Multiple contest scoring with flexible prediction

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to hosting a competition on a computing device, wherein the competition allows participants to select a first set of predicted winners for a predetermined series of matches in a tournament and a second set of predictions for winners if one or more of the first set of predicted winners are eliminated earlier than predicted. The competition may be implemented in any suitable computing system environment, including, but not limited to, a web-based competition hosted on a remote server, a private or company-based competition hosted on a private or company computer.

1 . A computer-implemented method of hosting a competition on at least one computer that permits an outcome prediction to be made for a winner between two teams that were not initially picked to be playing in a match of a tournament, the method comprising
 retrieving information from a database that stores team selection instructions for a participant in a competition, wherein the team selection instructions for the participant provide i) an initial outcome prediction for one or more matches of a tournament, and ii) a relative ranking of teams that were not initially picked to be playing in the one or more matches; and,   computing, on the at least one computer, an adjusted prediction for a match between two teams that were not initially picked to be playing against each other.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the team selection instructions are based on a default ranking. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the participant modifies the default ranking. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one of the two teams playing against each other was not initially picked. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein both teams playing against each other were not initially picked. 
     
     
         6 . At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed on at least one computer, perform a method of hosting a competition on at least one computer that permits an outcome prediction to be made for a winner between two teams that were not initially picked to be playing in a match of a tournament, the method comprising
 retrieving information from a database that stores team selection instructions for a participant in a competition, wherein the team selection instructions for the participant provide i) an initial outcome prediction for one or more matches of a tournament, and ii) a relative ranking of teams that were not initially picked to be playing in the one or more matches; and,   computing, on the at least one computer, an adjusted prediction for a match between two teams that were not initially picked to be playing against each other.   
     
     
         7 . At least one computer comprising:
 to at least one tangible memory for storing processor-executable instructions for hosting a competition on the at least one computer to permit an outcome prediction to be made for a winner between two teams that were not initially picked to be playing in a match of a tournament; and,   at least one hardware microprocessor, coupled to the memory, that executes the processor-executable instructions to retrieve information from a database that stores team selection instructions for a participant in a competition, wherein the team selection instructions for the participant provide i) an initial outcome prediction for one or more matches of a tournament, and ii) a relative ranking of teams that were not initially picked to be playing in the one or more matches, and to compute an adjusted prediction for a match between two teams that were not initially picked to be playing against each other.   
     
     
         8 . A method implemented on at least one computer of participating in a competition hosted on at least one server, wherein the competition permits an outcome prediction to be made for a winner between two teams that were not initially picked to be playing in a match of a tournament, the method comprising
 prompting, at the at least one computer, a participant to provide team selection instructions for a competition;   receiving team selection instructions from the participant; and,   sending the team selection instructions to the at least one server.   
     
     
         9 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 entering participant instructions into a database, wherein the instructions specify predictions for each possible game in a tournament before the start of the tournament, and   after a game is completed, computing an adjusted prediction for each game based on the participant instructions and the game result(s).   
     
     
         10 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 entering participant instructions into a database, wherein the instructions specify predictions for each possible game in a tournament, and   after a game completed, computing allocated points to the participant wherein the points are based on both the game result(s) and the participant instructions.   
     
     
         11 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 entering participant instructions into a database, wherein the instructions specify predictions for each possible game in a tournament or wherein the instructions specify relative team rankings for all possible pair-wise games in a tournament, thereby providing a predicted bracket for each participant,   computing, on at least one computer, points for each participant based on game outcomes,   wherein if a game includes at least one non-predicted team, the points for the game are computed by accessing the participant instructions that specify the relative rankings of the two teams in the game.