Help Desk: Frequently asked questions (FAQ) regarding sports pools

Frequently asked questions & FAQ

How do I log in?
How do I create a new account/pool?
How do I add players to my pool?
Can I change my account info?
Can I change my password?
I forgot my password what do I do?
Can I view weekly winning teams
How can I check my score?
How can I check my weekly scores?
How do I view weekly deadlines?
How do I view Payout Information?
How are weekly winners decided?
How are year end winners decided?
How does the Vegas spread work?

Why should I keep my account info current?
How do I make my picks?
How do I make sure my picks are made?
Can I edit my picks?
How can I check my picks?
How do I print off my picks?
How do I view spread info when printing?
Site not working. Who do I contact?
Why is there a hosting fee?
Is this site Non-Profit?
I won! how do I get paid?
What is "The Money Box"?
Is it normal to have empty boxes on the login page?
Why are your spreads different from Vegas?

Why should you keep your account info current

It is important to keep your account information up to date for many reasons.
1. In the event you lose / forget your password the only way to access it is via your current email address. To access your password submit your email address to this website via the "I forgot my password what do I do" in this FAQ to retrieve it. Because of our strict privacy policy you will not be able to retrieve your email address if your account email is not current.
2. In order to retrieve email back ups of your weekly picks you must have a current email address. If your email address is incorrect in the event of a website malfunction you could loose your weekly picks. If your email address is current you can request to have your picks resubmitted from your emailed selections copy. Without this emailed backup there is no way to have your information resubmitted.
3. If there are problems with this website you will not be able to receive our notification updates.
4. On occasion we send out emails that offer, giveaways, deals and specials to our customer for which you will be ineligible for if your email address in not current.
5. During short weeks where the deadlines close earlier then usual we send a broadcast reminder to that effect. If your email address is not current you will not receive this email reminder.
Please Note: Sportspool.com DOES NOT give out your information to ANY third parties. Your personal information 100% private and we will never give it away to anyone! That is our personal guarantee to you.

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How to login:

First off you should have signed up for a new account or you should been issued a login name and password from your pool owner. If you signed on via the website your initial password will have been emailed to the email address you specified during the account set-up. If you do not have any login information please contact your pool owner to have it issued to you or sign up via the website sign up section on the main page. In order to log on to the site you will need to input your issued login information into the "Username" and "Password" sections on the main page and click the "Login" button. If you cannot login please verify that your user name and password are correct. Should you still have login difficulties verify that the capitalization and spelling is correct. Common problems are improper usage of capitals and misinterpretation of letters and numbers for Example. 1 and i, 1 and l, 0 and o, 0 and O.

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How to make my picks:

Login to your pool using your login information. From the login page select from the header "Picks" select the button that corresponds to the correct week. If you see the "Week is Closed" button, then the week has not been opened yet, the server is undergoing maintenance or the weekly selection deadline has passed ( If the week is closed and you have questions or concerns regarding this contact your pool owner ). Once the page has loaded the site automatically enters your user name and password into the appropriate login boxes verify that your login info is correct before making your picks. Select from the list of teams the team you think will cover the spread by clicking the button beside the teams logo. Make sure you have selected one team for each available game (In order for the site to accept your picks you must pick one team for each game then select your Monday Night Tiebreaker guess. In the event of a tie the player who guesses the closest to the total points scored by both teams on Monday Night will win the week. Please review your picks before submitting them by clicking the "Submit" button. ( If you have forgotten to fill out all the fields the site will fail to submit your picks, simply click the back button and fill out the missing information ) Once submitted you will be given one last chance to review the choices you have selected. If you are not happy with your choices check "No" and then click the "Submit" button then make the appropriate changes and follow the steps back to this point. When you are satisfied with the picks you have selected, click the "yes" button and then select the "Submit" button. From here you will be directed to a new page that shows you your selections and gives you a chance to then print out your picks. You will then receive an email confirming your picks with a duplicate copy sent to your pool owner for his back up purposes.

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Can I edit my picks after I have made my selections:

Yes you can edit your picks as long as the week is still open and the current weeks deadline has not passed. Refer to "How to make my picks" for information on how to make picks. In order to make edits you will have to fill out the current weeks selections again from the beginning making the changes you want and the website will make the appropriate edits when resubmitted.

