# The Celebrity Death Pool 2010 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** death-pool\ **Created:** [December 1, 2009, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574 "2009-12-01T11:44:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 95
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574/1881 "2010-11-01T11:33:02Z")
when I pick my own, I do poorly. When I jump on bandwagons, I do poorly. So what’s the secret, **amarone** , **Captain Lance Murdoch** , **Shirley Ujest** , **Registered at Last** , **Critical Mass** , and **MsWhatsit**? ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574/1882 "2010-11-01T11:46:06Z")
> [@anyrose](#): > > when I pick my own, I do poorly. When I jump on bandwagons, I do poorly. So what’s the secret, **amarone** , **Captain Lance Murdoch** , **Shirley Ujest** , **Registered at Last** , **Critical Mass** , and **MsWhatsit**? No big secret - it’s Google. Plus not wasting picks on old folks who will only score a handful of points. To win this game you are going to need 7+ correct picks with an average of 40+ points each. Oh, and it helps if you have the time and resources to make trips to “visit” your celebrities, scythe in hand. ---
**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:** [November 1, 2010, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574/1883 "2010-11-01T12:15:05Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > No big secret - it’s Google. Plus not wasting picks on old folks who will only score a handful of points. To win this game you are going to need 7+ correct picks with an average of 40+ points each. I was more interested in having a clean list than in “winning” and now it’s down to two months for 13 people to keel over. Or at least get themselves buried. For some of them, it’s possible they died years ago and their bodies haven’t been discovered yet. Oh well. Time to finalize next year’s list of immortals. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574/1884 "2010-11-01T14:10:12Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > No big secret - it’s Google. Plus not wasting picks on old folks who will only score a handful of points. To win this game you are going to need 7+ correct picks with an average of 40+ points each. > > Oh, and it helps if you have the time and resources to make trips to “visit” your celebrities, scythe in hand. He’s just kidding, folks! Ha ha ha ha ha! :eek: :dubious: I’ve been “wasting” my picks for at least two years now on people in their 90s (okay, so I’m not playing to win – but SCORING would be nice), and they STILL won’t die. I’m looking at YOU, Mr. Borgnine! Also just kidding, Mr. Borgnine. Take all the time you need… See? I’m macabre but I’m nice about it. ---
**Author:** ![Registered\_at\_Last](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bc79bd/32.png) [@Registered\_at\_Last](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Registered_at_Last)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574/1885 "2010-11-01T15:55:10Z")
> [@anyrose](#): > > when I pick my own, I do poorly. When I jump on bandwagons, I do poorly. So what’s the secret, **amarone** , **Captain Lance Murdoch** , **Shirley Ujest** , **Registered at Last** , **Critical Mass** , and **MsWhatsit**? The other thing that helps is to have no life, so you are home on New Years Eve listening to Public Radio (CBC in my case) when they rebroadcast the documentary about the bright light who is dying fairly young of cancer (Paul Quarrington). That and having no shame in jumping on a lucrative band wagon (Zelda). Just be careful about WHICH bandwagon. But yeah, google helps. Although it’s too bad that the date wasn’t October 1 instead of January 1. I have lost 2 off my 2011 long list this past month. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574/1886 "2010-11-01T17:09:19Z")
I am ashamed that my first reaction to Maurice Lucas dying was glee because I knew I had scored Death Pool points. My older stepbrother and a former coworker both knew the man. My stepbrother has posted a bunch of stories about him on Facebook. It is quite touching. I feel so guilty now. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574/1887 "2010-11-01T17:14:27Z")
> [@Invisible\_Chimp](#): > > I feel so guilty now. You should only feel guilty if you have more points than I. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574/1888 "2010-11-02T04:08:12Z")
[Charlie O’Donnell](http://www.fashion.ie/aggregator/gossip/326332-charlie-o-donnell-dies-wheel-fortune-voice), the announcer on _Wheel of Fortune_, dies at age 78. ETA: [Better Link](http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/obit/2010-11-01-charlie-odonnell_N.htm) ---
**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:** [November 2, 2010, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574/1889 "2010-11-02T12:14:59Z")
Third Place! This is the highest I’ve ever been! I could possibly hyper ventilate from giddiness! ---
