Five entries split record $18.7 million Circa Survivor prize

Five entries completed undefeated seasons in the Circa Survivor NFL contest, splitting a record $18.7 million prize pool and earning $3.74 million each following the final week of the regular season. The contest, which carries a $1,000 entry fee, attracted a record 18,718 entries.

Participants were required to select one straight-up NFL winner each week, including separate selections for Thanksgiving and Christmas, with each team eligible to be used only once. The final results were determined Sunday at Circa Sportsbook in Las Vegas.

Two of the winning entries advanced by selecting Minnesota, which defeated Green Bay 16-3. One of those entries belonged to UNLV nursing student Fernanda Carriedo, a graduate of Palo Verde High School. Carriedo became one of the first two women to win the contest.

“I’ll be a Vikings fan for life,” said Carriedo. “It’s a huge honor. I’m so appreciative of this opportunity to have been one of the first two women to win this competition. This is a huge win for me at my age. It’s insane. Life-changing, for sure.”

Carriedo, 25, partnered with professional poker players Jason Somerville, who served as her proxy, and Gabe Patgorski, who received a percentage of the winnings. The other Vikings-backed winning entry, Kick Your Knees Up, was also held by a woman, who chose to remain anonymous.

Another winning entry, Real Bro, was managed by professional poker player Casey Diener of Austin, Texas, along with eight partners. The group completed its season by selecting the Jaguars, which defeated the Titans 41-7. Diener said a key decision came during Thanksgiving and Black Friday week, when all four favorites lost.

“Mathematically, everybody was on the Eagles, so the play was the Bears,” said Diener, 46. “I didn’t think the Bears were going to win, but if they did win, it was really, really good for us, and that’s how it worked out. I just try to base it on what I think the other teams are going to take and try to counter that and hope for the best.”

That week reduced the field. Carriedo and two other entries comprised of poker professionals advanced by selecting the Bears, which defeated the Eagles 24-15 as seven-point underdogs on Black Friday, cutting the number of remaining entries from about 900 to 49.

The remaining two winning entries, Dylan W and GaryA, survived Christmas week by selecting the Vikings, which upset the Lions 23-10 as 7½-point underdogs. GaryA advanced in the final week by selecting the Patriots, which the Dolphins 38-10.