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How to check to make sure my picks have been saved:

The website will not loose your game selections if you have followed the "How to make picks" section. In order to confirm that the site has saved your picks just log onto the site. You should see a section to the right hand side of your screen called "picks at a glance". If the week has been opened correctly by the admin you will see your current weeks game selections 1 to 17 ( 17 will be shown but only the actual number of games will be displayed ). If you want a more detailed description of your current weeks pick with spread information click the link at the bottom of the "picks at a glance" section called "Full Selections". If you have made your selections and you cannot see this "picks at a glance" section and the website does not say "You have not picked yet", email your admin asking them to make the week current. When a successful submission of weekly guesses occurs you will be emailed along with your admin a copy of your choices. If you do not receive an email confirmation please verify the website has your current email information and re-submit your selections if needed, should you not receive a confirmation email again please contact your pool owner.

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How to change personal information:

From the login page select from "Manager" select the "Account" option and login to the "Player Account Editor". Once logged in you will be able to make changes to all of your non-critical account information including "Password", "Email Address" simply overwrite the existing data and click the "Ready To Submit" box and select "Submit" to make the changes. IMPORTANT: You must click the "Ready to Submit" button before clicking "Submit" for the changes to take effect. Please be careful and keep track of any changes you make to your "password" as it is crucial to your login ability.

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How to change my password:

From the login page select from "Manager" select the "Account" option and login to the "Player Account Editor". Once logged in you will be able to make changes to all of your non-critical account information including "Password", "Email Address" simply overwrite the existing data and click the "Ready To Submit" box and select "Submit" to make the changes. IMPORTANT: You must click the "Ready to Submit" button before clicking "Submit" for the changes to take effect. Please be careful and keep track of any changes you make to your "password" as it is crucial to your login ability.

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How to view weekly winning teams:

From the login page select from "Results" the "Winning Teams" option. Once page has loaded select the week you wish to view and select the "list/view" check box and then press the "Submit" Button. The site will display the teams that your admin has selected as the winner. If there is any discrepancy with the winning teams please contact your admin to clarify.

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How can I see a full listing of the leader board:

From the login page select from "Results" the "Player Standings" option. Once page has loaded the site will display the players that are leading from the weekly games that your admin has selected as the winners. If there is any discrepancy with player totals please contact your admin for clarification.

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How to view my weekly point history:

From the login page select from "Results" the "Weekly Standings" option. Once page has loaded the site will display all the players and their individual weekly point totals. This break down list points awarded for each week and is done for each player. If there is any discrepancy with player totals please contact your admin for further clarification.

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How can I see spread information when printing my picks:

From the login page select from "Picks at a glance" the "Full selections" option. Once page has loaded up with your current picks make sure you have your browser set to print background information. If you are using M.S. Internet Explorer you would go to "Tools" then "Internet Options..." select the "Advanced" tab, scroll down until you see "Printing" select the check box "Print background colors and images" and then click "Apply" to save changes in your browser.

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Sites not working... who do I contact:

First thing you should do is read the FAQ sheet as you will find the answers to most of the questions you may have. Should you have a question that is not listed or if you are still having problems with the site it is best to email your administrator with the exact details of your problem. If you are experiencing problems with the website not operating properly please email again with the exact details of the problem you are having. If you have suggestions on features or ideas on how to make this site better please email the details.

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How to view the weekly deadlines:

From the login page select from "Information" the "Deadline" option. Once page has loaded the site will display the weekly deadline information. You will notice that the deadlines for each week have been pre-determined to be 8:00 am the morning of the first game. In the future it will be changed to 12:00 am the morning of the first game. Please be careful as there are a few games not played on Sunday that can affect our deadlines. It is your responsibility to be aware of these deadlines and to have your picks in on time. Once the deadline has passed you will no longer be able to make your picks.

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How to view the payout (Prize) information:

Sportspool.com does not give away any prizes and Sportspool.com is not responsible of the distribution of any prizes and/or money for more information please read our terms of services. All prize money and/or prize donations are determined by your pool owner, given away by the pool owner and your pool owner is responsible for the distribution of said prizes, for further information please read our terms of services. Sportspool.com is in no way responsible for distribution of any pool money nor is Sportspool responsible for any legal problems that may arise, for more information please read our terms of services. It is up to the pool players and pool owners to ensure validity of the pool, prizes and verify legality of Internet gambling from their local government, for more information please read our terms of services. Should you have any questions regarding prizes or winnings please contact your pool owner. From the login page select from "Information" the "Payout" option. Once page has loaded the site will display the Payout information your pool owner has laid out for your individual pool. You will notice that the Payouts for each week have been pre-determined with the dollar amounts assigned.

