Joker tips
A joker is a tip a participant nominates to score at a multiplier. If the joker pick is right, its points are multiplied; if it is wrong, it scores what any wrong tip scores, which is nothing unless you have set a points value for incorrect tips. The multiplier only ever applies to a correct pick, so a wrong joker costs no more than any other wrong tip.
For the participant’s view of a tipping competition, see tipping on fanzava.com.
Setting jokers up
Section titled “Setting jokers up”Jokers are part of the Scoring section of the create-competition wizard. A new competition starts with them switched on, at ×2, in season-bank mode with three jokers.
| Setting | Options | New competitions start on |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Joker round | On or off | On |
| Joker multiplier | ×1.5, ×2, ×2.5, ×3 | ×2 |
| Joker mode | Per round, or Season bank | Season bank |
| Jokers per season | Any whole number up to 50 (season bank only) | 3 |
Choose the joker settings when you create the competition. They become part of the competition’s scoring rules, and the competition’s edit page does not offer them, so decide before the first round rather than during it.
Per round or season bank
Section titled “Per round or season bank”The two modes answer a different question.
- Per round: every participant has one joker available in every round. Nothing carries over, so a round they skip is simply a joker they did not use.
- Season bank: every participant has a fixed number of jokers for the whole season and chooses which rounds to spend them in. Only one joker can be played in any one round, whichever mode you run.
A season bank of zero means no joker can be played at all, which is the same as switching jokers off.
How participants play a joker
Section titled “How participants play a joker”On the tipping page, a participant who has tipped a fixture can mark that tip as their joker. In season-bank mode they see how many jokers they have left. When jokers are on, the competition page also shows a Jokers tab.
The rules are the same everywhere:
- Tip the fixture first. A joker goes on a tip, so it can only be placed on a fixture the participant has already picked.
- One joker per round. Placing the joker on a different fixture moves it: the previous nomination in that round is cleared in the same step, and in season-bank mode the cleared joker goes back into the bank.
- Only before the fixture locks. A joker cannot be placed on a locked fixture, and once the joker’s own fixture locks, the joker cannot be moved off it.
When the nomination saves, the participant sees a confirmation naming the multiplier, for example “Joker applied - this pick scores ×2.”
How a joker is scored
Section titled “How a joker is scored”The multiplier applies to the points a correct tip earns, and the result is rounded to a whole number.
| Competition set to | Joker pick | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 point a correct tip, ×2 | Correct | 2 |
| 1 point a correct tip, ×2 | Wrong | 0 |
| 3 points a correct tip, ×1.5 | Correct | 5 (4.5, rounded) |
| 3 points a correct tip, ×3 | Correct | 9 |
How it combines with the other mechanics:
- Confidence (multiplier mode). The joker and the confidence rung both multiply, so a correct joker rated Very high at ×2 scores four times the base points. See Confidence.
- Confidence (ladder mode). The rank replaces the base points, and the joker then multiplies the rank.
- Margin. A margin award sits alongside the tip’s points and is not multiplied by the joker. See Margin prediction.
- Perfect round bonus. The bonus is paid once for the round, on top of the tips’ points, and the joker does not touch it. See Perfect round bonus.
- Auto-picks. An auto-pick made under the late-tip policy is never a joker. See Lock policies and late tips.
Common questions
Section titled “Common questions”What happens to a joker placed on a match that is cancelled or postponed? A fixture the feed marks cancelled or postponed scores nothing for anyone, joker or not, and it is not counted as a wrong tip.
Can a participant take a joker back? They can move it to another unlocked fixture in the same round. Once the joker’s fixture locks, it stays where it is.
Do unused jokers carry over? In per-round mode, no: each round’s joker is available in that round only. In season-bank mode, an unspent joker stays in the bank until the participant plays it.