Talk about Group 2 Here!

1. Adam Lambert


2. Allison Iraheta


3. Jasmine Murray


4. Jeanine Vailes


5. Jesse Langseth in an ex-con

6. Kai Kalama


7. Kris Allen


8. Matt Breitzke


9. Matt Giraud has an album called Mind, Body, and Soul on CD Baby. Check it out here!

10. Megan Joy Corkrey is "sweet and innocent looking"!

11. Mishavonna Henson


12. Nick Mitchell

2009 Official American Idol Rules *REVISED March 13 to include Payout Info*

*REVISED for clarification March 10*

*REVISED AGAIN March 13 to include Payout Information*
This is how the 2009 American Idol Pool will work:

GENERAL RULES
There are now 13 finalists.

The first performance show containing the 13 finalists airs Tuesday, March 10, and the first elimination show is Wednesday, March 11.

By 3PM EST on Wednesday, March 11th, you MUST email me your picks for the season. Your picks must be ordered from #1 to #12. #1 is your American Idol. #2 is your runner-up.

Simon Cowell said that Wednesday, March 11 will be a double elimination show.


DOUBLE ELIMINATION SCORING
This is how your entries will be scored during a double elimination episode. These are the same rules we used during the double elimination week during Idol Gives Back Week 2007.

There are conceivably two ways the show will kick off two people:

1. The show eliminates two contestants at different points (e.g. - kick somebody off half way through the show and then the 2nd person at the end, or kick somebody off towards the end of the show and have him/her sing his/her song, and then kick out the other to end the show)
2. The show eliminates two people off together simultaneously (e.g. - at the end of the show, there are three people on stage, and the judges tell one person he/she has advanced meaning the other two have been kicked out)


If #1 happens, this is how we score it:
After the first person gets kicked off, you will get 1 point for every contestant who is alive in your top 12. After the second person is kicked off, you will get 2 points for every contestant who is alive in your top 11.

If #2 happens, this is how we score it:
Since it's impossible to tell who would have gotten kicked off first, we will score your sheet as if your lowest selected contestant who was eliminated was voted out first in the round of 12. Then, we will resume normal scoring for the round of 11.

I know that might be confusing, so let me give you an example:
Let's assume that tomorrow the 2 people voted off are the person you left off your entry (#13) as well as your American Idol choice (#1). Let's also assume they were eliminated simultaneously. Since we cannot determine who would have been voted out first, we will give you the benefit of the doubt and award you a full 12 points (as if your American Idol winner was the second contestant eliminated) for the round of 12. Then we would resume normal scoring and give you 2 points for every contestant who is alive in your top 11.




Next Wednesday, March 18, one person is eliminated. Accordingly, for every person you have correct in your top 10, you get 3 points.
The next week, for every person you have correct in your top 9, you get 4 points.
And so on, and so forth, until the finale where, if you named the American Idol correctly, you will get 12 points.

The person with the most points wins!


PAYOUTS FOR FINISHING IN THE TOP 10
The 2009 pool money will be divided out this way:
1st Place - $300
2nd Place - $200
3rd Place - $150
4th Place - $100
5th Place - $50
6th Place - $15
7th Place - $15
8th Place - $15
9th Place - $15
10th Place - $15



TIEBREAKER
If there is a tie in the final standings, this is the tiebreaker we have used for multiple seasons - when looking at two tied entries, the person who had called the most recent elimination correctly will win the tiebreaker.

So, if two people are tied at the end of the season, and person #1 correctly guessed the contestant who went out in Week 6 (when the field goes from 7 contestants to 6), and person #2 correctly named the contestant who went out in Week 3 (when the field goes from 10 contestants to 9), then person #1 hold the tiebreaker. That person called the more recent elimination correctly. Make sense?


SIDE POOL #1 - THE LOSER
To incentivize returners, we award the last place finisher $15.


SIDE POOL #2 - GUESSING THE AMERICAN IDOL RIGHT

There is a side pool of $150 for the person(s) who guess the American Idol correctly. If more than one person correctly guesses the American Idol, the pool $ is split evenly between/among them.

The side pool becomes void if more than 15 people correctly guess a contestant who ends up winning American Idol. This year, the pool is active for all the people who guessed anyone but Danny or Adam as their American Idol.

This is no small feat:
In 2008, 7 of 78 entrants picked David Cook.
In 2007, 0 of 51 entrants picked Jordan Sparks.
In 2006, 1 of 51 entrants picked Taylor Hicks.
In 2005, 2 of 17 entrants picked Carrie Underwood.


That's it.

If you have any questions about scoring, please feel free to comment below or send and email to idolpool@gmail.com.

The Final Standings!

1. Jennie L. - 284 points – up from 6th

2. Ryan – 279 points – down from 1st

3. Suzy M. - 278 points – up from 7th

4. Stephen - 276 points – down from 2nd

5. Dave L. - 275 points – down from 4th (wins tiebreaker with David H. 12th)

6. Lisa B. - 275 points - down from 3rd

7. Amy Y. - 273 points – down from 5th

8. Katie K. - 266 points – up from 13th

9. Meredith - 264 points - down from 8th

10. Julie H. - 263 points - down from 9th

11. Jan W. - 257 points – down from T-10th (wins tiebreaker with Amanda 11th)

12. Jane – 257 points – down from T-10th

13. Cathleen - 256 points – up from 25th (wins tiebreaker with David C. right)

14. Jaime - 256 points – down from 12th

T-15. Don - 254 points – down from T-14th
T-15. Michelle - 254 points - down from T-14th
(both had David A. 2nd and then nothing right, so they end tied)

