The Mac Quarterback is designed to be easy to use and to understand. The manual is intended as a reference tool when you encounter something that is unclear. Before you begin your own pool, become familar with Mac QB and how it operates. Then, read the next two chapters "Things to Remember" and "Step by Step" to see what will be the procedures for the weekly use of Mac QB. You may also want to read the chapter "Beginning a New Pool" and the chapters covering the four basic pool types.
Start The Mac Quarterback and open one of the sample pool files included in the Mac QB folder.
The first time you run The Mac Quarterback, it will ask you to set the printer's print area to the maximum possible, the page orientation to portrait and image size to 100 in the Page Setup Window. These configurations will be the basis of its calculations when it advises you about the reduction needed for special printing of the master sheet or entry forms.
The icon buttons on the splash screen provide a short cut to the various routines for the current week. (To select a routine for a previous week, you have to use the menu.) The first four are for printing, the next four are for entering data, and the remaining are for viewing. For each of the sample pools, week 3 is the current week.
As you investigate each of the menu items under the Edit Menu and the Pool Menu, you can use the Cancel button to exit the routine without disturbing the sample pool's set up.
1. Select each of the Preferences to see what's available. Some of the Program Preferences won't mean much until you've become familiar with Mac QB.
2. Try each of the menu items under the Pool Menu to see how entries are made. Use Cancel to exit the routines.
3. Select each of the menu items under the View Menu. Pay particular attention to the Entry Form, Master Sheet, and Pool Results.
4. Look at the Master Sheet for week 3. This is an example of a Pre-game Master. Next, select Master Sheet from the View Menu and choose week 2. This is how a post game Master looks.
5. Look at Pool Results for week 2 and week 3.
6. Select one of the players from the active menu. These windows can be used to update player accounts for specific weeks.
Sample Pools: All of the sample pools are ficitious. Each is based upon the NFL schedule for 1994 and has only 10 players, with random picks for each player. The NFL 1995 Pool contains the NFL teams and the complete schedule for 1995 and hasn't any player names entered. You can use this file to begin your own pool if you are going to use the NFL schedule for your pool.
Pick Winners Sample
This sample pool is a pick 5 parlay pool but could be set to any combination, including a pick all pool.
窶｢ From the Pick Winner Sample menu, Select Change Pool Settings: Season Settings: The beginning date is used by Mac QB to calculate the dates for future weeks. The number of weeks is set to 17 but can be any number up to 25.
The Use for Winnings entry will be used on the Master sheet to indicate the amount to be paid to the winner. In this pool, the manager is using Prize Points rather than indicating that these are dollars to be paid out. If you want, you can have it shown as dollars by including $ as the last character in the entry. For example: Pays $
窶｢ Select Change Pool Settings: A Previous Week's Setting and then choose week 1 to see the pool setup. The pool titile and sub-title will be used on both the entry form and master sheet. The pool type is Pick Winners. The weekly fee is 5 dollars and the manager fee is 10% of each week's pool. Also, $2 are to be taken from each pool for the season winner. There is only a first place winner in this pool. (For your pool you can have a 1st and a 2nd or a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Merely distrube the percentage among the 3 so that it equals 100.
窶｢ Click OK to see the Pick Winners Template: This pool is a Pick 5 parlay pool against the spread. Each player must pick 5 teams. In order to win, the player has to have all 5 teams win against the spread. There is no tie-breaker. The Includes Monday Night Game button is checked, which means that on the Master sheet the last game will be set off and indicated as being the Monday Night Game.
窶｢ From the Main Window (with the splash screen) click the View Entry button (the one with the Macintosh icon). This is the Entry Form for the current week, week 3, but is the same for the previous two weeks. Notice the players are to place a check on the entry line next to the team to indicate their picks. And, since this is an Against the Spread pool, the spread for each game is included.
窶｢ Select Pool Results from the View Menu and choose week 1. In the 1st week, there were 9 players (George did not play). No one had five winning picks, so the pool carried over to the 2nd week. Notice the Manager's fee and the Season Winners deduction are both 0. To make it easier for you to know how much to pay out and how much to keep, the deductions are not made until there is a winner.
窶｢ Select Pool Results from the View Menu and choose week 2. For week 2, George decided to play. He had to pay for week 2 and the carry over week in order to play. There is one winner:Monica has 5 winning picks. The manager's fee of 10% has been deducted, along with the $4 to the Season Winner (for weeks 1 and 2). If you were the manager for this pool, you would pay Monica $86, keep $10 to cover your expenses and time, and put aside $4 for the Season Winner.
窶｢ View the Master sheets for weeks 2 and 3. Week 2 is an example of a post game Master and week 3 is an example of a pre-game Master.
Confidence Pool Sample
This file illustrates how a Confidence Pool is tracked and formatted. It has the picks and scores entered for weeks 1-2 and the picks entered for week 3.
窶｢ From the Main Window (with the splash screen) click the View Entry button (the one with the Macintosh icon). This is the Entry Form for the current week, week 3, but is the same for the previous two weeks. Notice the players are to place their confidence points on the entry line next to the team to indicate their picks. The row of confidence boxes are intended as an aid to the players in keeping track of their confidence points. They can check off the confidence points as they enter them to make sure they have not duplicated or omitted a confidence number.
窶｢ Click the View Master button from the Main Window. This will show the Master for week 3 and is an example of a pre-game Master Sheet for a confidence pool. Select Master Sheet from the View Menu and choose week 2 to see a post game Master Sheet.
窶｢ Select Pool Results from the View Menu, and then choose week 2. The picks for each player are listed in the same order as the schedule and include both the team and the confidence points he/she assigned to each pick. The winners are indicated by black boxes and losers, by grey boxes.
Post Season Sample
When the season ends, an air of gloom settles over everyne because there are no more weekly office pools. The Post Season pool is the answer. It can give everyone one more chance to win the office pool.
The Post Season pool is a special variation of the Confidence pool and can be used for any playoffs: the NFL, NCAA, NBA, or even the baseball playoffs (see Post Season Pool chapter for an explanation). This sample post season pool covers the NFL playoffs for 1994 through the 3rd round.
There is only one Entry form for the pool and only one entry fee because the pool begins with the first playoff round and doesn't end until the championship game has been played.
窶｢ View the Entry Form: The Entry form is sent out before the post season begins. Players must give confidence points to each and every team in the playoffs. Whenever a team wins a playoff game, the players get the confidence points they assigned to that team.
In this pool there are 12 teams. Therefore players should assign 12 points to the team they think will win the Super Bowl, 11 points to the other team in the Super Bowl, 10 and 9 points should be assigned to the teams they think will make it to the Conference Finals but not to the Super Bowl, etc..
窶｢ Select Master Sheet from the View Menu, and then choose Players' Initial Picks. This is the pre-playoffs Master, with each player's confidence points for each team in the playoffs. As you enter the schedule each round, a pre-round Master will be generated and after you enter the scores, a post-rount Master will be generated. You can post these to show the progress of the pool.
Although the pool does not end until the final game, it may be that a player will win before that. View the Pool Results for week 3 and you'll see that only 3 players still have a chance to win.
