# Celebrity Death Pool Trivia

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Tags:** death-pool\
**Created:** [January 13, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408 "2012-01-13T17:49:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408/1 "2012-01-13T17:49:23Z")

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It has occurred to me that I will check CDP on a daily basis in preference to looking for the latest celebrity deaths elsewhere.

That made me wonder to what degree others are aware of the SDMB CDP.

Thus, this poll. Anonymous. Multiple choice.

Other options and follow-up comments may justify another more rigorous poll later.

Meanwhile…

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**Author:** ![charmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/53a042/32.png) [@charmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/charmstr)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408/2 "2012-01-13T19:56:58Z")

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I didn’t even know it existed until you started this thread.

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408/3 "2012-01-13T19:58:43Z")

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> [@charmstr](#):
>
> I didn’t even know it existed until you started this thread.

Amazing! I can only assume you don’t look at The Game Room forum or at “New Posts” in your visits to SDMB.

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**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408/4 "2012-01-13T21:28:57Z")

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I check it when I see there are new posts via User CP.

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**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408/5 "2012-01-13T21:31:53Z")

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I get an dark little thrill when I see there’s been a new posting. Imagine my chagrin when I open the thread up and nobody actually died.

I subscribe to the thread, by the way.

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**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408/6 "2012-01-13T21:40:05Z")

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I don’t object to it, but I never look at the other thread. I only opened this one because I thought there would be trivia. Boo.

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**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408/7 "2012-01-13T21:57:06Z")

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I object strenuously when someone else scores and I retain zip.

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**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408/8 "2012-01-13T22:07:54Z")

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I’ve participated in the past, but not for the past couple years. I do check the thread every time I see it pop up near the top of Page 1 just to keep up with what’s happening.

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**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408/9 "2012-01-13T22:13:26Z")

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I’ve known about death pools for something like a decade, but this is the first time I’ve ever participated in one. I started to make up a list a couple times, then would stop and ask myself, “What the hell is wrong with me?” This year, I’ve stopped asking myself that, and decided to roll with it. 🙂

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**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408/10 "2012-01-14T03:44:16Z")

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I answered that I am a current participant and that I check the thread daily (although not literally every day, at least five days in a typical week). I should have added that I have participated in the past – this is my ninth consecutive appearance – but I somehow originally read the option as “participated, but only in previous pools”. I also regularly post announcements of deaths to the thread, with my “specialties” being old baseball players and the successive holders of the “world’s oldest living person – well, until just yesterday, anyway” crown.

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**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408/11 "2012-01-14T03:54:15Z")

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Don’t participate.  
Don’t subscribe.

Check it out every time I see it’s been updated though! (Via new posts)

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**Author:** ![zoog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7ea924/32.png) [@zoog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoog)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408/12 "2012-01-14T04:00:04Z")

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I’ve participated for a handful of years, and I have it set up for a daily email subscription.

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**Author:** ![Uncle\_Goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Uncle\_Goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Goat)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408/13 "2012-01-14T04:07:50Z")

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I check the thread more than once a day just in case someone died I haven’t  
heard about elsewhere.

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**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408/14 "2012-01-14T04:11:10Z")

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I play ever year, and read it every time it is updated.

I don’t think it is any different that reading the obituaries in my local fish-wrapper.

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**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408/15 "2012-01-14T16:04:27Z")

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Death Pool fanatic. I check it every day. It’s the best place to find out who died–the most obscure celebrity death will be posted there.

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**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408/16 "2012-01-14T16:47:20Z")

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I have to look every day, I’m the DeathMistress! And I participate every year, for several years now, but not since the very beginning. I think it would be interesting to see that first year(opening kickoff in _ **February** _!) and see who was picked, and how many played.

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**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408/17 "2012-01-14T17:04:23Z")

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I couldn’t search back any further than ten years ago, for 2003.

Cisco won, with a whopping 115 points.

A lot of the same names were being picked even then, including ZsaZsa Gabor.

There were only 401 posts in the entire DP thread!

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408/18 "2012-01-14T18:40:31Z")

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> [@Baker](#):
>
> I have to look every day, I’m the DeathMistress! And I participate every year, for several years now, but not since the very beginning. I think it would be interesting to see that first year(opening kickoff in _ **February** _!) and see who was picked, and how many played.

> [@Baker](#):
>
> I couldn’t search back any further than ten years ago, for 2003.
> 
> Cisco won, with a whopping 115 points.
> 
> A lot of the same names were being picked even then, including ZsaZsa Gabor.
> 
> There were only 401 posts in the entire DP thread!

I found it peculiar (hard to believe, maybe) that 2003 seems to be the first Death Pool at SDMB. That’s the first year I was here, and I do remember the phenomenon but used it for info instead of fun. That hasn’t changed for me.

Is it possible earlier versions had another name for the pool?

The Eastwood movie [The Dead Pool (1988)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094963/) is probably the first time I was aware of the concept, so 15 years seems like plenty of time for the idea to have gotten popular. BTW, look over the cast list for that movie and notice that Jim Carrey was still going by James in one of his earliest roles.

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**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408/19 "2012-01-14T19:15:10Z")

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amarone mentioned the Death Pool of 2000, that’s when it was February that the Opening Kickoff occured. But when I searched ten years back is as far as Advanced Search would look.

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**Author:** ![Andrew\_21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bcef8e/32.png) [@Andrew\_21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andrew_21)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408/20 "2012-01-14T19:21:48Z")

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> [@Baker](#):
>
> I couldn’t search back any further than ten years ago, for 2003.

Here are the Death Pools from [2000](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=20546), [2001](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=49083) and [2002](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=101918).

[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-trivia/609408.md?page=2)
