You will use your shikona, or "battle-name", and compete for  the Yusho, similar to many of the other already established internet Sumo picking games!

Please note "Rule #1":

Rule #1 concerns the submission of "multiple" entries by one and the same person through the use of various secondary shikona.  The Sekitori-Toto Kyokai (STK) strongly cautions patrons NOT to engage in submission of multiple entries, as it is considered "dishonorable".  Please use the shikona you are best known for on the Internet - just like if you were entering a "real" Sumo tournament, you would only be competing "as yourself", and not several times under different names!  If multiple entries are detected, they will lead to disqualification or possibly expulsion of all involved shikona and their patron(s).  Please contact the STK in advance if several family members will want to participate using the same IP address. 

Daily predictions:

Each day of the tournament, patrons may submit their selections which will determine their success or failure in their match that day.  Selections will consist of winning predictions for ALL the bouts of the day in Makuuchi and Juryo (including ones that may include Makushita facing off with a Juryo).  Usually (and depending on injuries) there should be about between 27 and 31 matches per day for you to predict.

You should try to predict a winner for EVERY match, with each match you correctly predict counting one point toward your day's total, and each incorrect pick of course counting zero. 

"X"-picks:

However, this is "Toto", so you also have the option to predict "X" for a match.  Any matches you predict "X" will automatically add 0.5 points (one half point) to your day's total. 

"X"-picks are a handy tool you may use in situations where you are not sure of the outcome of the match, and would rather take a sure half point than gamble for a full point.

You may use as many "X" tips as you wish, BUT BE ADVISED: it is considered desirable to keep your number of "X" picks to a MINIMUM, as a matter of "honor and sportsmanship".  Patrons who insist on using lots of "X" picks may be disadvantaged in some instances, as they could lose certain tie-breakers, or never be eligible for the Outstanding Technique Prize.  The STK will also consider a patron's "X"-habits when establishing the Banzuke, giving preference to patrons who do "good Sumo" and avoid using "X" picks.  Furthermore, your peers and the Sekitori-Toto Kyokai (STK) will respect you for appropriate restraint when using "X"-picks! :)

[Update FEB 28, 2002: a suggestion has been made that perhaps the automatically earned points for "X" picks should be increased to 0.55 to try and tempt patrons to use "X" more.  Any additional views on this subject are welcome.  The STK is open to adjusting the value of "X", however, it may be beneficial to experience the actual game play before further discussion and final decision on this topic.]

Registration:

Every patron will need to register with their shikona, email address, country represented, and password.  To do so, please use the link on the top menu bar!  Please be sure to fill out all fields, else your registration will not go through.  After you register, you should also sign up on the Yahoo Group for Sekitori-Toto (a link should appear on your confirmation screen - or see below for instructions).

You may later return to this page to change your information (Shikona, email address, nation, or password.) - simply log in, then enter the new information.  You should receive a confirmation screen, as well as an email to the address you have given.

How to submit your picks:

Thanks to the kind help from Canadian Sumo friend and software wiz KOFUJI of Ignite Software, Inc., I was able to abandon my lame original intention of using Yahoo Groups for the pick submission process!  Kofuji has kindly set up VERY nifty registration and entry forms for this game on his distinguished sumogames.com server, where patrons are now able to use simple radio buttons to select between the two rikishi (or "X") in each bout, and simply press the "Submit" button to send them off to the STK!  This is a VERY significant development which makes this game much faster and better, and the STK is VERY grateful to Kofuji for this really great help!  I also thank Takanotaki and Hoshifransu for their kind offers of help as well!

In order to submit your daily picks, you will need to register first (see above), or if already registered, log in.

On the entry submission page, you should select a winner for each bout listed, unless you chose to pick "X", of course.  "X" will be the default pick on the entry submission page, so it is impossible to by mistake not submit a match's pick.  The correct bouts of the day should appear automatically on the entry submission page [miraculously, thanks to Kofuji's wizardry!]. 

Please be aware of the NOTES on the bottom of the entry page, as they contain some very valuable information!

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING YOUR DAILY PICKS IS 2 P.M. (14:00h) JAPAN TIME.  THE ENTRY FORM WILL NOT ACCEPT PICKS FOR THAT DAY AFTER THE TIME DEADLINE PASSES. 