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How are weekly winners decided:

Each week you will select the teams you think are going to beat the spread from the weekly picks area. In order for a team to win they must cover the spread. If you have any questions regarding how team beats the spread check out the rules section. Then you will enter the Monday night tiebreaker guess. At the end of the week all players will have their wins tallied up the one with the most correct guesses for the week wins. In the event of a tie the combined score from the Monday Night Game will be totaled and the player who guesses this combined score the closest will be the winner.

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How are year end winners decided:

Sportspool.com does not give away any prizes and Sportspool.com is not responsible of the distribution of any prizes and/or money for more information please read our terms of services. All prize money and/or prize donations are determined by your pool owner, given away by the pool owner and your pool owner is responsible for the distribution of said prizes, for further information please read our terms of services. Sportspool.com is in no way responsible for distribution of any pool money nor is Sportspool responsible for any legal problems that may arise, for more information please read our terms of services. It is up to the pool players and pool owners to ensure validity of the pool, prizes and verify legality of Internet gambling from their local government, for more information please read our terms of services. Should you have any questions regarding prizes or winnings please contact your pool owner. Each week your scores are calculated and at the end of the year the player in each pool with the highest combined weekly scores will win the their pool. In the event of a tie the players will need to contact their pool owner to determine the winner.

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I won! When do I get paid:

Sportspool.com does not give away any prizes and Sportspool.com is not responsible of the distribution of any prizes and/or money for more information please read our terms of services. All prize money and/or prize donations are determined by your pool owner, given away by the pool owner and your pool owner is responsible for the distribution of said prizes, for further information please read our terms of services. Sportspool.com is in no way responsible for distribution of any pool money nor is Sportspool responsible for any legal problems that may arise, for more information please read our terms of services. It is up to the pool players and pool owners to ensure validity of the pool, prizes and verify legality of Internet gambling from their local government, for more information please read our terms of services. Should you have any questions regarding prizes or winnings please contact your pool owner.

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Why is there a website hosting fee:

In order to make this pool better and more efficient we have put it online as the old way of faxing picks was way too time consuming to maintain and to difficult ensure accuracy with our current user base. There are many expenses that come as a result this and some of these are as follows; Domain registration, Domain hosting, Web hosting ( Data storage ), Website traffic ( Bandwidth usage ), Server upgrades, Server maintenance, Server backups, Website programming and redesign. The website designers have put in at least 400 hours of work to get this site to where it is today and have put another 10 hours of work a week to make this website work from week to week, adding new features and trouble shooting.

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Is this site Non-Profit:

This site is non-profit. Sportspool.com used to have a $3 per person fee to maintain the website services, this is no longer required as we pay for site from advertising. You can help support our time and efforts by checking out the selection we have the next time you need to make a sports related purchase.

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What is the money box:

Sportspool.com does not give away any prizes and Sportspool.com is not responsible of the distribution of any prizes and/or money for more information please read our terms of services. All prize money and/or prize donations are determined by your pool owner, given away by the pool owner and your pool owner is responsible for the distribution of said prizes, for further information please read our terms of services. Sportspool.com is in no way responsible for distribution of any pool money nor is Sportspool responsible for any legal problems that may arise, for more information please read our terms of services. It is up to the pool players and pool owners to ensure validity of the pool, prizes and verify legality of Internet gambling from their local government, for more information please read our terms of services. Should you have any questions regarding prizes or winnings please contact your pool owner. "The Money Box" is an fun customizable little area that is used to let players know who the top 5 poolies are at any given time. The prize money or implied prizes are set by your pool owner and are in no way associated with Sportspool.com

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How do I create a new account/pool:

Creating a new account is simple. From the main page http://www.sportspool.com select the "Sign-up" button. Select what kind of pool you would like to run. ie: football or hockey.

