Web Baby Shower Help: Birthday BetsTM
Each Web Baby Shower comes with a "Birthday Bets" page where your guests can enter their "bets" for when they think the baby will be born. If your Web Baby Shower is for an adoption, the page will be called "Gotcha Bets" and your guests will be able to enter their bets about the adoption details (more info). This help page is meant to help hosts set up and manage a Birthday Bets or Gotcha Bets Game and to help guests play it. If you need help playing the other Web Baby Shower Games, please visit the Games Help Page. If you are looking for printable games for an in-person party, please see: Printable Baby Shower Games instead.
Topics:
Information For Web Baby Shower Hosts
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Participating In Birthday Bets
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Information For Web Baby Shower Hosts
Birthday Bets Description
When you host an online shower at Web Baby Shower, it comes with a Birthday Bets page where your guests can enter their predictions for when they think the baby will be born. If your Web Baby Shower is for an adoption, you can specify that and the game will be called "Gotcha Bets" so that your guests can bet on the adoption details. Birthday Bets / Gotcha Bets is played online at Web Baby Shower and Web Baby Shower keeps track of the bets on the Birthday Bets page. You can also view any contact information your guests provide privately through the Host Control Panel.
You can enter any special instructions or "additional" bets you would like your guests to make, you can specify the date by which everyone needs to place their bets and if you would like to offer a prize, you can do so. When you are done playing Birthday Bets you can choose to display everyone's bets or turn the page off entirely.
Keep reading for more information about and "how-to"'s for setting up and playing Birthday Bets with your Web Baby Shower.
Adding Birthday Bets To Your Web Baby Shower
When your Web Baby Shower is initially set up for you, the Birthday Bets page is turned off to give you a chance to decide when you would like to start the game.
To Turn On Your Web Baby Shower Birthday Bets Page:
- Go to your Web Baby Shower home page (find)
- Click the "host control panel" link near the bottom of the page
- Once you have logged into the Host Control Panel, click the "Birthday Bets Manager" icon, a blue circle with two dice
- Under "What Would You Like To Do?" check "Turn Birthday Bets ON: ..." and click "Go"
- On the next page, you can make your selections for your Birthday Bets Game:
- Start and End Dates: These dates specify the range during which your guests can place their Birthday Bets. The default suggested dates are today's date for the start and the expected due date (or adoption date) for the end, but you can change them to whatever makes sense for your situation.
- You can specify whether the bets are for a Pregnancy or an Adoption as well as the number of babies on the way (singletons, twins, triplets and quadruplets).
- For twins and multiples, your guests will be able to make a separate guess about each baby's birth details
- You must choose at least one date on which to place bets, whether it is the birth date, adoption traveling date, adoption receiving date or the arrival home date (for births and/or adoptions).
Notes:
- For the case of scheduled Cesarean births, I recommend betting on the arrival home date since the birth date is planned.
- You are welcome to bet on all four dates, if they all apply to your situation!
- The rest is fun! Just choose the details you would like your guests to bet on; everything from the baby's birth length, hair color and eye color to whether "Daddy" will faint!
Please make sure you place a check next to the items you want to bet on and make a selection for the unit of measurement where applicable. Note: for belly measurements there is even a "TP" option for guessing how many Toilet Paper squares wrap around the belly!
- Special Instructions: Since it is mathematically impossible for me to create a game that covers everything you could possibly bet on, you can add your own special instructions if there are additional predictions, guesses or suggestions you'd like your guests to make. The Special Instructions will appear on your Birthday Bets page once the betting begins.
- Prize Description: If you would like to award a prize to the winner, please describe it in the Prize Description field. Otherwise, leave it blank. Web Baby Shower does not supply or distribute prizes for this or any game.
- When you are done making your selections, click "Turn On Birthday Bets Page" at the bottom of the form.
Once the Birthday Bets page is turned ON, a link called "Birthday Bets" (or "Gotcha Bets" for adoptions) will appear in your Web Baby Shower's navigation bar (along with Guest Book, Live Chat, Photos, etc). Your Web Baby Shower will now have a Birthday Bets or Gotcha Bets page where your guests can make their bets!
Adding or Editing Special Instructions / Additional Bets
If you would like your guests to make any additional predictions, comments or suggestions you can use the Special Instructions field.
To Add/Edit The Birthday Bets Special Instructions:
- Go to your Web Baby Shower home page (find)
- Click the "host control panel" link near the bottom of the page
- Once you have logged into the Host Control Panel, click the "Birthday Bets Manager" icon, a blue circle with dice
- Under "What Would You Like To Do?" check "Change Birthday Bets Setup: ..." and click "GO!"
- When you are done making your changes, click "Update Birthday Bet Page" (or "Turn On Birthday Bets Page")
Note: If you wish to remove your special instructions, simply delete your comments (leaving the text area blank) and then click "Update ..."
Offering Prizes
It is up to you, the host, to decide if you would like to offer a prize for the Birthday Bets winner(s). Web Baby Shower does not provide or distribute any prizes, so it is entirely up to you if you would like to do so. Most Web Baby Shower hosts play the games "for the fun of it." However, if you would like to offer a prize or prizes, you can add that information to your Birthday Bets page as follows.
To Offer A Prize:
- Go to your Web Baby Shower home page (find)
- Click the "host control panel" link near the bottom of the page
- Once you have logged into the Host Control Panel, click the "Birthday Bets Manager" icon, a blue circle with dice
- Under "What Would You Like To Do?" check "Change Birthday Bets Setup: ...." and click "GO!"