17. Mike L. - 253 points – down from 16th (wins tiebreaker with Syesha 3rd)

18. Liz - 253 points – down from 17th

19. Amy L-P. - 251 points – down from 18th

20. Denis - 250 points – down from 19th

21. Marcia - 249 points – down from T-20th (wins tiebreaker with Syesha 3rd)

22. Aneesha - 249 points - down from T-20th (finishes 2nd in tiebreaker with Brooke 5th)

23. Stephanie - 249 points – down from T-20th

24. Suzanne - 248 points – up from 32nd

25. Kara - 247 points – down from 23rd

26. Damian - 246 points – down from 24th

27. Anh - 243 points – up from 42nd

28. Matt - 242 points – down from T-26th (wins tiebreaker with Brooke 5th)

29. Alieda - 242 points - down from T-26th

30. Corona - 239 points – down from 28th

31. Julie R. - 238 points – down from 30th (wins tiebreaker with Chikezie 10th)

32. Karen - 238 points – down from 29th

33. Jen S. - 237 points – up from T-47th (wins tiebreaker with David C. 1st)

34. Jenny M. - 237 points – down from 31st

35. Cindy - 236 points – down from 33rd

36. Jean Claude - 235 points – down from 35th (wins tiebreaker with Ramiele 9th)

37. Scott - 235 points – down from 34th

38. Kristin - 233 points - up from 40th (wins tiebreaker with David A. 2nd)

39. Will B. - 233 points – down from T-36th (finishes 2nd in tiebreaker with Jason 4th)

40. Jon - 233 points – down from T-36th (finishes 3rd in tiebreaker with Amanda 11th)

T-41. Brian - 233 points (245 max) – down from T-36th
T-41. Rich – 233 points (245 max) – down from T-36th
(both had nothing right, so they end tied)

43. Lisa S. - 232 points - down from 41st

44. Marybeth & Lucy - 230 points – down from 43rd

45. Stacie - 226 points – up from 46th (wins tiebreaker with David A. 2nd)

46. Jan M. - 226 points - down from T-44th (finishes 2nd in tiebreaker with Amanda 11th)

47. Brooke - 226 points – down from T-44th

48. Melissa - 225 points – down from T-47th

49. Matty - 224 points – no change

50. Yvonne - 223 points – no change

51. Team O'Brien - 222 points – no change

52. Mandy - 221 points – no change

53. Dina - 216 points – no change

54. Team 'Tini - 215 points – no change

55. Paul F. - 214 points – no change

56. Team Ringey - 212 points – no change

57. Kathryn - 211 points – no change

58. Michael W. - 210 points – no change

59. Andy - 209 points – no change

60. Sean - 207 points – no change

61. Missy - 206 points – up from 62nd (wins tiebreaker with David A. 2nd)

62. Emily - 206 points – down from 61st

63. Peter - 204 points – no change

64. Katy L. - 202 points – no change

65. Lance - 200 points – no change (wins tiebreaker with Michael 8th)

66. Cristina - 200 points – down from T-65th

67. Paul P. - 199 points – no change

68. Julie W. - 194 points – no change

69. Judy - 192 points – no change

70. Dave S. - 191 points – no change

71. Jill - 190 points – no change

72. Mike & Suzy - 188 points – no change

73. Kendra - 187 points – no change

74. Julie K. - 182 points – no change

75. Will A. – 179 points – no change

76. Chris F. – 167 points – no change

77. Mark - 126 points – no change

78. Neisha - 119 points – no change

American Idol Final Viewer's Guide!

Archuleta has a girlfriend? Really?

American Idol Pool Members,

In this, our last Viewer's Guide of the year, I want to celebrate you, the reason why we at AI Headquarters work around the clock to bring you joy, bring you standings, and bring you a reason to live. Thank you for all of your comments, your participation, and of course your money. On behalf of myself, Debbie the Intern, and JoJo Conroy, we wish you much luck in this momentous week of the American Idol Finals.

But the season isn't over. We are highly anticipating the climax of what Ryan Seacrest has called "the best season of American Idol yet." Clearly, this season is the strongest season in American Idol's seven year history with record breaking voting and the largest turn out for the American Idol Pool (some of you still owe JoJo money).

When thinking of my final post, it would be so, so easy to pit these two finalists against each other. Age-old battles of the young whippersnapper vs. the seasoned professional, the velvety-toned wunderkind vs. the gravely rocker, or the fresh-faced teen-idol vs. the "kind-of-look-like-I've-eaten-too-many-chipotle-burritos-but-I'm-still-kind-of-sexy" twenty-something, are the stuff of legend and lore; to pit one of these finalists against the other would be the easy way out.




I have also considered endorsing one candidate over the other. As Idol Pool Master, I feel I have my finger on the pulse of the membership, and I feel confident that I could put our membership (78 multi-generational, multi-city, multi-sexually oriented voices strong) solidly behind one candidate. But it isn't that easy. To be honest, I love both of these candidates (when I don't hate them.) Sure, if David Archuleta makes that hand-motion one more time (you know, the one where he clenches his right fist and pushes it down when he hits a big note), I might throw up. And the open palm "give back" of David Cook is a moment that is seared into my worst of nightmares. But, let's be frank, these two men (kind-of) can SING! They both have huge potential to join the ranks of Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson and Taylor Hicks (?) as pop-phenoms.

But we here at Idol Pool HQ believe there is not an Archuleta America or a Cook America -- there is a United States of America. We like rock in the Archuleta States and appreciate pitch in the Cook States. We like "aw shucks" in the Cook States and pretense in the Archuleta States. Our hope that is that on Wednesday, the sky will open, the light will come down, celestial choirs will be singing, and our new American Idol will appear: