Dead Pool 2010 Begins January 22

Deadlines

Submit your victims by January 22
Challenge names by January 29
Money due by January 31

How to Play

Make a list of ten famous*, non-fictional people you think will die in 2010, along with one alternate. If anyone on your list dies between the time that you send the list and January 22, s/he will be replaced by your alternate. Once the game begins, your alternates are no longer relevant to the game.

Check out Dead or Alive: Over 85 for a list of the aging famous by birth year, but remember: young folks drop dead, too, especially if they lead perilous lives.

Send your list with alternates to deathpuddle@gmail.com.

Scoring works as follows: the points for each death = (number of people participating) minus (number of people who picked that goner).

Example: 20 people participate. Bill Clinton dies. Five people had him. Each person gets 15 points.
Example: Eight people participate. Bill Clinton dies. Three people had him. Each person gets 5 points.

Once the deadline has passed, I will post everybody's lists at the Dead Pool Blog (http://deadpuddle.blogspot.com). I will also set up a Google document spreadsheet and invite us all to view it.

I am playing, too. You're just going to have to trust that I'm not going to sneak peeks at your picks before I submit mine.

Once you have submitted your list, give me $20. You can give it to me in cash, by check (made out to me), or via PayPal to deathpuddle@gmail.com. (PayPal will take a small percentage.) If I have not received your $20 by midnight on 1/31/09, you are not in the game. (PayPal takes a small cut of all money paid using it, so the pot will be slightly smaller than all the money submitted. Deal with it.)

Throughout 2010, when someone on one of our lists dies, I (or someone faster than I) will post on the blog. Subscribe to its RSS feed or check in regularly to stay updated.

The Dead Pool closes at midnight 1/22/09. I will announce final scores and the winner on New Year's Day, 2010. I will send a check or PayPal the winner his ill-gotten booty the following day.



*Famous for something other than being really, really old. (No Maria de Jesus dos Santos, smart-ass.) I'm not going to define "famous." When I send around everyone's lists after New Year's, we will all have a week to challenge each other's picks for famousness. Once a pick is challenged, a majority vote will knock that pick off the list without a replacement.

**Yes, this is the same as Holly's note from last year.