Full daily results should be posted on the ST site as the automated scoring concludes [again thanks to Kofuji's wizardry!] The STK will also try to post rough results and some commentary on the Sekitoto Yahoo Groups forum as soon as possible - a great reason for all patrons to subscribe. Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sekitoto/ to do so, or follow the link in the LINKS section. 

How to win your daily match:

In order to win your match, all you have to do is to simply beat the MEDIAN of all patrons (so as long as you are better than half of all patrons participating that day, you will chalk up a WIN!  Likewise, if your points total puts you in the lower half of all patrons, this will count as a LOSS.)

Daily Tie-Breakers:

In the likely event that patrons are tied, ranging across the median line with the same points score for that day, the patrons with the least "X" picks for that day will be given the preference.  So be aware, a high number of "X" picks may actually cost you a win!  On difficult prediction days, it may actually be possible to win your match using ONLY "X" picks - but again, be reminded, many "X"-picks may come back to hurt you later. :)  Should there still be a tie-breaker needed to determine who is above and below the line, the higher overall "risk factor" (see below) decides.  If there are STILL ties, the LOWER RANKED patron(s) will be given preference.

Exidrono:

In order to ensure an even number of participants should there be an odd number of entries (necessary to draw the median line), a "drone" called Exidrono will take a place in the list of patrons.  Exidrono will always pick "X" on every match, and be placed in the day's results accordingly to his score.  Exidrono will however never show up on the Banzuke, and only be used on days when we have an odd number of human participants.

Daily participation:

You are expected to submit your picks for each of the 15 Hon-Basho tournament days.  Just like in real Sumo, you should be ready and competing on every tournament day.  Don't forget, ALL Juryo and Makuuchi matches are included, and you should submit a pick for each one!

If you miss picking before the deadline, your score for the day will be automatically ZERO, and your day's match will count as a fusenpai (loss for not showing up). [MAR-02-02: thanks to Kirinoumi for straightening out my vocabulary!] If you are absent one or more days, you may return to the tournament at any time, but until your return, all missed days will count as fusenpai (absence losses).  If you miss three days in a row without notice, the STK will take you off the daily points list by default (so you no longer influence the median line).  All your remaining bouts will still count as fusenpai.  You may return to the tournament at any time, though.
There will be NO option to submit "default" picks at this time.  You either show up and compete, or you are considered absent.  Some sort of "default pick" system may be implemented in the future.

Entering late:

You may enter a tournament that is already in progress when you missed the first day or first several days of picks. Any day you missed will of course count as a loss.  But please try to be sure you announce your participation in the basho before hand (or, just make sure you submit your picks on the first day!)  If your picks for day 1 are received, or you otherwise announce your intention to compete, you are considered ENTERED in the Basho, and the above described fusenpai will apply should you miss subsequent days' picks.

Kyujo:

If you are a patron in good standing (i.e. you hold a position on the Banzuke), you will be expected to participate in each Hon-Basho.  If for some reason you need to sit one out, you should inform the STK BEFORE the Basho begins, so you may receive Kosho status.  One Kosho-Kyujo tournament will be counted as a 7-8 make-koshi record and be treated leniently in the next Banzuke.  The second Kyujo in a row will not receive Kosho status and be counted as a 0-15 record, and be treated accordingly in the next Banzuke.  Patrons who neglect to inform the STK of their absence will NOT achieve Kosho status, and thus all their day's matches will be considered fusenpai, giving them a full-counting 0-15 record for that Basho, with the appropriate drop in the Banzuke!  Patrons who are Kyujo three times in a row may consider retiring from Sekitori-Toto, but may return anytime.

Results:

Chalking up your daily wins and losses, you will end up with a win-loss total for the tournament, which will decide your kachi-koshi or make-koshi status, the Yusho, and your next moves up and down the Banzuke, just like in real Sumo!  Of course, the patron with the most wins for the 15 days will take the Yusho.

Yusho Tie-Breakers:

In case of a tie in the number of wins, the first tie-breaker play-off will be the number of "X" picks by each patron that tournament.  The patron with the least "X" picks will be declared the Yusho Champion (so here again many "X"-picks can cost you!) :)

Should there still be a tie, the total number of points (correct win predictions) will decide.

