Circa Survivor: Commanders Carnage, Missed Entry Loom Large in Week 12

Posted on: November 25, 2024, 03:00h. 

Last updated on: November 25, 2024, 10:17h.

Todd Shriber @etfgodfather Read More
Expertise: Financial, Gaming Business, Mergers and Acquisitions.

Week 12 of the Circa Survivor contest was eventful, and not just because of the on-the-field results. One of the week’s lowlights was a missed entry — a devastating blow to the contestant who had survived for 11 weeks.

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The Circa Sportsbook in downtown Las Vegas. Week 12 was chaotic in the Circa Survivor contest. (Image: AP)

Entering the week, just 96 entrants, including the “no pick,” of the all-time high of 14,266 entries remained, implying a value of $150,168 per entry, according to Circa. Before the NFL weekend slate, that number was pared by four — one attributable to the missed entry and three picks on the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers lost to the Cleveland Browns on “Thursday Night Football.”

The trying week for Circa Survivor players didn’t end there, however. There were 33 selections of the Washington Commanders, or more than a third of the remaining pool, tied with the Miami Dolphins for the most week 12 picks.

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A snapshot of Circa Survivor Week 12 picks. (Image: Circa Sports)

The Commanders lost to the Dallas Cowboys in gut-wrenching fashion for Circa Survivor players. After scoring an improbable late-game touchdown that put the game on the brink of overtime, the Commanders missed the extra point needed to tie the game.

Mystery of Missing Pick

Circa hasn’t gotten into details about the missed pick, but the contest rules are clear.

Picks are due at 4 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST) every Saturday or before kickoff of the selected game (whichever is earlier),” according to the gaming company.

The exceptions are the Thanksgiving Day/Black Friday games and the NFL’s Christmas games, when applicable.

What is clear is that the contestant who didn’t check in this week is now out of the running for the massive prize pool, which totals a record $14.26 million. It’s also possible that the contestant would have picked the Commanders, Steelers, or Houston Texans, all of which lost in week 12.

Internet Having Field Day with No Pick

If X is any indication, the person responsible for the missed pick ought to stay off social media for a few days because the treatment they’re getting is harsh, with some folks saying it’s “disgusting” and unforgivable that a contestant would miss a pick this late in the season.

There’s also speculation that the contestant may have been using a proxy service. Those are firms hired by bettors living outside of Nevada to participate in the various annual football contests offered by Las Vegas-area sportsbooks. Circa Sports is currently operational in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, and Nevada, but picks for Survivor and Circa Millions can only be made within Nevada, thus many participants hire proxies.

As of this writing, it hasn’t been confirmed if the missed entry was attributable to the contestant or proxy service error, but the prevailing wisdom is that it was likely the former because most proxy firms will make picks on behalf of clients if the deadline is drawing near with the client not having made selections.