**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:** [November 2, 2010, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574/1890 "2010-11-02T13:35:15Z")
Too young to qualify at only age 11, but [Shannon Tavarez](http://broadwayworld.com/article/Shannon_Tavarez_Passes_Away_at_11_20101101) who played in Broadway’s the Lion King, has lost her battle with leukemia. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574/1891 "2010-11-02T17:05:39Z")
> [@Rico](#): > > [Charlie O’Donnell](http://www.fashion.ie/aggregator/gossip/326332-charlie-o-donnell-dies-wheel-fortune-voice), the announcer on _Wheel of Fortune_, dies at age 78. > > ETA: [Better Link](http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/obit/2010-11-01-charlie-odonnell_N.htm) The family asks that in lieu of flowers, that you adopt a Dalmation\*. - Ceramic, if you please. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574/1892 "2010-11-02T17:39:17Z")
> [@anyrose](#): > > when I pick my own, I do poorly. When I jump on bandwagons, I do poorly. So what’s the secret, **amarone** , **Captain Lance Murdoch** , **Shirley Ujest** , **Registered at Last** , **Critical Mass** , and **MsWhatsit**? Pretty much what **amarone** said. You have to actually care about this ridiculous game enough to pay attention to the news throughout the year and make little notes about celebrities that have been diagnosed with cancer or are having other health ailments of various sorts. And then yes, a lot of Googling. And don’t have too many celebs that are in their 80s and 90s. And yeah, bandwagon-jumping can pay off (Zelda) or backfire miserably, like when it was announced in the last week of December that Rush Limbaugh had been admitted to the hospital with chest pains. Turns out he was probably just topping off his Oxycodone prescription or something, because the guy is doing just fine now. Hmph. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574/1893 "2010-11-02T18:43:48Z")
Another pointless death: > [@](#): > > [Shannon Tavarez, the 11-year-old](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101102/ap_en_ot/us_obit_tavarez) who starred on Broadway in “The Lion King” and whose battle with leukemia won the hearts of many, including Alicia Keys, Rihanna and 50 Cent, has died. Explain to me again why we can’t profit from the death of children. I just don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574/1894 "2010-11-02T19:15:58Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Explain to me again why we can’t profit from the death of children. I just don’t get it. With less than one month to go before we open the polls for 2011, this is a good point to remind people that we have a separate thread for discussing the rules [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=499961&highlight=rules+discussion). The origin of the underage rule was explained by **Little Nemo** in post 31: > [@](#): > > The underage rule started when a player picked the five-year-old son of a celebrity who had a terminal illness. I thought that betting on a child’s death was too tastless even for this game so I created an age restriction. If you wish to respond to that, please take it to the other thread. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574/1895 "2010-11-02T19:40:58Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > …If you wish to respond to that, please take it to the other thread. My mom was always saying that. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574/1896 "2010-11-02T19:50:53Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > My mom was always saying that. James? Is that you? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574/1897 "2010-11-02T20:55:28Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > James? Is that you? Boyo. James Boyo. ---
**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:** [November 2, 2010, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574/1898 "2010-11-02T23:22:57Z")
Surfing champion [Andy Irons](http://www.grindtv.com/surf/blog/21719/former+world+surfing+champion+andy+irons+32+has+died/), dead at 32. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574/1899 "2010-11-03T12:18:14Z")
Sparky Anderson, amazing baseball coach, is circling the drain. : ( [He won 2 World Series, I believe.](http://www.detnews.com/article/20101103/SPORTS0104/11030400/Ex-Tigers-manager-Sparky-Anderson-ill) ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574/1900 "2010-11-03T12:24:55Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Sparky Anderson, amazing baseball coach, is circling the drain. : ( > > [He won 2 World Series, I believe.](http://www.detnews.com/article/20101103/SPORTS0104/11030400/Ex-Tigers-manager-Sparky-Anderson-ill) 3 - 2 with Cincinatti and one with Detroit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574.md?page=94) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2010/519574.md?page=96)