Sekitori-Oracle

How SEKITORI-ORACLE works:
(The scoop on the rules as they stand right now)

SEKITORI-ORACLE is the sister game to SEKITORI-TOTO. Just as Sekitori-Toto makes the ideal game to play "first" among the daily games (Bench Sumo, Sumo Game, ISP, Tip-Spiel) during a basho, because it forces its players to pick a winner for all the matches that day, which can then be narrowed down to comprise your entries for the other daily games, Sekitori-Oracle is a great game to play "first" among the pre-basho games (Hoshitori, UDH, Juryo Game, GISP) as it also makes players think about the ENTIRE spectrum of Sekitori before a basho. After making picks for Sekitori-Oracle, you should be ready to determine which rikishi you want to nominate for your other games' entries! :)

Please note "Rule #1":

Rule #1 concerns the submission of "multiple" entries by one and the same person through the use of various secondary shikona. The Sekitori-Oracle Kyokai (SOK) strongly cautions patrons NOT to engage in submission of multiple entries, as it is considered "dishonorable". Please use the shikona you are best known for on the Internet - just like if you were entering a "real" Sumo tournament, you would only be competing "as yourself", and not several times under different names! If multiple entries are detected, they will lead to disqualification or possibly expulsion of all involved shikona and their patron(s). Please contact the SOK in advance if several family members will want to participate using the same IP address.

Here's how to play:

Simply predict what all Sekitori's records will be at the upcoming basho by selecting from the online form and pressing the SUBMIT YOUR PICKS button on the bottom of the page. IMPORTANT: Please only hit the SUBMIT button ONCE. Your picks should then be automatically sent to me, and you should receive a confirmation screen, and confirmation e-mail within a few minutes!

PLEASE NOTE: if you do not receive a confirmation mail, please confirm whether you have entered with me, or check your email address.

For each Sekitori, you will score points according to how close your prediction is to the actual record of the rikishi. The further you are from the actual result, the fewer points you will get. The ideal score can be obviously reached by correctly guessing the actual record.

Scoring is as follows:

Bull's Eye (correct guess) = 10 points
One win off = 9 points
Two wins off = 8 points
Three wins off = 7 points
Four wins off = 6 points
...
15 wins off = -5 points!

The maximum possible score, presuming all 70 Sekitori are competing, is thus 700 points (70 times 10 points) if you get every prediction right!

IMPORTANT: Any rikishi who withdraws before the first day of the tournament will be excluded from scoring (i.e. if only 60 Sekitori compete, the maximum possible score becomes 600). Any picks that were submitted for absentee (kyujo) rikishi will be disregarded (only rikishi participating in at least one day of competition will be scored). So there is NO NEED to re-send your picks after someone pulls out before the Basho!

PLEASE NOTE: There is no method for assigning "alernate picks" in this game, since everybody is picking the same 70 Sekitori's scores. Thus, if a rikishi pulls out during the tournament, everybody is affected equally.

The YUSHO goes to the player with the most points overall!

The SHUKUN-SHO goes to the player who has the most Bull's Eye guesses (10 point scores)!

The GINO-SHO goes to the player who has the highest minimum points score (i.e. who is consistently the closest to the correct guess, in other words, whose lowest score for any of the 70 rikishi is higher than everybody else's lowest score)

The KANTO-SHO goes to the player who guesses the most kachi-koshi correctly (regardless of whether the predicted score matches)

Like Sekitori-Toto, Sekitori-Oracle will have nations' prizes and its own Banzuke.

If you find any omissions, errors or gross blunders in the rules, please let me know by clicking on my picture below! Any other feedback, help or suggestions also welcome!

Hope you will like this new game - good luck and enjoy the Basho!

Special thanks to Amanogawa for providing the inspiration for this game, and Kojamuri for the great result-generating spreadsheet, and Kashunowaka for the VERY handy data handler and confirmation mail sender!

Your

Zenjimoto