November Fisher House Giveaway Winners
Well, it took me a while, but I finally tabulated all of the winners. First, let me say that while I wanted to raise $2,000 that was an awfully ambitious goal. We actually raised $1,371.78. That's about $600 more than the last giveaway, so awesome job everyone. The average donation was $34.29, also up from last giveaway.
Finally, some trends have emerged. Some people are consistently winning, and winning more than they donate, which is awesome. I knew from the outset of these giveaways that there were ways to consistently win and if someone wanted to game theory that out and win again and again, so be it. That said, now that it has happened multiple times I feel like I have to let the secrets out. First the Price Is Right trick, donating $1 more than big round numbers, would work to win a lot of the prizes including the Big Heart Prize. Additionally, one way to almost guarantee a win is to target the Week 2 prize as most of the donations come in at the beginning and at the end, the winners for the Week 2 prizes have been lower, on average, than the first week (and the third week when there was one). Finally, the Veteran's prize has insanely good odds, never more than five or six people, and usually it is three.
I am working on a new prize scheme to make some of these tricks impossible or less likely to be successful, but it was fun to watch folks break the system. Anyway, enough rambling. Here are the winners:
Overall Winner: Mark Woodhouse
Runner Up (and multiple GAW winner): Colton Kilgore
Big Heart: Mark McKinley
Surprise Big Heart (winner gets the now very hard to find Caston Kadima): Chad Shoopman
Veteran Only: Eric Beerbaum
Cheap Ass: Chris Lewis
Week 1 (and multiple GAW winner): Matt Distefano
Week 2: Dwayne Lively
Week 3 (and multiple GAW winner): Mike Rixman
I have addresses for everyone but Eric Beerbaum. I will send out the packages this week. Lots of boxing up stuff...
Thanks again and thanks to all of the people that, without hesitation, leave their lives and their families to defend us and our ideals overseas. No payment or thanks can balance the debt all Americans owe you.
Finally, some trends have emerged. Some people are consistently winning, and winning more than they donate, which is awesome. I knew from the outset of these giveaways that there were ways to consistently win and if someone wanted to game theory that out and win again and again, so be it. That said, now that it has happened multiple times I feel like I have to let the secrets out. First the Price Is Right trick, donating $1 more than big round numbers, would work to win a lot of the prizes including the Big Heart Prize. Additionally, one way to almost guarantee a win is to target the Week 2 prize as most of the donations come in at the beginning and at the end, the winners for the Week 2 prizes have been lower, on average, than the first week (and the third week when there was one). Finally, the Veteran's prize has insanely good odds, never more than five or six people, and usually it is three.
I am working on a new prize scheme to make some of these tricks impossible or less likely to be successful, but it was fun to watch folks break the system. Anyway, enough rambling. Here are the winners:
Overall Winner: Mark Woodhouse
Runner Up (and multiple GAW winner): Colton Kilgore
Big Heart: Mark McKinley
Surprise Big Heart (winner gets the now very hard to find Caston Kadima): Chad Shoopman
Veteran Only: Eric Beerbaum
Cheap Ass: Chris Lewis
Week 1 (and multiple GAW winner): Matt Distefano
Week 2: Dwayne Lively
Week 3 (and multiple GAW winner): Mike Rixman
I have addresses for everyone but Eric Beerbaum. I will send out the packages this week. Lots of boxing up stuff...
Thanks again and thanks to all of the people that, without hesitation, leave their lives and their families to defend us and our ideals overseas. No payment or thanks can balance the debt all Americans owe you.