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1994-02-11
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Hoopla! V3.00
Computerizing Your Office Pool
for the College Basketball Tournament
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994.
All rights reserved.
Hoopla! is available for $24.95 from Stadium Software.
Hoopla!
Stadium Software
P.O. Box 2887
Ann Arbor, MI
48106
A. HOOPLA! - An Introduction. 1
A.1. Hoopla! - The Office Pool. 1
A.2. Hoopla! - Saves Time. 2
A.3. Hoopla! - Guarantees Accuracy. 2
A.4. Hoopla! - Keeps the Contestants Informed. 2
A.5. Hoopla! - Forecasts the Future. 2
A.6. Hoopla! - How to Run an Office Pool. 3
A.7. Hoopla! - The Statistics. 4
B. HOOPLA! - Running the Program. 6
B.1. Main Menu. 7
B.1.1. Administration Menu. 8
B.1.1.1. View or edit team names and abbreviations. 9
B.1.1.2. View or edit pool name. 10
B.1.1.3. View or edit point scoring strategy. 11
B.1.1.4. View or edit number of winners. 13
B.1.1.5. View or edit tie-breaker strategy. 14
B.1.1.6. View or edit external tie-breaker usage. 15
B.1.1.8. View or edit year. 17
B.1.2. Contestant Menu. 18
B.1.2.1. Edit contestant's picks. 20
B.1.2.2. Print contestant's picks. 22
B.1.3. Actual Results Menu. 23
B.1.4. Reports Menu. 24
B.1.4.1. Sample Pre-Tourney Report. 25
B.1.4.2. Sample Status and Forecast Report. 28
B.1.4.3. Sample Summary Report. 32
C. HOOPLA! - Technical Reference. 36
C.1. Error Messages. 36
C.2. Technical Notes. 38
C.3. File Backup. 39
D. HOOPLA! - Product Support. 40
E. HOOPLA! - License. 41
i
A. HOOPLA! - An Introduction.
Hoopla! is designed to enhance your enjoyment of the College Basketball
Tournament by computerizing your office pool. It allows you to spend more time
watching the games and less time administrating the office pool. With Hoopla!,
it is easy to provide the pool contestants with up-to-date pool information that
is guaranteed to be 100% accurate. As a bonus, Hoopla! delivers a variety of
useful statistics before, during, and at the end of the tournament. Even if
you've never touched a computer before, you'll appreciate how easy Hoopla! is to
use.
A.1. Hoopla! - The Office Pool.
There are many different types of office pools for the College Basketball
Tournament. Hoopla! computerizes the most common type of office pool often
referred to as a "bracket pool." The rules of such a pool are simple.
The College Basketball Tournament consists of 64 teams playing 63 games.
Before the tournament begins, each contestant in the office pool must predict
the outcome of every game in the entire tournament. As the games are played, a
contestant is awarded points for each game in which the result matches the
forecast. (Often, the number of points awarded varies according to the round in
which the game is played.) At the end of the tournament, the contestant with
the most total points is declared the winner. Runners-up may also be
recognized.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 1
A.2. Hoopla! - Saves Time.
Administrating an office pool can be a very time-consuming proposition.
Manually "grading" all the entry forms after each game is played is not only a
tedious and error-prone job, but it also interferes with precious game-watching
time. Hoopla! eliminates the need for paper shuffling and manual calculations.
With Hoopla!, simply input the information from each of the entry forms.
Hoopla! provides a time-saving region-by-region bracket layout for inputting
entry forms. Before the tournament even begins, your work is done! All the
rest of the work - calculating contestants' point totals and other statistics -
can be accomplished by the use of a few, simple keystrokes.
A.3. Hoopla! - Guarantees Accuracy.
Once the entry forms are entered into Hoopla!, all statistical calculations
are guaranteed to be accurate. No need to check and re-check the manual
"grading" process for accuracy.
A.4. Hoopla! - Keeps the Contestants Informed.
In many office pools, after the entry forms are submitted, the contestants
hear nothing until the winners are announced. But, with Hoopla!, up-to-date
summary reports can be generated quickly and easily. Contestants can be
informed of their status after every round, or even after every game.
A.5. Hoopla! - Forecasts the Future.
By simulating all possible outcomes for the tournament, Hoopla! is able to
forecast each contestant's prospects for the remainder of the tournament. This
forecast includes a report of the most points each contestant could possibly
achieve and even each contestant's probability of winning the pool. Hoopla! is
also able to discover some interesting conditions which guarantee a particular
contestant to win. For example, it might notice that "If Michigan wins the
semi-final game, Big Ten Bob will win the pool." Many of these statistics would
be difficult, if not impossible, to calculate without Hoopla!.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 2
A.6. Hoopla! - How to Run an Office Pool.
For Hoopla! to be used most effectively, it is important that an office
pool administrator be appointed. The administrator is responsible for the
following duties:
SETTING UP THE POOL
1) Once the tournament teams are known, enter the team names and team
abbreviations into the database using Hoopla!'s Administration Menu.
2) Also, use Hoopla!'s Administration Menu to specify:
a) a name for the pool,
b) the number of points (on a round-by-round, and optionally a seed-
by-seed basis) that will be awarded for each correct prediction,
c) the number of winners that will be recognized,
d) whether or not a tie-breaker system will be used,
e) how a tie will be handled if even the tie-breaker fails to produce
a single winner, and
f) what probability formula will be used.
3) Generate an entry form using Hoopla!'s Administration Menu.
4) Distribute entry forms to prospective contestants.
5) Collect all contestant entry forms before the first game of the
tournament is played. You may choose to allow a contestant to enter the
contest more than once.
6) Enter the contestants' entry forms into the database using Hoopla!'s
Contestant Menu.
7) Use Hoopla's Reports Menu to generate a report of pre-tournament
statistics. Distribute this report to the contestants. If desired,
print each contestant's choices, using Hoopla!'s Contestant Menu, and
distribute each sheet to the appropriate contestant as well. These
sheets can serve as a receipt for the contestant, and as a means for
verifying correctness.
RUNNING THE POOL
1) After each game is played, use Hoopla!'s Actual Results Menu to enter
the result of the game into the database.
2) Periodically (as often as you choose), generate a Status and Forecast
Report using Hoopla!'s Reports Menu. (If you are interested in round-
by-round summary information, generate a Summary Report as well.)
3) Distribute the report to the contestants. This will give them a good
understanding of how they are faring relative to the other contestants.
FINALIZING THE POOL
1) After all games have been played and all results have been entered into
the database, generate a final Summary Report. Announce the winners and
throw a party.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 3
A.7. Hoopla! - The Statistics.
Sample Status and Forecast Report:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hoopla! Status and Forecast Report
1993 College Basketball Tournament
Ranking by Total Points So Far
Total Max Prob Prob
Pts Poss Games Of Of
So Total Still First Top Tournament
Far Pts Alive Place 2 Winner
** Perfect Picker ** 96 192 7
** Median Picker ** 57 105 4
1. Atlantic Ten Alice 65 105 4 4.5% 43.0% Massachusetts
2. ACC Alex 62 142 5 29.2% 47.8% North Carolina
3. Southeastern Sally 61 117 3 20.1% 32.0% Kentucky
4. Big East Betty 57 73 2 ---- 9.9% Seton Hall
4. Big Ten Bob 57 137 5 36.1% 60.4% Indiana
6. Big Eight Bill 48 104 3 10.1% 12.6% Kansas
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hoopla! Rooting Advice
If all these teams win, you have a chance to place in the top 2.
If any of these teams lose, you have no chance to place.
If your name doesn't appear in this list, you have no chance to place.
ACC Alex Root for: It's not easy to tell you who to root for.
Atlantic Ten Alice Root for: It's not easy to tell you who to root for.
Big East Betty Root for: FlSt(rnd 4) Mich(rnd 4)
Big Eight Bill Root for: Kans(rnd 5)
Big Ten Bob Root for: It's not easy to tell you who to root for.
Southeastern Sally Root for: KY(rnd 4)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interesting Facts
If North Carolina wins in Tourney Final , ACC Alex will win.
If Indiana wins in Tourney Final , Big Ten Bob will win.
If Kansas wins in Tourney Final , Big Eight Bill will win.
If Kentucky wins in Tourney Final , Southeastern Sally will win.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of points awarded for each correct pick:
Round #1 : 1 point
Round #2 : 2 points
Regional Semi : 4 points
Regional Final: 8 points
Tourney Semi : 16 points
Tourney Final : 32 points
Tournament status:
Games Played Games Remaining
Round #1 32 -
Round #2 16 -
Regional Semi 8 -
Regional Final - 4
Tourney Semi - 2
Tourney Final - 1
In the event of a tie, the contestant with a correct pick in the
championship game wins. If still tied, the contestant with the
most correct picks in the semi-final round wins, and so on until
the tie is broken.
In calculating the probabilities, the odds for each game are based
on a comparison of the teams' seeds.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Analysis of the Sample Report:
In the sample report presented above, the first three rounds (56 games)
have already been played, and the last three rounds (7 games) remain to be
played. A perfect game sheet would have a score of 96 points with a
potential for 192. A median contestant would have a score of 57 points
with a potential for 105.
Atlantic Ten Alice is winning the pool with 65 points.
Even though Big Ten Bob is currently in next to last place, he has the best
chance of winning the pool. Big East Betty has been mathematically
eliminated from any possibility of winning.
Even after only three rounds of play, it can be said that if North Carolina
wins the tournament, ACC Alex will win the pool. Other guaranteed pool
winners are Big Ten Bob (if Indiana wins), Big Eight Bill (if Kansas wins),
and Southeastern Sally (if Kentucky wins).
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 5
B. HOOPLA! - Running the Program.
Hoopla! has been designed with consistent features to help you navigate
through the program. If you acquaint yourself with the following personality
traits of Hoopla!, you will see that it is easy to find your way around:
o The escape key can always be used to stop what you're doing and return
to the previous state. (This often means returning to the previous
menu.)
o The common keystrokes that are valid at any particular moment are
highlighted somewhere on the screen (most often in the menu area).
o Whenever text entry is required, it will be signified by a blinking
character cursor at the relevant position in a highlighted rectangular
area. The following keystrokes are always available during text
entry:
o Home - Move to the beginning of the line.
o End - Move to the end of the line.
o Left Arrow - Move to the previous character.
o Right Arrow - Move to the next character.
o Del - Delete the current character.
o Backspace - Delete the previous character.
o Changes will never be made to the database without first asking you
whether or not you approve the change.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 6
B.1. Main Menu.
MAIN MENU
1 Administration
2 Contestants
3 Actual results
4 Reports
Esc Exit
The Main Menu allows for entry into any of the sub-menus.
The following table documents the results of various keystrokes:
1 Moves to the Administration Menu.
2 Moves to the Contestants Menu.
3 Moves to the Actual Results Menu.
4 Moves to the Reports Menu.
Esc Exits Hoopla!.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 7
B.1.1. Administration Menu.
