September 12, 2026

PLW Nationals Team-Selected Payout System

  • So the tournament is $50k winner take all
  • Saturday is Day 1, as teams fight to get to Day 2
  • Day 2 is Top 16 final teams, double elim bracket
  • Before Day 2 start, the final 16 teams can choose their own payout structure.

The PLW Nationals will feature a total prize pool of $50,000. Before the tournament begins, each of the 16 qualifying teams must select one of four payout options.

A team’s selection determines:

  1. The payout structure that will be activated if that team wins Nationals.
  2. The maximum amount that team may receive at each finishing position.

Selections must be submitted before the established deadline and cannot be changed after the tournament begins.

Available Payout Options

Each option represents a different level of risk and reward. A team may choose the opportunity to win a larger amount or select a structure that provides payouts to more finishing positions.

How the Winning Structure Is Determined

The payout option selected by the team that wins the PLW Nationals becomes the base payout structure for the tournament.

For example, if the Nationals champion selected Option B, Option B becomes the base structure:

  • 1st place: $20,000
  • 2nd place: $14,000
  • 3rd–4th place: $8,000 each
  • 5th–16th place: $0

The champion’s selection determines the available payouts, but each team remains subject to the limits of its own selection.

Individual Team Payout Caps

Each team receives the lower of:

  • The amount awarded for its finishing position under the champion’s selected structure; or
  • The amount awarded for that position under the team’s own selected option.

A team cannot receive more than the champion’s selected structure provides. It also cannot receive more than its own selected option allows.

Example

Assume the champion selected Option B.

The Option B base structure awards $14,000 to second place. However, if the second-place team selected Option D, its own second-place payout is capped at $6,000. That team would receive $6,000, leaving $8,000 undistributed.

Option B awards $8,000 to third place. If the third-place team selected Option C, its payout would be capped at Option C’s $7,000 third-place award. That would leave another $1,000 undistributed.

Option B also awards $8,000 to fourth place. If the fourth-place team selected Option D, it would be capped at $4,000, leaving another $4,000 undistributed.

In this example:

  • 1st place receives $20,000
  • 2nd place receives $6,000
  • 3rd place receives $7,000
  • 4th place receives $4,000
  • Total tournament-finish payouts: $37,000
  • Remaining prize money: $13,000

Distribution of Remaining Prize Money

Any money not awarded because of individual payout caps will be redistributed according to the final Pro Points leaderboard.

The remaining balance will be divided among the 16 Nationals qualifiers using the following tiers:

  • Pro Points rankings 1st–4th: 38% of the remaining balance
  • Pro Points rankings 5th–8th: 28% of the remaining balance
  • Pro Points rankings 9th–12th: 20% of the remaining balance
  • Pro Points rankings 13th–16th: 14% of the remaining balance

Each tier’s share will be divided equally among the four teams within that tier. The target individual shares are:

  • Pro Points rankings 1st–4th: 9.5% each
  • Pro Points rankings 5th–8th: 7% each
  • Pro Points rankings 9th–12th: 5% each
  • Pro Points rankings 13th–16th: 3.5% each

Payments will be rounded to the nearest $50. PLW may make minor adjustments, beginning with the highest-ranked Pro Points teams, to ensure the complete remaining balance is distributed in clean dollar amounts.

Example of a $13,000 Pro Points Distribution

If $13,000 remains after applying the tournament payouts and individual caps, it would be distributed as follows:

  • Pro Points rankings 1st–4th: $1,250 per team
  • Pro Points rankings 5th–8th: $900 per team
  • Pro Points rankings 9th–12th: $650 per team
  • Pro Points rankings 13th–16th: $450 per team

This distributes the complete $13,000 remaining balance.

The Pro Points distribution is separate from the tournament-finish payouts. A team may receive both its Nationals finishing payout and an additional payment based on its final Pro Points ranking.

System Summary

The champion’s selection determines the base payout structure used for Nationals. Each team’s individual selection establishes its maximum allowable payout. Any money not awarded because of those individual caps is redistributed among the 16 Nationals qualifiers according to the final Pro Points standings.

Under this system:

  • The complete $50,000 prize pool will always be awarded.
  • Every team controls its own level of risk and potential reward.
  • The champion determines the primary tournament payout structure.
  • No team can receive more than its own selected option allows.
  • Season-long participation and performance are rewarded through the Pro Points distribution.