you may have changed who you would pick, so technically it's only half way predicting it.

Anyway you or Pac will win because Indianapolis lost already so my bracket is ruined already. lmao. If I win this time I am flat lucky. I did have TN going all the way and changed it right before the deadline.

If I didnt switch the SD game, I woulda have started out 4-4

lol. So it's me who will only get half credit in some cases. Although I think actually I picked all 1's and 2's other than indy so I won't get half credit either, only half or zero.

I'm tired so i will mark the payouts tomorrow where I can pay attention and be sure it doesn't mess up.

edit: actually I have already lost the ENTIRE AFC side! I didn't get any right and ther est of the way I have it all wrong also. hahaha.

And also I'm not sure what to do as far as that whole half rule because see I picked the #1 and #2 in the NFC, but I have them beating teams who won't be there also. Those will be flipped!

So this is a mess. I don't know how other sites would handle it. I'm not sure if it even uses a bracket format in others. I maybe should have made this where you pick for 1 round then wait till it's over before picking for round 2.

Hmm. Well in basketball brackets if you pick the wrong opponent for a team and you still get the winner of that game right, you get FULL credit.

So maybe I should set it up where as long as you pick the corrrrect winners as a WHOLE for a round they count totally?

I paid them out. They paid out properly, marked properly, our ranking is proper, and they are marked properly as green or red on our brackets. I am very pleased that it is working so well when I amde it one morning/early afternoon's time.

We are close so far, BUT I am just flat ruined. The only way I would have a chance is if you guys' SB picks get canned soon. The whole rest of the way the most points I can get is 1,100.

edit: lmao, no. I am GUARANTEED finishing in last place already. You guys kicked me totally out of the contest after round 1! Because look at the picks. We all have the giants and panthers winning the next games so the only area I can win points in everyone else can also.

As far as you two, it can still end up in either of you winning or even ending in a tie. it would be a tie if you both have all of your live teams stay alive all the way up until the SB and then Carolina wins it. However if Pittsburgh loses earlier than the Super Bowl and Carolina wins the Super Bowl then Pac would win outright. If Pittsburgh wins it all Aaron would win outright.

Looks like Aaron has wrapped up our contest since we all did absolutely TERRIBLE. I'll update it after tomorrow because I am still deciding how to score those instances I mentioned earlier.

Wow this is one weird playoffs. ALmost all favorites are history.

Still not updated.

Because nobody ever gave input on what to count or not count. But since it shouldn't affect anything this time anyway I might as well move it forward.

I updated it. Not to toot my own horn, but this is so far working flawlessly and I made it all in one overnight/morning sitdown!!! Of course I did have the coding from my basketball one to look at and guide me or it would have taken much longer, but I still feel very good about how this turned out.

lmao click on me or pac's names and look at the state of our brackets. You will have more points than us combined. I only won 100 points more than my entry fee.

Congrats to Aaron. I was surprised to find out you picked Arizona in the other bet today though. I did also, but figured you picked Pittsburgh again. If we had got that right, we would have got 6,000 mnore points than we currently have, I think.

I checked to be sure this all paid out properly and it did, so shocker... I made that playoff game in 1 morning alone and it actually went off without a hitcha nd paid properly. So it properly gave you your 1,000 for the correct pick, 3,300 for the jackpot, then took 1,000 back away for your pick in that other bet made today.

To many people underestimated the Cards so I picked them to win. I also won another 500 real dollars on the cards.

What bet did I do that took away 1000 points? I only picked the Cards with the max bet, and made it a big bet.

The max bet was 1,000. That's the one I was talking about.

How did you win $500? Because the steelers didn't cover?

I won real money cause the Cards covered.

Why would I lose my original 1000 since I won. Shouldnt that come back to me as well?

You didn't win. You picked Arizona in a matchup with no odds being used.

You had Pitt favored by 7. We both won.

And I had mine as big bet. I only picked Zona because they were getting 7.

Go read the matchup again. It was a "favored by 7" instead of a must win by 7 and it said in the description that the odds were only given for informational purposes.

If your not using the point spread you dont put a point spread. Your just talking about semantics.

I've explained this several times, but once again: I put who is favored to help people who are betting, but it's not always used.

When I upgrade it for IPB 3 I will figure out a better way. Maybe I will put a separate line for the odds as far as ones which count and then a different line which tells who's favored somewhere else on the page to make it obvious.

Or I can put a warning message at the bottom "this team must win by x points" and make the person check a box next to it in agreement that they saw it or something.

Speaking of IPB 3, it's very fast in firefox now, but slow for me in internet explorer. I also haven't done the betting system for IPB 3 yet, but I am getting tons done for the review system. I finally understand most of the new system and I bet it won't take long to update sports betting system unless I decide to optimize it also.