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First, you'll need to register. Click on the "Register" button on the front page (or to the right) and follow the simple process. You need to choose a screen name, one that will identify you in activity board postings and, if you're lucky, on the leader board.
Do I have to fill out all the fields?
No. Only a screen name and password are needed, but if you would like to be eligible for prizes, you must provide your name and e-mail address so you can be contacted if you win.
If I don't have to fill out all the fields, can't I have more than one account?
You can. You're only allowed 5 account creations per computer, but you'll find registering multiple screen names won't do you much good. You can participate in multiple pools and brackets with a single name.
Wait, so if I can fill out as many brackets as I want for a tournament, can't I put in all potential results and guarantee myself a win?
You are allowed to enter multiple "pools", but only one open pool per tournament (see pool description below). The open pools are the only pools that offer prizes.
I'm still overwhelmed. You say there are seven tournaments, but I see 16 choices. What gives?
Mens' and Womens' Division I, II, and III = 6 tournaments + NIT = 7. There are two ways to play each tournament (2 x 7 = 14) and there is one special contest called "The Bonecrusher", also available in "classic" or "enhanced" stylings (14 + 2 = 16).
What is the difference between the "classic" and "enhanced" games?
"Classic" offers you a no frills straightforward shoot-em-up like you might find on another other site. You can fill out a bracket and track the progress of your picks, earning a fixed amount of points along the way.
"Enhanced" is unique to FinalBuzzer.com and allows all the same features as "Classic" but offers some unusual ways to make up lost ground and rewards frequent visits and extra research.
All of the enhanced features are optional, meaning it's possible to participate just like you might in classic. We're hoping the special features allow users to do something new -- interact after the initial picks.
I know I want to be in a pool my police academy class is running. Do I sign up for that kind of tournament?
Not necessarily. When you sign up during registration, you are signing up for open pools (or prize pools). If you later join a pool, you will be presented with an additional bracket. It is easy to delete the earlier bracket by clicking the trash icon. See more below about using the pool directory.
| Your current score and rank (in pool) |
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DELETE Pool - You can join again, but you lost any brackets saved and points earned. |
| Applicable tournament logo. |
MODIFY Pool - Head to the brackets to make and save your picks. |
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| Click the pool name to visit that pool's home (prize pools do not have homes). |
Progress - The bar fills up proportionally to the percent of picks you've made. |
What should I do to create a pool?
From your user home, click "create pool" and fill out the appropriate form. You only need a pool name and pool ID but you are welcome to add a pool description and a pool password to keep undesirables out. There is space to e-mail invitations to people. Fill that space in with e-mail addresses, and when the pool is created and saved, invites will be sent to the addresses, telling the recipient a little about Final Buzzer, which pool they were invited into, where to go to sign up, and the pool entry password if it exists. An optional field to remind/provoke users is the prize field. FinalBuzzer doesn't support full-fledged gambling, but if your high school history class is playing for an autographed Dr. Schmoll photo, you can list that here.
What should I do to join a pool?
If you received an invitation, a friend referred you to a specific pool, or you're joing an open pool, you click "join pool" from your user home. All e-mail invitations provide the pool ID and pool password you'll need to join. Type those in and join, and you're all set. If you want to join an additional open (or prize) pool, select a pool from the directory and join. In either case, an extra bracket will be added to your global list.
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When creating a pool, send invitations instantly using the e-mail spaces provided. Try to post as much information as possible to keep your pool members' options plentiful. |
Joining a user pool means joining a pre-existing pool started by another user. If you received an e-mail invitation, enter the ID and password sent. If you are feeling a little more ambitious, visit the pool directory to find open pools to join. |
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Joining a prize pool requires no password and adds the bracket to your list instantly. These are the large, public pools whose winner will be rewarded with a prize. |
Can I be in more than one pool?
Yes. In fact, you can be in more than one pool of the same type (see the graphic below). You are allowed only one PRIZE POOL per tournament type, but you can join as many pools as you want. They will be displayed next to their corresponding tournament logo.