ADMINISTRATION MENU
1 View or edit team names and abbreviations
2 View or edit name of pool
3 View or edit point scoring strategy
4 View or edit number of winners
5 View or edit tie-breaker strategy
6 View or edit external tie-breaker usage
7 View or edit probability formula
8 View or edit year
P Print an entry form
Esc Exit
The Administration Menu features the functions that are necessary to set up
the office pool.
The following table documents the results of various keystrokes:
1 Moves to the Team Names Menu.
2 Moves to the Pool Name Menu.
3 Moves to the Point Scoring Strategy Menu.
4 Moves to the Number of Winners Menu.
5 Moves to the Tie-Breaker Strategy Menu.
6 Moves to the External Tie-Breaker Usage Menu.
7 Moves to the Probability Formula Menu.
8 Moves to the Year Menu.
P Sends a blank entry form to the printer. This entry form should
be used by contestants to specify their predictions.
Esc Returns to the Main Menu.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 8
B.1.1.1. View or edit team names and abbreviations.
PgUp Previous region ^vTab Move to a new name
PgDn Next region
Esc Exit
WEST REGION Team Name Abbreviation
1 Michigan_ Mich
16 Coast. Carolina CCar
8 Iowa State IaSt
9 UCLA UCLA
5 New Mexico NMex
12 Geo. Washington GWsh
4 Georgia Tech GaTc
13 Southern Sou
6 Illinois Ill
11 Long Beach St LBSt
3 Vanderbilt Vand
14 Boise State BsSt
7 Temple Temp
10 Missouri MO
2 Arizona AZ
15 Santa Clara SnCl
This menu allows you to specify the names and abbreviations of the teams
participating in this year's tournament.
The first column represents the seeds within the region. Teams names and
abbreviations should be specified to correspond to the appropriate seeds. Team
names can be up to 15 characters in length. Team abbreviations can be up to 4
characters in length. The same team abbreviation can not be used for more than
one team. The tab key and the up and down arrows will move you between team
names and abbreviations.
The following table documents the results of various keystrokes:
PgUp Moves to the previous region.
PgDn Moves to the next region.
Up arrow Moves to the team name or abbreviation above.
Dn arrow Moves to the team name or abbreviation below.
Tab Moves to the next team name or abbreviation.
Esc Returns to the Administration Menu.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 9
B.1.1.2. View or edit pool name.
POOL NAME MENU
Esc Exit
Pool name: 1993 Tournament_
The Pool Name Menu allows you to specify a pool name to be used in report
titles.
The following table documents the results of various keystrokes:
Esc Returns to the Administration Menu.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 10
B.1.1.3. View or edit point scoring strategy.
POINT SCORING STRATEGY MENU
Esc Exit
Round #1 1_ # 1 Seed 1
Round #2 2 # 2 Seed 1
Regional Semi 4 # 3 Seed 1
Regional Final 8 # 4 Seed 1
Tourney Semi 16 # 5 Seed 1
Tourney Final 32 # 6 Seed 1
# 7 Seed 1
# 8 Seed 1
# 9 Seed 1
#10 Seed 1
#11 Seed 1
#12 Seed 1
#13 Seed 1
#14 Seed 1
#15 Seed 1
#16 Seed 1
The Point Scoring Strategy Menu allows you to specify, on a round-by-round
basis and a seed-by-seed basis, how many points a contestant will be awarded for
a correct prediction. The points awarded for a correct pick are calculated by
multiplying 1) the points awarded for a correct pick in that round and 2) the
points awarded for the seed of the winning team.
For a typical pool, the column of points per seed can be ignored. In most
pools, the scoring will vary depending on the round, but not depending on the
seed of the winning team. In these cases, the seed-by-seed scoring is not used
and each seed's value can be left at its default of 1. However, in some pools,
contestants are awarded more points for correctly picking teams with larger
seeds. For example, the scoring strategy might be as follows:
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 11
Round #1 1 # 1 Seed 1
Round #2 2 # 2 Seed 1
Regional Semi 3 # 3 Seed 1
Regional Final 4 # 4 Seed 1
Tourney Semi 5 # 5 Seed 1
Tourney Final 6 # 6 Seed 1
# 7 Seed 1
# 8 Seed 1
# 9 Seed 2
#10 Seed 2
#11 Seed 2
#12 Seed 2
#13 Seed 2
#14 Seed 2
#15 Seed 2
#16 Seed 2
In this example, correctly picking a #2 seed in the regional final will
result in 4 points (4 times 1). However, correctly picking a #9 seed in the
regional final will result in 8 points (4 times 2).
The number of points awarded for any single game may be any value between
0 and 1000. The up and down arrows will move you between rounds.
Hoopla! is initially configured with the above values. These values result
in each round having an equal number of potential points (32 points). For
example, in round #1 there are 32 games, each worth 1 point. In round #2 there
are 16 games each worth 2 points, etc. The choices for these values can
sometimes become a very controversial issue. Hoopla! provides great flexibility
for your point choices.
NOTE: Some pools are run such that points are not awarded for correct
predictions. Instead, only contestants that pick the tournament winner
correctly are eligible to win. If there is a tie (because several contestants
or no contestants correctly picked the winner), then the tie is broken by the
most correct picks in the tournament semi-final round, and so on until the tie
is broken. To run such a pool, specify all points per round to be 0, then use
"View or edit tie-breaker strategy" to specify that the tie-breaker strategy be
used.
The following table documents the results of various keystrokes:
Esc Returns to the Administration Menu.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 12
B.1.1.4. View or edit number of winners.
