Contest tracker: Westgate pays more winners
The Westgate SuperContest paid out more in-season winners this week before heading into the final “mini contest” of the year.
The entries under the aliases Chung Chung and RealPlayaz went 14-1 to share first place for weeks 13 through 15, earning $50,000 each. There was a 13-way tie for third place at 13-2, with each receiving $384.
The Westgate is starting its final mini contest for weeks 16 through 18. The Westgate also is in the middle of a contest for weeks 13 through 18, and the Circa Sports Million is in its “fourth quarter” for the last five weeks of the season.
Each week, I’ll track the major handicapping contests and detail my progress. Here’s how the contests stand after Week 15:
Circa Sports Million III
Format: Contestants pick five NFL games against the spread each week ($1,000 per entry).
Field: 4,087 entries.
Leader: One entry (Hannibal Barca) at 55-20. A second entry from Hannibal Barca is alone in second place at 54-21.
Barnes’ status: 2-3 last week, 33-41-1 overall, tied for 3,361st. Deploying an “opposite” strategy to go for the last-place prize in the fourth quarter, resulting in winners on Texans +5½ and Bengals +2½, and losers on Patriots +2, Washington +9 and Titans PK.
Circa Survivor
Format: Contestants pick one straight-up NFL winner each week (each team can be used only once) and are eliminated with a loss ($1,000 per entry).
Field: 4,080 entries, but Circa added $1.92 million to the prize pool to reach the $6 million guarantee.
Leaders: 16 survivors advance. Seven entries eliminated in Week 15 — five on the Cardinals, one on the Jaguars and one on the Buccaneers.
Barnes’ status: Eliminated in Week 9 when the Bills lost to the Jaguars.
Westgate SuperContest
Format: Contestants pick five NFL games against the spread each week ($1,000 per entry).
Field: 1,972 entries.
Leader: One entry (Nomsnaiganskk) at 51-23-1.
Barnes’ status: 3-2 last week, 35-39-1 overall, tied for 1,322nd. Winners on Colts -2½, Eagles -7 and Steelers +1½, and losers on Jaguars -3½ and Broncos -2½.
Westgate SuperContest Gold
Format: Same as the SuperContest, but with a $5,000 buy-in and the winner taking all.
Field: 87 entries.
Leader: One entry (Calabasas Wise Guy) at 50-23-2, 5½ points ahead of second place.
Barnes’ status: Not entered.
William Hill Pro Pick’em
Format: Contestants pick 15 NFL straight-up winners (or selected totals) each week ($25 per entry). There are weekly and season-long prizes.
Field: 7,316 entries.
Season leader: One entry (no name given) at 151-71.
Weekly winners: 10 entries (no names given) went 11-1 and split $10,000, getting $1,000 each. (Three games were removed from the card after being moved.)
Barnes’ status: 6-6 last week, 134-88 overall.
Golden Nugget Ultimate Football Challenge
Format: Contestants pick seven NFL and/or college games against the spread each week ($1,000 to enter).
Field: 149 entries.
Leaders: One entry (BuckNuts) tied at 64-39-2.
Barnes’ status: Not entered.
COMPLETED CONTESTS
Station Last Man Standing
Format: Contestants select one game against the spread each week. Entries cost $25, but the maximum $100 gets five entries. There are separate pro and college contests. Winner takes all — $150,000 in the pro contest, $100,000 in the college.
Entries: Pro — Two winners from starting 6,241 after Week 12; college — one winner out of 3,075 after Week 9.
Barnes’ status: Eliminated from pro contest in Week 5; eliminated from college in Week 3.
William Hill College Pick’em
Format: Contestants pick eight college games against the spread each week for 10 weeks ($1,000 per entry).
Field: 452 entries, but an extra $548,000 added to the prize pool to reach the $1 million guarantee.
Winners: Two entries (CastleRocker and Heatwave) tied at 51-29 and split the first prize, getting $325,000 each.
Barnes’ status: Finished 39-41, tied for 176th.
Contact Jim Barnes at jbarnes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0277. Follow @JimBarnesLV on Twitter.
