How to use it on game night:
Before the cards go in the air, enter the total, the number of players and how many places you'll pay. The tool suggests places from the player count, and you can change it with the − and + buttons.
Pick how the total should lean. Standard is what most home games use. Flat spreads it out so more of the table goes home with something. Steep saves more for the winner. Then copy the split into the group chat, so everyone knows it before play starts.
A worked example:
Nine players, a total of 900, three places paid, Standard, rounded to 5: first gets 450, second 270 and third 180. If rounding ever leaves a few over, they go to first place, so the split always adds up exactly.
Where the splits come from:
There's no official home-game standard, but the same splits come up again and again. Standard is the split most home games and tournament software start from. Steep saves more for the winner, and Flat spreads it the other way:
Typically, at our own home game we drop one payout and go steep to make winning first place feel great, and last place basically breaks even. It adds that extra bit of tension and excitement we all look for in the game, and it nudges everyone to play a little more seriously.
| Places | Standard | Steep |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 65 / 35 | 69 / 31 |
| 3 | 50 / 30 / 20 | 58 / 26 / 16 |
| 4 | 45 / 27 / 18 / 10 | 52 / 24 / 15 / 9 |
| 5 | 42 / 25 / 15 / 10 / 8 | 48 / 23 / 13 / 9 / 7 |
Percent of the total, by place.
Questions hosts ask:
How many places should I pay?
Most home games pay two places for up to six players, three for seven to ten, and one more for each extra table after that. The tool fills this in for you.
Can I use it for league points?
Yes. Type the points you award for the night and it splits them by place the same way.
Why does first place sometimes get a little extra?
Rounding the lower places to a tidy number can leave a few over. They go to first, so the total is always exact and no place passes the one above it.