NUMBER OF WINNERS MENU
Esc Exit
Number of winners: 3_
The Number of Winners Menu allows you to specify the number of winners that
will be recognized at the end of the tournament. The number of winners can be
any value between 1 and 2000. A backspace can be used to erase the previous
character.
Hoopla! is initially configured to recognize 3 winners. Your choice here
will usually depend on the total number of contestants.
The following table documents the results of various keystrokes:
Esc Returns to the Administration Menu.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 13
B.1.1.5. View or edit tie-breaker strategy.
TIE-BREAKER STRATEGY MENU
A Break ties based on correct picks in later rounds
B Do not break ties based on correct picks in later rounds
Esc Exit
Consider the case where two contestants have identical
point totals at the end of the tournament, but Contestant X
picked the tournament winner correctly and Contestant Y picked the
tournament winner incorrectly.
If ties are broken based on correct picks in later rounds,
Contestant X wins over Contestant Y.
If ties are not broken based on correct picks in later rounds, Contestant X
and Contestant Y are tied.
Tie-breaker strategy: A
The Tie-Breaker Strategy Menu allows you to specify whether or not a tie-
breaker strategy is to be used. This choice affects:
o how contestants' rankings are calculated in the "Status and Forecast"
and "Summary" reports, and
o how contestants' winning probabilities are calculated in the "Status
and Forecast" report.
If 'A' is specified, a tie-breaker strategy is used. In the event of a
tie, the contestant with a correct pick in the championship game wins. If still
tied, the contestant with the most correct picks in the tournament semi-final
game wins, and so on, until the tie is broken.
If 'B' is specified, no tie-breaker strategy is used. In the event of a
tie, all contestants sharing the tie are declared as winners.
Hoopla! is initially configured to use the tie-breaker strategy.
The following table documents the results of various keystrokes:
A Chooses to use a tie-breaker strategy.
B Chooses not to use a tie-breaker strategy.
Esc Returns to the Administration Menu.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 14
B.1.1.6. View or edit external tie-breaker usage.
EXTERNAL TIE-BREAKER MENU
A Ties are permitted and will not be broken
B Ties will ultimately be broken by external means
Esc Exit
THIS ONLY AFFECTS THE CALCULATION OF PROBABILITIES.
If ties are permitted and will not be broken, two contestants with the same
final results will both be declared winners. In general, the sum of all
contestants' probabilities of winning can add up to more than 100%.
If ties will ultimately be broken by external means, the case of two
contestants with the same final results will be handled by an external tie-
breaker (such as drawing names from a hat). In general, the sum of all
contestants' probabilities of winning will add up to approximately 100%.
External tie-breaker: A
The External Tie-Breaker Usage Menu allows you to specify whether or not an
external tie-breaker is to be used. This choice affects:
o how contestants' winning probabilities are calculated in the "Status
and Forecast" report.
If 'A' is specified, an external tie-breaker is not used. In the event of
a tie, all contestants sharing the tie are declared as winners.
If 'B' is specified, an external tie-breaker is used. In the event of a
tie, a external tie-breaker (such as drawing names from a hat or choosing the
contestant who most closely guessed the total number of points in the
championship game) is used.
Hoopla! is initially configured to permit ties.
The following table documents the results of various keystrokes:
A Chooses not to use an external tie-breaker.
B Chooses to use an external tie-breaker.
Esc Returns to the Administration Menu.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 15
B.1.1.7. View or edit probability formula.
PROBABILITY FORMULA MENU
A For any game, the odds are based on a comparison of the teams' seeds
B For any game, the odds are even
THIS ONLY AFFECTS THE CALCULATION OF PROBABILITIES.
Esc Exit
Probability formula: A
The Probability Formula Menu allows you to specify which probability
formula is used when simulating games. This choice only affects:
o how contestants' winning probabilities are calculated in the "Status
and Forecast" report.
Hoopla! is initially configured to use probabilities that are based on a
comparison of the teams' seeds. That is, it is considered more unlikely for a
#16 seed to beat a #1 seed than it is for a #2 seed to beat a #1 seed. (The
alternative is that for every game, each team is considered to have a 50-50
chance of winning.)
The following table documents the results of various keystrokes:
A Chooses to base the odds on a comparison of the teams' seeds.
B Chooses to use even odds for all games.
Esc Returns to the Administration Menu.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 16
B.1.1.8. View or edit year.
YEAR MENU
Esc Exit
Tournament Year: 1994_
The Year Menu allows you to specify the tournament year. Hoopla! is
initially configured to use your computer's date setting to determine the year.
You will only have to use the Year Menu if your computer's date is incorrect.
It is important that this date is correct because the year determines the
regional match-ups in the championship games.
The following table documents the results of various keystrokes:
Esc Returns to the Administration Menu.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 17
B.1.2. Contestant Menu.
CONTESTANT MENU
1 Edit contestant's picks ^ v Move to a new contestant
2 Edit contestant's name & info P Print contestant's picks
Ins Add a new contestant Alt-P Print all contestants' picks
Del Delete contestant
Esc Exit
1. ACC Alex
2. Atlantic Ten Alice
3. Big East Betty
4. Big Eight Bill
5. Big Ten Bob
6. Southeastern Sally
The Contestant Menu allows you to manage the contestants and their entry
forms. The menu provides an alphabetical list of the current contestants. The
up and down arrows can be used to select a single contestant. The page up, page
down, home, and end keys are also useful in navigating through the list of
contestants. For many of the available functions of the Contestant Menu, it is
necessary to first select a contestant. Hoopla! allows for up to 2000
contestants.
