The Bill of Rickies

The Rickies

The Rickies is a game Connected hosts play before Apple Keynotes and the beginning of a new year, trying to predict future events. It is made up of three rounds; each host makes two regular picks, followed by a “risky” pick.

There are two types of Rickies: Annual Rickies and Keynote Rickies.

The winner of the Annual Rickies is named the Annual Chairman and retains the rights to the corresponding Twitter account for the full year. This position is awarded every January.
The Keynote Rickies winner is named the Keynote Chairman and retains the rights to the corresponding Twitter account until the next keynote is held. This position is held until the next keynote.

Hosts should be introduced at the top of each episode according to their current titles.

In the event that a host has both positions, they shall be introduced as the “Ricky Benchman.”

After The Rickies, the hosts then play a game called “The Flexies.” These two games have separate but related rules.

Please stand for the reading of the rules.

There are 3 rounds.
Each host will make their predictions, round robin style.
2 rounds of regular picks, 1 round of Risky Picks.
There are two types of Rickies: Annual Rickies and Keynote Rickies.
The winner of the Annual Rickies is named the Annual Chairman, and retains the rights to the corresponding Twitter account for the full year. This position is awarded every January.
The Keynote Rickies winner is named the Keynote Chairman, and retains the rights to the corresponding Twitter account until the next keynote is held.
The winner, who shall be called Keynote Chairman Ricky, from the previous Rickies gets to pick first. The 2nd place winner gets to pick second.
Order for Annual Rickies is based on the winner of the previous year.
Annual winners roll over to preserve the order. For example the 2019 annual winner gets to go first for the next annual picks.
Order for the KeynoteApple event Rickies is based on the previous Apple event.
The winner of this gets to go first at the next event (WWDC).
The order is set by the number of points awarded in the previous year.
The Loser goes last.
Picks cannot be too simple.
Simple things, like “Apple will release an iPhone”, are not allowed. Specificity is king.
To earn any points, everything written down in the prediction document must come true.
No predictions can be reused.
Cannot reuse any picks from the annual picks.
Each host gets to make two regular picks.
Hosts can be granted a bonus regular pick for any previously-incorrect pick — that has now come true — from the last 3 corresponding games. A previously-incorrect pick may be used only once.
Eligible ‘ahead of its time’ picks from the past 3 Rickies can be found in the prediction archive for Keynote and Annual Rickies.
There are nNo half points awarded in any round , all full points.
Picks cannot be reused by any contestant within 365 days of first being made.
Picks cannot be reused.
Correct regular picks are awarded with oOne point is awarded for any pick deemed correct in the first two rounds.
The language used for regular picks must be finalized and agreed upon during recording.
No partial points may be awarded.
Risky picks have a more complex scoring system.
Each host must make a pick with three supporting details:~~Each Risky pick must have 3 conditions attached to it.~~
Each host must make a pick comprising three conditions.
- If you get all 3 conditions correct, you earn 2 points.
- If you get 2 conditions correct, you earn 1 point.
- If you get 1 condition correct, you earn 0 points.
- If you get all 3 conditions wrong, you lose 1 point.
- Points are only awarded based on details, not the overall pick
Correct risky picks are worth tTwo points will be awarded for correct picks in the Risky Pick Round.
Wrong ones will cause a point to be deducted from that host’s total.
If your Risky Pick is wrong, you lose a point.
Picks must have been approved as “risky” by tThe two other hosts must agree that your pick is “risky”before the start of the game.
A pick cannot be named risky if it has been previously rumored by publications of record: 9to5Mac or MacRumors.
Picks made for Keynote Rickies cannot be reused by the host who made them for the next keynote.
The Annual Rickies have their own subset of rules. Once a host chooses something as an Annual Pick, they can not re-use it in that calendar year.
For the Annual Rickies, hosts are forbidden from choosing any pick they made during the previous calendar year.
There will be a predictions champion by the end of the year.
Additionally, picks may not be used in back-to-back Annual Rickies by the same host.
For Keynote Rickies the scoring window starts when the live stream begins and closes when the picks are scored.
Annual picks cannot be reused for the remainder of that calendar year by the host who made them.
Any information used in scoring must be publicly verifiable at the time of recording.
All hosts are allowed to reuse picks previously made by others from previous games.
Scoring is completed during recording, and cannot be modified once an episode is complete.
In the event of a tie, Dice by PCalc must be used in “Relay FM Mode” to pick a winner.
In the case of a three-way tie, hosts all make their calls at the same time, with flipping continuing until a winner is named.
Jason Snell has a lifetime ban on flipping any coins in relation to the Rickies; coin “flips” by Jason on other podcasts are allowed, but are frowned upon and subject to public shaming.
For Keynote Rickies tThe scoring window starts when the live streamevent begins and closes when the picks are scored.
The winner of the Regular + Risky Picks must be granted access to the Annual or Keynote Chairman Twitter account, which ever applies, and will retain access until another winner is named.
Any information used in scoringInformation must be publicly verifiable at the time of recordingto be used in scoring.
The order of picks is set by previous performance.
Predictions do not need to be in the keynote, they just need to be true at the time of recording. – Unofficial
The winner of the previous associated game goes first.
There are Annual Chairman and Keynote Chairman titles and Twitter accounts.
You’ll be Mega Chairman if you get both titles. – Unofficial
The previous Loser goes last.
After scoring is complete, each host must update their official Rickies Trophy (Late 2021)Tricky to reflect the new winner. The large location marker is for the Annual Chairman, while the smaller location marker is for the Keynote Chairman.
Winners will be recognized during the Closing Ceremonies.
Trophies should be updated at the end of scoring as part of the Closing Ceremonies, with photographic evidence provided on demand.
Trophies should remain in sync at all times, with photographic evidence provided on demand.
Listeners with MagTrickies should hold their own private Closing Ceremonies with their magnetic trophy.

