Contest lifecycle
Every state a contest goes through, from open to settled, and what can happen in each.
Each contest follows the same state machine. The on-chain escrow mirrors it, so the money can never be in a state the contest is not.
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
OPEN | Waiting for players. Stakes are in escrow as players join. |
PREPARING | Full and locked, waiting for the start. Only used when backing is on. |
LIVE | The trading window is running. |
SCORING | The bell rang. Scores are being computed. |
DISPUTED | A result is contested or flagged. Staff decide. |
SETTLED | Paid out. Final. |
REFUNDED | Every stake was returned (tie, cancellation after the start, admin refund or timeout). |
CANCELLED | Closed before it started. Every stake was returned. |
Open
- The host's stake goes into escrow when the contest is created. Each player's stake goes in when they join.
- A player can leave an open contest and get their stake back.
- The host can cancel only while nobody else has joined.
- When the join window (5 minutes to 7 days) runs out: a full duel starts, a lobby with its minimum players starts, anything else is cancelled and refunded.
Start
When the last seat is taken the contest is locked on-chain: nobody can join or leave anymore, and linked wallets are locked. Without backing it goes LIVE right away. With backing on, it goes through PREPARING for 5 minutes first.
In the first 2 minutes after the lock, all players can vote to cancel. If everyone agrees, the contest is refunded.
Live
Players trade as usual. Live scores update on the contest page about once a minute. In Same Token Showdown, the token is revealed at the start. In Draft Basket, the draft happens before the start (45 seconds per pick). In Closest Call, sealed predictions are accepted until 2 minutes after the start.
Results
Scoring. About 20 seconds after the bell, the worker computes the final scores from on-chain data.
Automatic settlement. A clean result is settled on-chain right away: the result hash is committed, the rake goes to the treasury, and the escrow pays each winner into their vault. See Settlement.
Self-report. If a duel's scoring is flagged or unavailable, both players can report a win or a loss for 30 minutes. Matching reports settle the contest. Conflicting reports, or no report, open a dispute.
Dispute. Staff review the evidence and pick a winner, a draw or a refund. Lobbies and flagged results that cannot be self-reported go here directly.
After the contest
For 5 minutes after the end, the chat stays open and 1v1 players can start a rematch with the same settings in one click.
If a contest is somehow never settled, anyone can refund it on-chain 7 days after it ends.