Should there STILL be a tie, then I will have to go back and examine each day's picks, determining the "risk factor".  The risk factor tallies up as follows: if for a particular match 70% of all patrons picked rikishi A to win and 30% picked rikishi B, and rikishi A wins, all those who picked him get a risk factor of 0.3 (cause they bet against 30% of all patrons - and won) - had rikishi B won, those 30% that picked him, would have gotten a risk factor score of 0.7 - losing predictions will of course score zero in risk factor as well. 

This is a way to reward successful risky picks.  (Totaling up each patron's risk factor for all 15 days will then serve as the third tie-breaker).

Should there STILL be a tie (and there better not be after all this trouble!) then the HIGHER RANKED patron on the Banzuke will be given the win! 

Special Prizes:

Other than the Yusho itself, like in real Sumo, the STK will award three special prizes to patrons who achieve kachi-koshi status:

Outstanding Performance Prize:
Goes to the patron who scores the highest cumulative total of daily points.

Technique Prize:
Goes to the patron who has the best overall score not counting the "X"-picks, for example a total daily score of 21 using 2 "X"-picks will result in a raw score of 20. All the raw scores for the 15 days are added up to determine the recipient of this prize! [revised FEB-28-02, thanks to Doitsuyama for straightening me out on this one]

Fighting Spirit Prize:
The patron with the best overall 15-day risk factor score will be awarded this prize - this rewards patrons who are willing to take risks or follow their convictions or "hunches" despite their pick to win being the "underdog".

Nations' Prizes:
Furthermore, there will be a Nation's Prize as well: the nations' Yusho will go to the nation whose top three patrons amass the most wins overall.  Likewise, there will be the three special prizes for nations as well.  In each instance the top three from a nation will be used (I think this is a rather fair way of having nations compete against each other, even though there could be 23 from one country and only 1 from another - quantity helps, but quality is paramount). :)  Unlike the individual prizes, for the nations' prizes it is not necessary for the top-3 players of a nation to all achieve kachi-koshi.

Other Special Prizes:
There may be additional Special Prizes awarded depending on actual gameplay.

The Sekitori-Toto Banzuke:

The Sekitori-Toto Banzuke will roughly attempt to mirror the often puzzling methods used on the real Banzuke, with the same "general rules", but also with the same "room for interpretation". :)  Generally kachi-koshi will get you promoted and make-koshi demoted, but depending on how many patrons will be playing the game and whether or not there will be separate division competitions, this may change - stay tuned! :)

Ozeki promotion:

The feasibility of any formula remains to be tested.  Patrons who are able to chalk up (blank) wins over 3 Basho shall be promoted to Ozeki rank (I have no idea what will be the correct number, I am thinking it is quite possible in this format that several patrons may finish 15-0 or 14-1 each time.  Let's just see what happens).

Patrons ranked Ozeki will receive Kadoban status after one make-koshi.  Two make-koshi will thus result in demotion to Sekiwake.  If they then score (blank) or more wins next Basho, they will return to their Ozeki rank (that number is subject to testing as well, but may likely be 10)  If not, they will fall accordingly on the Banzuke and need to start all over for Ozeki promotion.

Yokozuna promotion:

Ozeki who have been at that rank for at least 2 Basho may be promoted to Yokozuna if they:

• win a Yusho and have scored at least (blank) wins over the past 3 Bashos
• win their second career Yusho as Ozeki.
• win a Yusho as Ozeki while already having won two other Yusho (regardless at which rank the other two came)
• win two Yusho in a row as Sanyaku (in which case the 2-Basho limit as Ozeki does not apply)
• are otherwise deemed worthy of promotion by the STK

As I said, the criteria for Ozeki and Yokozuna promotions are VERY preliminary and will be further determined depending on the actual gameplay.  I think that as we get going, it will become self-evident who should be promoted, based on their comparative performances.  The formal criteria shall then be recorded based on the real results.

Again, I can't emphasize that this game is in experimental status, so please bear with me as we figure out some things as we go along, and fine-tune the game - your input is always welcome :)  I intend to have an open forum discussion on the Sekitoto Yahoo Group after each Basho on how to refine the game, and you are all invited to participate with your comments!

If you find any omissions, errors or gross blunders in the rules, please let me know by clicking on my picture below!  Any other feedback, help or suggestions also welcome!

Hope you will like this new game - good luck and enjoy the Basho!