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With multiple pools, save time picking by COPYing your picks (pre-deadline) from a pool of a similar type... |
| and PASTEing into another. |
I'm in five different pools all playing the exact same game: Womens Division II Enhanced. I am confident all of my picks are correct. Is there a way to save time making the exact same picks five times?
Check out the copy/paste feature once you join your second pool. It copies all picks from one of your brackets to another. Watch out! - it overwrites any picks that had been saved. Once your bracket deadline has been reached and your picks frozen, this feature will be disabled
Ok, maybe I'm not 100% sure my final four predictions are right, but I'm happy with the picks until then. Can I still save time?
You can modify any bracket at any time before its deadline. Once copied, it remains independent of the source bracket. This means that you can make slight adjustments with the MODIFY button, but it also means if you make any changes to the original bracket, the copy will not be changed as well.
What happens if I paste into a bracket that has already started?
Nothing, your picks are frozen and no changes can be made. If, however, you paste into a tournament that has started, but for which you're still picking, the applicable picks will be copied (you will not get points for earlier rounds' successes).
What should I do to quit a pool?
Simply click the trash icon next to the pool you would like to quit. If you quit any part of a BONECRUSHER pool (except if it's the open pool), all of that pool's brackets will be removed from your bracket list. The trash icon also works to remove open pool brackets. Quitting the open pool BONECRUSHER bracket will not affect or remove your remaining open pool brackets.
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BONECRUSHER pools do not involve picks, just a collection of picks. It sums all the points you earn in individual prize pools and ranks you against other bonecrushing participants. You can't MODIFY like you can a normal pool, just DELETE. |
What should I do to erase a bracket?
Again, simply click the trash icon next to the pool you would like to remove. You must be a pool head to destroy a pool, and if you are, you cannot quit a pool without deleting the pool. Know that every member's pool bracket will be deleted from their list.
How do I earn points?
You earn 5 points for every first round pick predicted correctly, 10 for 2nd, 15, 20, and 25 for each subsequent round, and 50 for predicting the correct winner. See enhanced details to learn about other ways to up your score.
Where do I see pool results?
Pool results and pool rankings are posted on the pool home page. Click the pool's name in your bracket list to visit the pool home. On the page, you will also find an activity board where you can post messages and trash talk.
I did terribly in the first round of a tournament and got every pick wrong. This means I'm not going to get any addition points for the remainder of the tournament. Is there anything I can do?
If you delete a bracket, you lose all points you already earned, but it means you can create a new one of the exact same type, starting over without being able to pick for the rounds that have been played or are starting. This works for pools and the open prize pools.
I can't find a pool to join because I wear my clothes inside-out and nobody talks to me. Any help you can offer?
Visit the pool directory. Search for open pools (no passwords needed) and dominate away.
| Use the pool directory to find a pool name, pool description, pool head name, or prize description containing a search string(s). |  |
| Set the criteria for the pool in a number of ways. Try unselecting "private" to find pools that don't require a password to join. |
| Seeded teams listed once announced. |  |
| Use arrows to bounce teams into next round (into the pick field). | |
| Click the INFO button to see what percentage of FinalBuzzer participants have picked each team to win a bracket slot. | |
| Partial brackets can be filled out after the start of a tournament. |
What are the deadlines?
You can join any tournament game at any time, but you will not be able to pick games that have already been played or started. You will also not be able to pick winners of games until the teams for the games have been announced. When you signup, you will be able to fill in teams until the next round starts. If you have not filled in a bracket space by that time (any space, not just the one from the current round), you will not be able to from then on.
Most people will decide to participate from the beginning of a tournament, meaning they can choose their teams once the teams have been announced, and have until the beginning of the first round to make their picks. But, as an example, if a person joins during the first round, they will be able to record any picks beyond the first round, although they will not be able to change or add any picks once the second round starts. BONECRUSHERS can be joined at any time, though the earlier they start, the more chances there are to win points.
Are there pool deadlines?
Yes, they are calculated when the pool head creates the pool by the same means described above. Once the next round begins, the pool will not be locked out, but newcomers will not be able to participate in that round or earlier rounds.
If I'm making or changing my picks while the deadline buzzer sounds off, what happens if I try to save?
