Ask questions here about the suicide pool

[Kirkus]

If you have a question about the '06 Wimbledon Suicide Pool, this is the place to ask it.

[ptmcmahon]

Newbie - simple question. What if you've previously picked all the players who are playing on one day (only likely to happen in, say the final.) Does this mean you automatically lose?

[Charlie02123]

Newbie - simple question. What if you've previously picked all the players who are playing on one day (only likely to happen in, say the final.) Does this mean you automatically lose?

Short answer: YES!

The reason we call it the suicide pool (I think) is because once you pick a player, they are dead to you. Ideally, you want your pick to lose in the next round. If you pick the eventual champion any time before the final, you lose.

[Charlie02123]

PS: I guess I don't actually know the official reason why we call it the suicide pool. Maybe it's because it's so much harder than it looks. Once you've been knocked out by a sure bet, it makes you want to slit your wrists, so maybe that's why we call it the suicide pool!

[Moose]

hey pat:

Welcome to TAT.

We try to stick to the schedule as announced in the event schedule. Since all suicide game picks are chosen before play begins, we sometimes end up with some late matches either not finishing, or rescheduled for the next day, but require a next day pick to be made. You'll see, as the game progresses. And we'll make all necessary adjustments with enough notice to everyone, if you follow our threads.

As far as your "mother" scenario, you would have made a Tuesday pick. You will have come back and made a Wednesday pick. And very likely, you'll have also made a Thursday pick while still waiting to see if your Tuesday match was a winner.

[Moose]

Newbie - simple question. What if you've previously picked all the players who are playing on one day (only likely to happen in, say the final.) Does this mean you automatically lose?

Short answer: YES!

The reason we call it the suicide pool (I think) is because once you pick a player, they are dead to you. Â*Ideally, you want your pick to lose in the next round. Â*If you pick the eventual champion any time before the final, you lose.

You did a very good job explaining that Charlie.

[shtexas]

What about delays and rainouts? Â*Say you pick a player on Tuesday, and the match is not completed till Wednesday. Â*Do you get a free pass for Tuesday? Â*Or does the completed match retroactively count toward your ledger?

Or, let's say someone's leading 6-0, 6-0, 5-0 and it starts raining. Â*Can you pick the player who's winning in that match for the next day?

Or in the mother of all scenarios, say you pick a player on Â*Tuesday, he gets bumped to Wednesday day by rain, his 5-set match is interrupted by darkness on Wednesday, and he finally wins on Thursday. Â*What happens here?

Of course there's no possible way that it'll rain during the fortnight... ;)

If you pick a match for, say, Tuesday, and that match does not start or finish, you still must pick a new match for the next day (not one in progress or a holdover), and you must survive both picks.

We have not yet encountered days and days of rain delays (like in '91 and '97 at Wimbledon), but we have encountered suspended matches or delayed matches due to darkness or rain.

[Kirkus]

Would I be correct in saying this is why we pick from the daily schedule of play?

We see the list of matches for that day. We pick from that list and it doesn't matter when the matches are completed... or even begun for that matter.

[shtexas]

ok, so this is probably going to seem like a stupid question, but i AM a newbie. Â*do we just post our pick under the discussion topic, or do we have to email it somewhere? Â*thanks!

Once the order of play is announced, there will be topics reading something like "Day 1 Men Wimby SP picks" and "Day 1 Women Wimby SP picks". The order of play will be at the top and you make your pick in the thread. As each day's order of play is announced, new threads will be started for that day.

[shtexas]

I should add if TAT is offline for some odd reason, you can e-mail your picks to:

tatpicks@yahoo.com

[shtexas]

Question - and yes, I am a HUGE newbie to this -- is this contest monitored and progress posted in any way? Â*If for example both of my first day picks happen to actually lose, I understand I am out of the pool, but, what if I lose track of the fact that I actually lost at some point down the line - and inadvertently continue to post predictions. Â*Would I then be accidently screwing up the whole pool? Â*Do we need to all more-or-less self-monitor our own progress? Â*I just don't want to be the nitwit that makes a big newbie blunder!

There will be picks and results threads for each pool. Everyone's names and picks will be in each thread so you can keep track and not accidently choose the same player twice. Once your name turns "red", you're dead.

The threads will debut tomorrow morning sometime.

[beaujarkko]

Hi there... I was just noticing that the match I selected from available choices for the women's draw (Domachowska vs. Borwell) is not actually scheduled for Day 2... I guess if that's okay, then I'm still a little unclear as to why, considering I don't think much of the top half of the women's draw is slated for Tuesday, if any. (Mauresmo, for instance, is not scheduled to play at all on Tuesday, Day 2, either.) If you could help me with my query (and quandary, haha), I'd appreciate it. Sorry.

Phil

[Moose]

beaujarkko:
We're trying to keep up with the draw, despite the rain. So we have R1 matches from the top half as the pick, because that is what was supposed to play. If they get in a full day of play tomorrow, they will probably play R1 and R2 matches on Wednesday, so we want to keep up with the draw.

That's why we had you pick a R1, top half match, even though they are not playing them - also, we posted the matches before the schedule was released, because there was no way of knowing if both halves of the draw would play.

Be sure to check back tomorrow...if we have another rain day, we'll be going to Plan B.

[beaujarkko]

Hey Moose... I JUST found your explanation RIGHT AFTER my pick on the women's thread, haha. Of course. Thanks for responding... I was just confused, but I know you deal with it a lot... it pays to be flexible come Wimbledon time, for sure. Thanks much!

[ptmcmahon]

At what point do the two halfs of the draw combine for our picks? It obviously has to be no later than the semis or we couldn't make a pick for the finals...wondering when it will happen though?

[Moose]

ptmcmahon:

Actually, Wimbledon is the most friendly of all the Slams when it comes to combining the draws.

On Monday, all R16 matches (mens and ladies) are played. And all remaining matches are played on the same days following that.

Ladies:
QF - Tuesday
Semi - Thursday
Final - Saturday

Mens
QF - Wednesday
SF - Friday
Final - Sunday

All the other Slams take longer for the draws to come together. So if you live through Week 1, its a lot easier to beat the draw at Wimby than at any other Slam.

[ptmcmahon]

So we only need 1 pick from the round of 16, 1 from the quarters, and 1 from the semis then?

[Moose]

you'll be making a selection Friday, a selection Saturday, a selection Monday, and then a 1/4 a semi and a final. Yes, you will still only be picking from one match on each day.

[ptmcmahon]

Oops! I made this tougher on myself...I was trying to save 6 from each side (one side with the finals loser and one side with finals winner.)

Thanks for your quick response

[bartman2099]

Question: Does the womens' draw merge for the quarterfinals? In the AO we had 2 days of quarterfonals but in the FO they were all played on the smae day making the thing a little bit easier. It would be nice to know in advance.

EDIT: My question was already answered above. Sorry...