Duplicate contestant names are not permitted. If a single contestant
submits more than one entry form, it is necessary to differentiate the
contestant's name in each case. A common solution is to append a number to the
contestant's entry forms. For example, "Smith, John #1" and "Smith, John #2".
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 18
The following table documents the results of various keystrokes:
1 Moves to the pick teams screen.
2 Prompts for a new name and new information to replace the current
name and information for the selected contestant. After entering
the new name and new information, you must type Esc.
Ins Prompts for the name and the information for a new contestant to
add to the office pool. (The information may be anything you
want - the contestant's phone number, address, tie-breaker data,
etc. This information will appear in reports if you request it.)
After entering the name and information, you must type Esc.
After typing Esc, you will be presented with an entry form for
the new contestant.
Del Deletes the selected contestant from the office pool.
P Sends the picks for the selected contestant to the printer.
Alt-P Sends the picks for all contestants to the printer.
Home Moves to the beginning of the contestant list.
End Moves to the end of the contestant list.
PgUp Moves the contestant list up one window.
PgDn Moves the contestant list down one window.
Up Arrow Moves the selection to the previous contestant.
Dn Arrow Moves the selection to the next contestant.
Esc Returns to the Main Menu.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 19
B.1.2.1. Edit contestant's picks.
F1 UNLV ^ v Move to new game Alt-E Erase all picks
F2 Ark-Little Rock PgUp Previous region
X **no pick** PgDn Next region
Esc Exit WEST REGION
Big Ten Bob
1 Michigan 1 +Mich
16 Coast. Carolina 16 +Mich
8 Iowa State -IaSt
9 UCLA +Mich
5 New Mexico -NMex
12 Geo. Washington -GaTc
4 Georgia Tech -GaTc
13 Southern Mich
6 Illinois +Ill
11 Long Beach St -Ill
3 Vanderbilt +Vand
14 Boise State -Ill
7 Templt +Temp
10 Missouri -AZ
2 Arizona -AZ
15 Santa Clara
This menu allows you to manage a contestant's entry form. It presents you
with five screens - one for each of the four regions, and a fifth screen for the
championship games. You can maneuver among these screens by using the page up
and page down keys. The up, down, left, and right arrow keys can be used to
move the cursor to the exact game you want to predict.
The first column represents the seeds within the region. A plus sign ('+')
next to a pick indicates that the game has been played and the contestant's pick
was correct. A minus sign ('-') next to a pick indicates that the game has been
played and the contestant's pick was incorrect. If no mark exists, the game has
not yet been played.
In picking the winner of a game, a team can always be picked by specifying
'F1' or 'F2'. ('X' can be used to erase a pick.) However, a team can also be
picked by specifying the last digit of the team's seed. (If the last digits of
both teams' seeds are the same, then 'F1' or 'F2' must be specified.) If the
contestant has filled in the seeds on the entry form, you will find that using
the last digit of the team's seed is a much faster and much more accurate way of
entering a contestant entry form. To make your life easier:
REQUIRE ALL CONTESTANTS TO SPECIFY THE TEAM SEED ALONG WITH THE TEAM NAME
FOR EACH PICK ON THE ENTRY FORM.
The following table documents the results of various keystrokes:
F1 For the game at the cursor location, picks the first team (the
team on the top portion of the bracket).
F2 For the game at the cursor location, picks the second team (the
team on the bottom portion of the bracket).
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 20
<digit> For the game at the cursor location, picks the team where <digit>
matches the last digit of its seed.
X Erases the pick for the game at the cursor location.
Up Arrow Moves to the previous game.
Dn Arrow Moves to the next game.
PgUp Moves to the previous region.
PgDn Moves to the next region.
Alt-E Erases all picks for all games in all regions.
Esc Returns to the Contestant Menu.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 21
B.1.2.2. Print contestant's picks.
When a contestant's sheet is printed in bracket form (either vertically or
in quadrants), it is "scored" for games that have already been played. That is,
if a game has already been played, a mark is printed next to the contestant's
pick. A plus sign ('+') is printed if the contestant's pick was correct. A
minus sign ('-') is printed if the contestant's pick was incorrect. No mark is
printed if the game has not yet been played.
Alternatively, a contestant sheet can be printed in compact form. This
allows 10 contestant sheets to be printed per page, but does not allow for
scoring marks to be included.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 22
B.1.3. Actual Results Menu.
ACTUAL RESULTS MENU
1 View or edit actual results
P Print actual results
Esc Exit
The Actual Results Menu is used to record the results of the tournament
games as they are played.
The following table documents the results of various keystrokes:
1 Moves to the pick teams screen. This screen is identical to the
one used to view or edit contestants' picks. (See above.)
However, it has the additional ability to run a quick Summary
Report.
P Sends the actual results to the printer.
Esc Exits to the Main Menu.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 23
B.1.4. Reports Menu.
REPORTS MENU
1 Generate pre-tourney report
2 Generate status and forecast report
3 Generate summary report
Esc Exit
The Reports Menu allows you to generate standard Hoopla! reports.
The following table documents the results of various keystrokes:
1 Produces a report of pre-tournament statistics and saves the
report in the file, HOOPPRE.RPT.
If contestant information exists for any contestant, you will be
asked whether you want this information to be included in the
report.
2 Produces a report of status and forecast statistics and saves the
report in the file, HOOPFORE.RPT.
A report ranking the contestants by total points so far is always
produced. You will be asked whether you additionally want
reports ranking the contestants by maximum possible total points,
by probability of first place, and (alphabetically) by contestant
name.
