The direct-match criteria: identical tier
Step 1 (direct match within your tier) looks for a very precise match:
- The side opposite yours. If you take a side on "Real Madrid wins," someone must take a side on "Barcelona wins."
- Same stake tier. If you stake in the Standard tier (10K-50K), someone must also stake in the Standard tier.
- Compatible amount. If you stake 25K, someone must stake at least 25K. If they stake more, the excess stays waiting for another match.
If these 3 conditions are met, the match happens in under 3 seconds in the vast majority of cases.
The FIFO logic (First In, First Out)
When several players take a different outcome at the same tier, the algorithm matches in order of arrival. It's the "first come, first served" rule.
A concrete example:
- At 2:00:00 PM, Aïcha stakes 25K on "Real Madrid wins."
- At 2:00:01 PM, Brahim stakes 25K on "Barcelona wins."
- At 2:00:02 PM, Christine stakes 25K on "Real Madrid wins."
- At 2:00:03 PM, David stakes 25K on "Barcelona wins."
The system matches Aïcha with Brahim (the first two compatible) and Christine with David (the next two). Arrival order rules, not chance.
This FIFO logic is fair: nobody gets priority because of their tier (you pay the same), their seniority (a newcomer and a veteran are matched by arrival), or any kind of favoritism.
When the direct match within your tier fails
Step 1 fails in the following cases:
- No player on a different outcome at your tier. You stake 25K on "Argentina wins" but nobody stakes on "France wins" in the Standard tier.
- Incompatible amounts. You stake 50K (top of Standard) but the only opposing players stake 12K (bottom of Standard). The system can't bridge the gap.
- Off-peak hours. At 3 AM CEMAC time, there are fewer players. Step 1 can fail more often.
When step 1 fails, the system automatically moves to step 2 (inter-tier cascade) after about 5 seconds. Inter-tier cascade details.
How to know if I was matched at step 1
In your challenge details (after matching), you'll see the label:
- "Matched at step 1 - Direct match within your tier" if it's a direct match within your tier.
- "Matched at step 2 - Inter-tier cascade" if it's more complex.
- "Matched at step 3 - Aggregation of several opponents" if it's even more complex.
- "Waiting for an opponent" if you're not matched yet.
This information is transparent: you always know how your challenge was paired. Our design chooses to hide nothing.