Past rules can be seen at Rickies.net and Rickies.co. These sites also have pages about how to manage your own scorekeeping at home.

The Flexies

The Flexies is a game held after each edition of The Rickies. It consists of a series of additional picks in relation to the upcoming Apple event or year.

Scoring is completed separately from the main game, but like the Rickies, the order of picks is set by the results of the previous game, and ties will be broken by using Dice by PCalc.

Please lie down as the rules are read.

No points are awarded for the extra picksFlexies.
Whoever loses the non-graded picks has to buy a round of drinks for the other hosts. – Never enacted
The loser of the non-graded Flexies must compensate the winner of the Flexies by donating to the charity of the winner’s choice.
The amount of the donation is $25 per wrong Flexy made by the loser.
The loser must compensate the winner $25 per wrong Flexy made by the loser.*
The loser much purchase a surprise for the winner matching that cost.*
The cost then must be matched by the loser in the form of a donation to a charity of the winner’s choice.*
In the case of a tie, the ratio of correct-to-incorrect Flexies will be taken into account.
HostsEach host must make a minimum of five Flexy picks.
Each correct pick is awarded with one point.
Wrong picks do not remove any points.
No partial points may be awarded.
Flexies may be reused as future Flexies or regular picks.
The winner is determined by comparing the percentagethe ratio of correct-to-incorrect Flexies made by each host.
TWhile there are no Twitter handles on the line in the Flexies, the winner can use their chosen title as long as they are the winner:The winner can use their chosen name during their reign.
- Federico shall be named “Prince Flexie” for Federico, and is known as “King Flexie” when having won both the Keynote and Annual games.
- Myke has chosen “Duke of Flexington” for Myke, and uses the name “Archduke Flexington” when applicable.
- Stephen is the “Attorney General Flexie” for Stephen, and uses the title “Secretary of Deflex” when necessary.
Loser of the Flexies must compensate the winner of the Flexies by donating to a charity of the winner’s choice.
The amount of the donation is $25 per wrong Flexie made by the loser.
The money must be donated on-air.
If someone holds all four titles, they are allowed to choose their own moniker.

Stephen Hackett

Federico Viticci

Myke Hurley

This is a living document. The One True Copy of The Bill of Rickies is in the Connected Notion document.