After three rounds have been played, you will be asked whether
you want each possible tournament outcome (along with the
associated winners) to be listed.
If contestant information exists for any contestant, you will be
asked whether you want this information to be included in the
report.
After two rounds have been played, winning probabilities will be
calculated for each contestant.
3 Produces a report of summary statistics and saves the report in
the file, HOOPSUMM.RPT.
If contestant information exists for any contestant, you will be
asked whether you want this information to be included in the
report.
Esc Exits to the Main Menu.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 24
B.1.4.1. Sample Pre-Tourney Report.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hoopla! Pre-Tournament Report
1993 College Basketball Tournament
With Agst Tie Biggest Tourney Winner &
Seed Seed Seed Upset Regional Winners
Big East Betty 55 8 0 Pitt(9) over Seton Hall
KY(1) StJn Indy StHl Mich
Southeastern Sally 55 8 0 LSU(11) over Kentucky
Indy(1) Ark LSU KY Vand
ACC Alex 54 9 0 Wake(5) over North Carolina
KY(1) NC Duke FlSt GaTc
Big Ten Bob 54 8 1 Purd(9) over Indiana
NC(1) Purd Indy Iowa Mich
Atlantic Ten Alice 53 10 0 GWsh(12) over Massachusetts
Mich(1) Mass Indy KY Temp
Big Eight Bill 48 15 0 Nebr(10) over Kansas
NC(1) Nebr Kans KsSt MO
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 25
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WEST REGION
Picked to win per round
Round
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 Michigan 6 5 3 2 1
16 Coast. Carolina
8 Iowa State 6 1 1
9 UCLA
5 New Mexico 5
12 Geo. Washington 1 1 1
4 Georgia Tech 6 5 1 1
13 Southern
6 Illinois 6 1 1
11 Long Beach St
3 Vanderbilt 6 5 1 1
14 Boise State
7 Temple 5 1 1 1 1
10 Missouri 1 1 1 1
2 Arizona 6 4 2
15 Santa Clara
Picked to win the region
(# 1 seed) Michigan 2 33.3%
(# 3 seed) Vanderbilt 1 16.7%
(# 4 seed) Georgia Tech 1 16.7%
(# 7 seed) Temple 1 16.7%
(#10 seed) Missouri 1 16.7%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PICKED TO WIN THE TOURNAMENT
(# 1 seed) Indiana 1 16.7%
(# 1 seed) Kentucky 1 16.7%
(# 1 seed) North Carolina 1 16.7%
(# 2 seed) Kansas 1 16.7%
(# 2 seed) Seton Hall 1 16.7%
(# 3 seed) Massachusetts 1 16.7%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 26
Interpreting the Pre-Tourney Statistics:
"With Seed" - represents how many of the contestant's predictions pick the
favorite to win.
"Agst Seed" - represents how many of the contestant's predictions pick the
underdog to win.
"Tie Seed" - represents how many of the contestant's predictions pick one of two
identically-seeded teams.
"Biggest Upset" - represents the biggest upset this contestant predicts for the
entire tournament. (The team names and seeds are included in the report.)
"Tourney Winner & Regional Winners" - represents the team chosen by the
contestant to win the tournament, as well as the teams chosen by the contestant
to win each of the regions.
This report gives you a rough idea of which contestants wimped out and went
with the favorites and which contestants have no idea what they are doing and
have gone with too many upsets.
The "Picked to win per round" table allows you to answer questions like
"How many people picked Santa Clara to upset Arizona in the first round?" In
this pool, the answer is zero. You can also see that all six contestants picked
Michigan to win its first round game.
Also, this report tallies up the number of contestants (and the percentage
of contestants) that picked each team to win the regionals and the tournament.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 27
B.1.4.2. Sample Status and Forecast Report.
(After 3 Rounds).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hoopla! Status and Forecast Report
1993 College Basketball Tournament
Ranking by Total Points So Far
Total Max Prob Prob
Pts Poss Games Of Of
So Total Still First Top Tournament
Far Pts Alive Place 2 Winner
** Perfect Picker ** 96 192 7
** Median Picker ** 57 105 4
1. Atlantic Ten Alice 65 105 4 4.5% 43.0% Massachusetts
2. ACC Alex 62 142 5 29.2% 47.8% North Carolina
3. Southeastern Sally 61 117 3 20.1% 32.0% Kentucky
4. Big East Betty 57 73 2 ---- 9.9% Seton Hall
4. Big Ten Bob 57 137 5 36.1% 60.4% Indiana
6. Big Eight Bill 48 104 3 10.1% 12.6% Kansas
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hoopla! Rooting Advice
If all these teams win, you have a chance to place in the top 2.
If any of these teams lose, you have no chance to place.
If your name doesn't appear in this list, you have no chance to place.
ACC Alex Root for: It's not easy to tell you who to root for.
Atlantic Ten Alice Root for: It's not easy to tell you who to root for.
Big East Betty Root for: FlSt(rnd 4) Mich(rnd 4)
Big Eight Bill Root for: Kans(rnd 5)
Big Ten Bob Root for: It's not easy to tell you who to root for.
Southeastern Sally Root for: KY(rnd 4)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interesting Facts
If North Carolina wins in Tourney Final , ACC Alex will win.
If Indiana wins in Tourney Final , Big Ten Bob will win.
If Kansas wins in Tourney Final , Big Eight Bill will win.
If Kentucky wins in Tourney Final , Southeastern Sally will win.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 28
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of points awarded for each correct pick:
Round #1 : 1 point
Round #2 : 2 points
Regional Semi : 4 points
Regional Final: 8 points
Tourney Semi : 16 points
Tourney Final : 32 points
Tournament status:
Games Played Games Remaining
Round #1 32 -
Round #2 16 -
Regional Semi 8 -
Regional Final - 4
Tourney Semi - 2
Tourney Final - 1
In the event of a tie, the contestant with a correct pick in the
championship game wins. If still tied, the contestant with the
most correct picks in the semi-final round wins, and so on until
the tie is broken.
In calculating the probabilities, the odds for each game are based
on a comparison of the teams' seeds.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 29
Interpreting the Status and Forecast Statistics:
"Totl Pts So Far" - represents the total accumulated points resulting from all
correct predictions for the games that have been played so far. The contestant
with the most total points at the end of the tournament is the winner.
"Max Poss Total Pts" - represents the most points a contestant can possibly hope
to achieve. This basically tells a contestant what his/her total points will be
in the best-case scenario.
"Games Still Alive" - represents the total number of remaining games where the
contestant's pick is still possible. This tells a contestant exactly how many
of the remaining games he/she can still hope to get correct.
"Prob Of First Place" - tells a contestant what his/her chances are of taking
first place (having simulated all possible outcomes of the tournament). A
series of dashes ("----") in this column indicates that a contestant has been
mathematically eliminated from any chance of winning first place. Because of
possible ties, this column may add up to more than 100%.
"Prob Of Top 2" - tells a contestant what his/her chances are of being in the
top 2 (having simulated all possible outcomes of the tournament). A series of
dashes ("----") in this column indicates that a contestant has been
mathematically eliminated from any chance of finishing in the top 2. Because of
possible ties, this column may add up to more than 100%.
"Interesting Facts" - detects some interesting situations in which a contestant
is guaranteed to win the office pool.
The "Perfect Picker" line represents the statistics that would have been
compiled by a hypothetical contestant that had predicted perfectly.
The "Median Picker" line represents the median statistics compiled from all
contestants. For example, if the median "Total Pts So Far" is 57, roughly 50%
of the contestants scored more than 57 points and roughly 50% scored less.
In order to calculate some of the statistics ("Prob of First Place", "Prob
of Top 2", and "Interesting Facts"), it is necessary for Hoopla! to simulate all
possible tournament outcomes. The number of possible outcomes depends on the
number of games remaining to be played. Early in the tournament, this may
involve quite a few possible outcomes. As the tournament progresses and more
games are played, the number of possible outcomes is reduced significantly.
Depending on the number of games remaining to be played and the exact type
of computer you are using, Hoopla! may require a significant amount of time to
perform the simulations. Hoopla! always estimates the amount of time these
simulations will require and allows you to interrupt the processing if you are
unwilling to wait for the simulations to complete. If you interrupt the
simulations, the report will still be generated, but the statistics that depend
on the simulations will be omitted from the report.
Additional reports using alternate rankings will also be produced. These
reports contain no new information, they simply order the contestants
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 30
differently - according to "Max Poss Total Pts" and according to "Prob of First
Place". Additionally, a report can be produced that lists the contestants
alphabetically by contestant name, and adds a column indicating each
contestant's rank by total points so far.
After the first three rounds, you will be asked whether you want a report
of all possible outcomes. If you reply that you do, the report will contain a
list of each possible outcome along with the associated winners.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 31
B.1.4.3. Sample Summary Report.
(After 3 Rounds).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hoopla! Summary Report
1993 College Basketball Tournament
# Correct Picks
----Per Round---- Total Tournament
1 2 3 4 5 6 Pts Winner
** Perfect Picker ** 32 16 8 -- -- -- 96
** Median Picker ** 25 8 4 -- -- -- 57
1. Atlantic Ten Alice 27 11 4 -- -- -- 65 Massachusetts
2. ACC Alex 26 12 3 -- -- -- 62 North Carolina
3. Southeastern Sally 25 10 4 -- -- -- 61 Kentucky
4. Big East Betty 25 8 4 -- -- -- 57 Seton Hall
4. Big Ten Bob 25 8 4 -- -- -- 57 Indiana
6. Big Eight Bill 24 6 3 -- -- -- 48 Kansas
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 32
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of contestants with N correct picks per round.
Round
1 2 3 4 5 6
# Correct Picks
32 0
31 0
30 0
29 0
28 0
27 1
26 1
25 3
24 1
23 0
22 0
21 0
20 0
19 0
18 0
17 0
16 0 0
15 0 0
14 0 0
13 0 0
12 0 1
11 0 1
10 0 1
9 0 0
8 0 2 0
7 0 0 0
6 0 1 0
5 0 0 0
4 0 0 4 ---
3 0 0 2 ---
2 0 0 0 --- ---
1 0 0 0 --- --- ---
0 0 0 0 --- --- ---
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 33
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of points awarded for each correct pick:
Round #1 : 1 point
Round #2 : 2 points
Regional Semi : 4 points
Regional Final: 8 points
Tourney Semi : 16 points
Tourney Final : 32 points
Tournament status:
Games Played Games Remaining
Round #1 32 -
Round #2 16 -
Regional Semi 8 -
Regional Final - 4
Tourney Semi - 2
Tourney Final - 1
In the event of a tie, the contestant with a correct pick in the
championship game wins. If still tied, the contestant with the
most correct picks in the semi-final round wins, and so on until
the tie is broken.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 34
Interpreting the Summary Statistics:
"# Correct Picks Per Round" - represents the number of games in each round that
have been predicted correctly.
"Totl Pts" - represents the total accumulated points resulting from all correct
predictions for the games that have been played so far. The contestant with the
most total points at the end of the tournament is the winner.