NOTE: Currently you can only run one pool per user account. You cannot use the login name of mike and run a football pool and a hockey pool from the same user account. Each pool must be managed from a new user name

Select the pool type you would like to manage then fill out the registration form paying special attention to the * Required Feilds.

IMPORTANT: you must enter a valid email address for the account to be created as the site will email you a validation password for your login info. If you do not enter a proper email address the pool/account will not be set up!

Once you have filled in the required information, read our terms and conditions, then select the button stating that you have read and understood them. At this point you have to decide if you are going to run your own pool or sign onto an existing pool ( to sign onto an existing pool you must know the pool password ). If creating a new pool, choose a pool name and a password. DO NOT CHANGE YOUR ACCOUNT PASSWORD TO THE SAME AS YOUR POOL PASSWORD AS PEOPLE WILL HACK YOUR ACCOUNT! once this is complete select the "Submit" button

IMPORTANT: When creating a new pool name or adding a password you cannot use special charactors like " ' @ $ & { } [ ] ! # % ^ * ( ) + = ? < > and so forth

If you are joining an existing pool select the pool from the pull down menu and select the submit button. The site will then ask you to fill in the pool password, fill it in and select the "Submit" button again. Now you are done!

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How do I add players to my pool:

To add a player you must first have a valid user name and you must be a pool owner. If you have any questions regarding how to do this please refer to the "How do I create a new account/pool?" in this FAQ page. Once you have a valid account and pool owner status login from the main page http://www.sportspool.com using your username and password. If you are in fact a pool owner select the "Account Management" button from inside your pool administration section. Once in the admin section you might have to select the "Pool Owner Login" button. Select from the "Adding" section the "Add: Account/User" and select "Submit". Fill out the appropriate information for the new user paying special attention to the * Required Feilds.

IMPORTANT: you must enter a valid email address for the their account to be created as the site will email them a validation password for login purposes. If you do not enter a proper email address the pool/account will not be set up! and the player will not be able to login

Note: When creating a new account or changing your password you cannot use special charactors like " ' @ $ & { } [ ] ! # % ^ * ( ) + = ? < > and so forth

Once you have filled in the required information, you must have the new user read our terms and conditions, then select the button stating that the new player has read and understood them and select the "Submit" button. The site will then send the new user their login password to the email address that was supplied in the above "Add: Account/User" section and the account is setup once the player logs in for the first time.

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I forgot my password what do I do:

The website stores your password by user name and email address. Simply log onto http://www.sportspool.com main page and select the "Lost Password?" button. Enter your email address and select the retrieve info button. Your username and password will then be emailed to the address you specified on your account set-up. NOTE: it is very important that you remember to update your email address in the event of a change. If you are not sure how to do this, please review the "Can I change my account info?" in this FAQ. In the event your email address has been changed since you last logged on you will need to contact your pool owner and explain the circumstances. Lost passwords for accounts with non-functioning email addresses will only be given out at the pool owners discretion, DO NOT CONTACT SPORTSPOOL.COM.

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Is it normal to have empty boxes on the login page?:

No. This occurs when a system that does not have Java Virtual Machine installed. Without it, no java applets or java dependant scripts can be viewed. To fix this, just go to http://www.java.com/en/index.jsp and install this free update. After closing and reopening your browser, you should now be able to enjoy the additional content these boxes provide.

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How does the Vegas spread work?

A spread is applied to a game to help even out the odds between two mis matched teams. For example if Green Bay was favored by 7 over the N.Y. Giants it would mean that Green Bay would have to win by 7 or more points in order win. If Green Bay won the football game by 6 points or less, or heaven forbid they actually lose the game, it would be considered a loss. So just to recap, even if Green Bay wins, but they do not cover the point spread (By winning by 7 or more points) then the game is a loss.

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Why are your spreads different from Vegas?

Our spreads are based on the Vegas early betting lines in order to allow our pool players to make their picks as early as possible. Our spreads are entered on either Monday night or Tuesday morning to allow as much time as possible for site members to make their selections. We couldn't very well update the spreads as Vegas makes adjustments during the week (Vegas could make as many as 10 or 20 updates each week) as it will mess up people who have picked prior to each Vegas update. So yes, there will be some discrepancies from the Vegas current betting lines, the Vegas early lines and even the betting lines used moments before each game kicks off.

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