Contest tracker: Last 5 entries sweating in $6M Circa Survivor

Five people have entries in the Circa Survivor contest that are theoretically worth more than $1 million but could still end up being worth zero.

The five are vying for the $6 million winner-take-all prize in the contest, in which entries pick one straight-up NFL winner each week but can use each team only once.

If the contestants split the top prize, they would each receive $1.2 million, but Circa does not facilitate so-called “chops.”

The prize pool will be split only if multiple people survive through Week 18, or if everyone is eliminated in the same week.

It’s going to be an exciting two weeks in those entries’ households — and perhaps painful as well.

Each week, I’ll track the major handicapping contests and detail my progress. Here’s how the contests stand after Week 16:

Circa Sports Million III

Format: Contestants pick five NFL games against the spread each week ($1,000 per entry), earning one point for a win and a half-point for a push.

Field: 4,087 entries.

Leader: One entry (Hannibal Barca) at 57-23. A second entry from Hannibal Barca is tied for second place at 56-24.

Barnes’ status: 3-2 last week, 36-43-1 overall, tied for 3,236th. Trying — and failing — to deploy an “opposite” strategy to go for the last-place prize in the fourth quarter, resulting in winners on Colts -1, Jets PK and Raiders PK, and losers on Ravens +3 and Patriots -2.

Circa Survivor

Format: Contestants pick one straight-up NFL winner each week (each team can be used only once) and are eliminated with a loss ($1,000 per entry).

Field: 4,080 entries, but Circa added $1.92 million to the prize pool to reach the $6 million guarantee.

Leaders: Five survivors advance. 11 entries eliminated on the two picks that had to be made in Week 16 — four on the Cardinals and three on the 49ers in the Thursday/Saturday games and four on the Chargers in the Sunday/Monday games.

Barnes’ status: Eliminated in Week 9 when the Bills lost to the Jaguars.

Westgate SuperContest

Format: Contestants pick five NFL games against the spread each week ($1,000 per entry), earning one point for a win and a half-point for a push.

Field: 1,972 entries.

Leader: One entry (Litofsky Clan) at 55-23-2 after a 5-0 week, leading by 2½ points.

Barnes’ status: 2-3 last week, 37-42-1 overall, tied for 1,411th. Winners on Bengals -2½ and Bills +2½, and losers on Cardinals -1, Jaguars PK and Broncos PK.

Westgate SuperContest Gold

Format: Same as the SuperContest, but with a $5,000 buy-in and the winner taking all.

Field: 87 entries.

Leader: One entry (Calabasas Wise Guy) at 55-23-2 after a 5-0 week, all but locking up victory with a 7½-point lead.

Barnes’ status: Not entered.

William Hill Pro Pick’em

Format: Contestants pick 15 NFL straight-up winners (or selected totals) each week ($25 per entry). There are weekly and season-long prizes.

Field: 7,316 entries.

Season leader: One entry (no name given) at 163-74.

Weekly winner: One entry (no name given) went 15-0 and won $10,000.

Barnes’ status: 8-7 last week, 142-95 overall.

Golden Nugget Ultimate Football Challenge

Format: Contestants pick seven NFL and/or college games against the spread each week ($1,000 to enter).

Field: 149 entries.

Leader: One entry (BuckNuts) at 67-42-2 (one game canceled).

Barnes’ status: Not entered.

COMPLETED CONTESTS

Station Last Man Standing

Format: Contestants select one game against the spread each week. Entries cost $25, but the maximum $100 gets five entries. There are separate pro and college contests. Winner takes all — $150,000 in the pro contest, $100,000 in the college.

Entries: Pro — Two winners from starting 6,241 after Week 12; college — one winner out of 3,075 after Week 9.

Barnes’ status: Eliminated from pro contest in Week 5; eliminated from college in Week 3.

William Hill College Pick’em

Format: Contestants pick eight college games against the spread each week for 10 weeks ($1,000 per entry).

Field: 452 entries, but an extra $548,000 added to the prize pool to reach the $1 million guarantee.

Winners: Two entries (CastleRocker and Heatwave) tied at 51-29 and split the first prize, getting $325,000 each.

Barnes’ status: Finished 39-41, tied for 176th.

Contact Jim Barnes at jbarnes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0277. Follow @JimBarnesLV on Twitter.