"Tournament Winner" - represents the team chosen by the contestant to win the
tournament.
The "Perfect Picker" line represents the statistics that would have been
compiled by a hypothetical contestant that had predicted perfectly.
The "Median Picker" line represents the median statistics compiled from all
contestants. For example, if the median "Total Pts" is 44, roughly 50% of the
contestants scored more than 44 points and roughly 50% scored less.
The "Number of contestants with N correct picks per round" table allow you
to answer questions like "How many people picked all four of the final four
teams?" In the above example, four people picked four of the elite eight, while
two people picked three of the elite eight.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 35
C. HOOPLA! - Technical Reference.
C.1. Error Messages.
A contestant by that name already exists
An attempt has been made to add a new contestant or to rename an existing
contestant. The attempt failed because a contestant by that name already
exists.
A maximum of 2000 contestants is allowed
An attempt has been made to add the 2001st contestant. The attempt failed
because Hoopla! is limited to 2000 contestants.
All team abbreviations must be specified using the ADMINISTRATION MENU first
An operation has failed because it requires that all team abbreviations be
specified first. (In specific, all team abbreviations must be non-blank.)
All team names must be specified using the ADMINISTRATION MENU first
An operation has failed because it requires that all team names be
specified first. (In specific, all team names must be non-blank.)
Blank names are not allowed.
An attempt has been made to add a new contestant or to rename an existing
contestant. The attempt failed because a blank name was specified.
Cannot backup file "<filename>"
A file cannot be backed up. Backup files always have the extension .BAK.
Possibly, a backup file by the same name already exists and is write-
protected.
Cannot open temporary file "<filename>" for writing
A temporary file cannot be opened. Possibly, a file by the same name
already exists and is write-protected, or the disk is full.
Cannot open file for printing
While attempting to print a file, the file could not be opened.
No contestant is selected
An operation has failed because it requires that a contestant be selected,
but no selection exists.
No contestants exist
An attempt to print all contestants' picks failed because no contestants
exist.
Not enough memory
The current memory configuration of your computer cannot perform the
requested operation.
No single game can be worth more than 1000 points
The largest number of points per round multiplied by the largest number of
points per seed is more than 1000.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 36
The actual results database could not be saved. (Disk space may be low.)
The database of actual results, 94ACTUAL.BBL, can not be saved. Most
likely, disk space is low.
The complete report could not be written. (Disk space may be low.)
An error occurred while writing a report to disk. Most likely, disk space
is low.
The contestant database could not be saved. (Disk space may be low.)
The database of contestant entry forms, 94PICKS.BBL, can not be saved.
Most likely, disk space is low.
The database of actual results is corrupt
The database of actual results, 94ACTUAL.BBL, has been read, but improper
data has been encountered. The database cannot be used.
The database of contestant entry forms is corrupt
The database of contestant entry forms, 94PICKS.BBL, has been read, but
improper data has been encountered. The database cannot be used.
The report could not be saved in <filename>. (Disk space may be low.)
A report operation failed because the file could not be written to disk.
Use the ADMINISTRATION MENU to fix the duplicate abbreviation -<abbr>
An operation has failed because it requires that unique team abbreviations
be specified first. (In specific, all team abbreviations must be non-blank
and no two may be the same.)
<number> is not a valid number between 0 and 1000
An edit operation in the Points Per Round Menu failed because a specified
value is not between 0 and 1000.
<number> is not a valid number between 0 and 2000
An edit operation in the Number of Winners Menu failed because a specified
value is not between 0 and 2000.
"<number>" is not a valid number
An edit operation cannot be completed because a number is expected, and the
current value is not a valid number.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 37
C.2. Technical Notes.
Hoopla! runs under MS-DOS versions 2.0 and above. It is available in 5
1/4" and 3 1/2" diskettes.
Hoopla! consists of the following files:
HOOPLA.EXE - the Hoopla! software itself.
HOOPLA.DOC - documentation for Hoopla!.
README.TXT - a text file containing basic information about Hoopla!.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 38
C.3. File Backup.
Be sure to backup your original Hoopla! diskette before using the software.
In this way you will always have an uncorrupted original diskette to resort to
in case a problem occurs.
Also, be sure to backup your \HOOPLA directory frequently during the course
of the tournament. This will provide a safety net in case of catastrophic
hardware or software problems.
These simple measures will help to guarantee an enjoyable Hoopla!
experience.
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 39
D. HOOPLA! - Product Support.
Thank you for using Hoopla!. The intention of Stadium Software is to offer
quality software at a fair price. We take particular pride in the integrity,
efficiency, and usefulness of our products, and we welcome any comments or
suggestions that could help us to improve our performance in these areas.
We rely on our customers to let us know what new product features should
appear in next year's version of Hoopla!. Please write to us at Stadium
Software to let us know what you think of Hoopla! and what additional features
you would like to see.
Your satisfaction is our concern. Please let us know what you think. Call
us at 313-662-5818 or write to:
Hoopla!
Stadium Software
P.O. Box 2887
Ann Arbor, MI
48106
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 40
E. HOOPLA! - License.
Stadium Software hereby grants to the purchaser of the Hoopla! software
("Software") a limited, non-exclusive license to use the Software solely for
personal and private use on a single computer. The Software is provided "as is"
without warranty of any kind either expressed or implied.
Hoopla!
Stadium Software
P.O. Box 2887
Ann Arbor, MI
48106
Copyright (c) Stadium Software 1989-1994. All rights reserved.
Hoopla! - 41