Fairness
How results work
Every bet ends one of three ways: it happened, it didn't, or it doesn't count. Here's who decides and what happens when they get it wrong.
Last updated
Picks close, then reveal day
- Every bet has a time when picks close. Usually that's kickoff, tip-off, when a show starts, or when polls open at 6 a.m. Eastern on Election Day. After that, nobody can lock in or switch.
- Every bet has a reveal day. Picks are revealed at the same moment for everyone, on our server's clock, shown in your time zone. Messing with your phone's clock does nothing.
- Until then, you can see how many people locked in and a points range. The exact number shows up on reveal day.
- A group can reveal a bet early, but only if everyone who locked in says yes.
Who decides
| Kind of bet | Decided by | What you'll see |
|---|---|---|
| Ready-made sports bets scores can check (who won, total points, overtime and so on) | Live scores | From the scoreboard |
| Your group's own bets | A group vote, at least two votes, before the deadline | Group vote |
| Any bet in your group | Your group admin can change it, as a last step | Changed by admin |
| Bets Boldcall posts that say something happens by a date | The date. If it passes and it didn't happen, the answer is No, automatically. Nobody has to rule it, so a bet locked for years still gets its answer. | No: the date passed |
| Bets Boldcall posts that scores can't answer, including every election bet | Someone at Boldcall, citing a source like the AP race call or certified results | Reviewed by Boldcall, with the source |
Keeping it fair
- If every person who voted would win by voting that way, the vote doesn't count and nobody scores. You can't vote yourselves a win.
- Boldcall reviewers can't decide a bet before it's due. A lead can undo a review within 24 hours. After that, it's final.
- Public rankings only count bets Boldcall posts and decides, by live scores or a sourced review. Nothing your group makes or votes on counts there.
- On public rankings, the overall percentages only count verified accounts that are at least a week old.
When a bet doesn't count
- The game or event gets canceled, pushed past its date, or ends in a way the bet didn't cover. A Boldcall bet that said something happens by a date is different: the date passing is a No.
- Nobody can tell if it happened, or the group doesn't get two votes in before the deadline.
- The bet broke the community rules.
- The vote was rigged.
A bet that doesn't count gives nobody points and takes none away.
Fixes
Scores are sometimes wrong, and stats get corrected. If a score we used changes within 48 hours, we redo the result and the points move. After that, the result stays unless it was clearly our mistake. Think a Boldcall review is wrong? Email [email protected] with the bet and your source. Arguments about your group's own bets are for your group to settle.
How points work
Right when almost nobody agreed? Up to +100. Right when everyone agreed? +10. Being wrong works the same way in reverse. Whoever started the bet gets 1.5× either way. Points are bragging rights. They're not worth money.