Prize structure
Payout grids and a 12% rake
Every paid contest states its prize pool before entry, and every prize pool is distributed by a published grid. Meroviks retains 12% of total entry fees; the rest is the pool.
The rake
What we take and what it pays for
The rake is 12% of the total entry fees collected by a contest. It is the only charge on entry: there is no separate service fee and no charge for building or editing a lineup. It funds the statistics licence, payment processing, verification and operations.
Worked example. A $10 contest that takes 100 entries collects $1,000. Meroviks retains $120 and the remaining $880 is paid out across the grid. Where the same contest is advertised with a $750 guaranteed pool and takes only 40 entries — $400 collected — the full $750 is still paid, and the shortfall is ours.
Grids
Guaranteed prize pool, 100-entry field
The structure used by every Salary Cap Daily contest. Percentages are of the prize pool, not of entry fees.
| Finishing place | Share of pool | On a $2,000 pool | On a $300 pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 20% | $400 AUD | $60 AUD |
| 2nd | 13% | $260 AUD | $39 AUD |
| 3rd | 9% | $180 AUD | $27 AUD |
| 4th | 7% | $140 AUD | $21 AUD |
| 5th | 5.5% | $110 AUD | $17 AUD |
| 6th–10th | 4% | $80 AUD | $12 AUD |
| 11th–20th | 1.75% | $35 AUD | $5 AUD |
| 21st–30th | 0.8% | $16 AUD | $2 AUD |
| Field | Places paid | 1st | Last paid place | Total paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 entries | 12 | $512.82 AUD | $44.87 AUD | $2,000 AUD |
| 30 entries | 30 | $400 AUD | $16 AUD | $2,000 AUD |
| 100 entries | 30 | $400 AUD | $16 AUD | $2,000 AUD |
Formats
Every payout structure we run
Guaranteed prize pool
Top-heavy. Roughly the top third of the field is paid, with a large share at the top.
| Finishing place | Receives |
|---|---|
| 1st | 20% |
| 2nd | 13% |
| 3rd | 9% |
| 4th | 7% |
| 5th | 5.5% |
| 6th–10th | 4% each |
| 11th–20th | 1.75% each |
| 21st–30th | 0.8% each |
Small field
Used where the field is under 25. Five places paid.
| Finishing place | Receives |
|---|---|
| 1st | 40% |
| 2nd | 24% |
| 3rd | 16% |
| 4th | 12% |
| 5th | 8% |
50/50
The top half of the field each receive the same amount: their entry fee doubled, less rake.
| Finishing place | Receives |
|---|---|
| Top half of the field | An equal share each |
| Odd number of entries | The odd place is not paid — half of 11 is 5 |
| Bottom half | Nothing |
Head-to-Head
Two entrants. The winner takes both entry fees, less rake.
| Finishing place | Receives |
|---|---|
| Winner | 100% of the pool |
| Loser | Nothing |
| Tied | The pool split equally |
Best-Ball series
Paid on the guaranteed-pool structure above, once at the end of the series. What differs is the scoring: you draft a bench of eight and the best five of it count on each day, so there is no daily lineup to manage and a player who has a poor day is dropped for that day automatically.
Per contest
Published terms for each paid contest
| Contest | Entry fee | Prize pool | Field | Minimum field | Rake |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS2 Daily Cap | $25 AUD | $2,000 AUD guaranteed | 100 entries | 20 entries | 12% |
| Dota 2 Daily Cap | $10 AUD | $750 AUD guaranteed | 100 entries | 20 entries | 12% |
| LoL Daily Cap | $5 AUD | $300 AUD guaranteed | 100 entries | 20 entries | 12% |
| Valorant Daily Cap | $5 AUD | $300 AUD guaranteed | 100 entries | 20 entries | 12% |
| CS2 Head-to-Head | $10 AUD | $17.60 AUD guaranteed | 2 entries | 2 entries | 12% |
| LoL 50/50 | $10 AUD | $17.60 AUD guaranteed | 50 entries | 10 entries | 12% |
| Dota 2 Best-Ball Series | $20 AUD | $1,000 AUD guaranteed | 100 entries | 20 entries | 12% |