Your request will be denied and your picks will be locked in as is for the rest of the tournament. Important deadlines will be posted often, so be aware.
So again, what is this betting and CHANCE?
At the completion of each round, you wil have the chance to visit the chance section of a given bracket. Posted there will be 0-6 options for you to win points in the next round. Some of these have decent odds, and therefore less bonus points (example: For ten points, who will win the Syracuse/Michigan St. game this round?). Some will be much harder to answer, and will drastically improve your ranking (example: Risking 5 points, winning 50, name a player that will score the same number of points as his jersey number this round - >20). The conditions will be clearly displayed, and you are not obligated to participate in any of the extra chance options. But, imagine being down in your prison ward pool by 100, and doubling your score because you picked the rounds' leading rebounder. Will you take the CHANCE?
What are the trivia questions and what do they do to my score?
Very rarely, a trivia question will pop up in a new window in your browser. If you answer within twenty seconds and are participating in any "enhanced" prize pool, you can earn points that are instantly added to your score (randomly selects one of your enhanced brackets). Your rank may not immediately reflect these changes, but will be correctly calculated at the end of the tournament.
Is there a limit to trivia questions I can answer?
You will only see up to three questions, no matter how often you visit the site.
I can't login at all and I promised my mailwoman I'd join her pool by tomorrow. Help!
You may have trouble logging in if your browser does not support cookies, or if cookies are not enabled. Try turning them on in your browser's preferences, or upgrade. If you still have problems or don't want to use cookies, doublecheck your username and password are typed in the same case as you entered them. We apologize to diehard Lynx users for mass confusion.
I saw a trivia question pop-up but I couldn't answer in time. It didn't feel like twenty seconds. Am I getting robbed?
The 20 seconds a trivia question is displayed is timed both by the server and the client's browser. If you're having problems, your connection might be slow or temporarily lagging. This is a rare special feature, so we don't offer compensation, even for legitimate complaints. Sorry.
I forgot my user or pool password. Where can I find it?
We don't believe in prying information out of users if they don't want to provide it (at least not yet). Because we don't require an e-mail address to participate, we don't offer automatic re-mail opportunities. Look for an alternative in the future. For now, sign up again.
If you have additional technical concerns, e-mail techsupport@finalbuzzer.com or Instant Message us on AOL IM (IDs finalbuzzer, finalbuzzer1, finalbuzzer2, ...). Also, visit our AOLIM chat room.
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Is there anything else for me to do on this site? Try out our infamous "Activity Boards" or "Rumor Boards". They date back to prehistoric web days when ancestors of FinalBuzzer.com were calculating fantasy basketball scores by hand with an abacus in Butterfield B. Every pool will have an activity board (of unlimited size) that can be accessed from the pool home. Also, every school qualifying for a tournament (and some that haven't) will have an activity board where users can ask questions and post opinions and inside information specific to a school. | 
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| Every message you post will include your 50x50 image specified in your account registration form. |  |
| You must be logged in to post a message, because your username will be attached at the top. | |
| Message content is only bound by your imagination. HTML tags, URL's, and Javascript are all compatible. |
What's with the Celebrity Picks?
You can visit our celebrity panel page to see what advice our famous participants have to offer. Once tournaments start, you'll be able to track their progress just like you would yours. Of course, if you have any celebrity nominations you would like to make, or are a celebrity yourself, you can petition celebrities@finalbuzzer.com to reserve space on the page.
Finally, what's with the prizes?
There will be at least 100 winners. The top 10 scorers in the 4 most popular tournaments, and the top 5 in the remaining 12 games will enter the Prize Auction House. You will be given a point total to bid with, based on your score and the popularity/competitiveness of your tournament. With these points, you can spend as little or as much as you want on a number of prizes described in the house. The person bidding the most points on each item gets it. Some may win multiple, some winners may spread to thin and win nothing. Everybody that makes the final prize round will automatically win a FinalBuzzer t-shirt.
Anybody that correctly predict every single game winner in one of the 64-team brackets will win season tickets for any NBA or WNBA arena.