- When you are done making your changes, click "Update Birthday Bet Page" (or "Turn On Birthday Bets Page")
Notes:
- If you wish to remove your prize information, simply delete your comments (leaving the text area blank) and then click "Update ..."
- It is up to you to purchase and deliver prizes to your guests.
Emailing Your Guests About Birthday Bets
Once you have your Birthday Bets page set up and ready to go, let your guests know! You can send your guests an email when you start the game and to remind them to place their bets before the end date.
To Email Your Guests:
- From the Host Control Panel Birthday Bets Manager:
If you are already on the Birthday Bets Manager, you can simply click the "Email Guests About Birthday Bets" button under the "What Would You Like To Do?" choices and you will be taken to your Guest List Manager.
- From your Web Baby Shower home page:
- Click the "host control panel" link near the bottom of the page
- Once you have logged into the Host Control Panel, click the "Guest List Manager" icon, a blue circle with an ink bottle
- Once you are in the Guest List Manager and have added at least one guest to your Guest List (it can be yourself), you can Send A Message to your Guest List.
- Choose the subject "Place your Birthday Bets for ..." or "Place your Gotcha Bets for ..." and a pre-written message about your Birthday Bets game will appear in the Message box.
- You can send this message using the Guest List Manager or you can copy and paste it into an email of your own and send it from your own email account.
Viewing Guests' Contact Information
As your guests place their bets, they will have an opportunity to submit their contact information in case they win a prize or you otherwise want to get in touch with them. To see your guests' contact information (that has been submitted with their Birthday Bets):
- Go to your Web Baby Shower home page (find)
- Click the "host control panel" link near the bottom of the page
- Once you have logged into the Host Control Panel, click the "Birthday Bets Manager" icon, a blue circle with dice
- Under "What Would You Like To Do?" check "Edit Bets: View / Edit / Remove / Pick A Winner!" and click "Go!"
- A list of all the bets placed so far will appear, with any contact information the guest submitted with their bet.
- If a guest's email address is not on your Guest List, you may add it to your Guest List by clicking the "[Add to Guest List]" link below their email address.
Important Notes:
Please note that Web Baby Shower does not require guests to submit contact information in order to place a Birthday Bet; if a guest does not volunteer the information Web Baby Shower cannot provide any further assistance in contacting the guest.
Your guests' contact information is meant to be used strictly in regards to your Web Baby Shower. Please do not abuse your guests' trust in sharing this information with you.
Editing Birthday Bets
If you would like to edit one of your guests' bets (or they would like you to do it for them) you can make changes using the Birthday Bets Manager.
- Go to your Web Baby Shower home page (find)
- Click the "host control panel" link near the bottom of the page
- Once you have logged into the Host Control Panel, click the "Birthday Bets Manager" icon, a blue circle with dice
- Under "What Would You Like To Do?" check "Edit Bets: View / Edit / Remove / Pick A Winner!" and click "Go!"
- A list of all the bets placed so far will appear, with any contact information the guest submitted with their bet.
- To edit a bet, click on the nickname of the bet you would like to edit.
- On the Edit This Bet form, make any desired changes to the bet.
- When you are done making your changes, click "Submit Bet Edits". You can also choose to remove the bet entirely, cancel or make the bet a winning bet.
Removing Unwanted Bets
If your guests submit any bets that you would like to remove (for them), you can do so using the Birthday Bets Manager. Also, if an uninvited or abusive guest comes along, you can also remove their scores and report the abuse to Web Baby Shower as follows:
- Go to your Web Baby Shower home page (find)
- Click the "host control panel" link near the bottom of the page
- Once you have logged into the Host Control Panel, click the "Birthday Bets Manager" icon, a blue circle with dice
- Under "What Would You Like To Do?" check "Edit Bets: View / Edit / Remove / Pick A Winner!" and click "Go!"
- A list of all the bets placed so far will appear, with any contact information the guest submitted with their bet.
- To delete one or more bets, check the box under the Remove column next to the bet(s) you want to remove.
- Once you have chosen all of the bets you wish to remove, click the "Remove" button.
- You will be asked to confirm that you wish to remove the bet(s). At this point, you also have the option to report any abuse. Check "Ban" next to any scores you also wish to report as abusive. Uncheck "remove" next to any scores you do not wish to remove.
- Click "Confirm Removal"
Note: Any removed bets that are reported as abusive will be investigated by the Web Baby Shower moderator. Please use this feature carefully and responsibly.
Password Protection For Your Birthday Bets
The password protection that you choose for your entire Web Baby Shower will apply to your Birthday Bets / Gotcha Bets page. If you wish to use password protection, you can choose to password protect your Web Baby Shower completely, or allow viewing access to anyone but limit participation in the games, guest book, etc to guests on the guest list or with a password. For more information, please see: Passwords & Privacy Help
Declaring A Winner (including ties)
When the baby is or babies are born, you can pick a Birthday Bets Winner and announce it on the website. Because there are so many variables in babies being born and in making Birthday Bets, Web Baby Shower leaves it up to you to determine the "winner(s)." In case of a tie, you can declare more than one winner. It is also up to you to purchase and deliver any prizes you would like to offer the winners.
To Declare A Birthday Bets Winner:
- Go to your Web Baby Shower home page (find)
- Click the "host control panel" link near the bottom of the page
- Once you have logged into the Host Control Panel, click the "Birthday Bets Manager" icon, a blue circle with dice
- Under "What Would You Like To Do?" check "Edit Bets: View / Edit / Remove / Pick A Winner!" and click "Go!"
- A list of all the bets placed so far will appear, with any contact information the guest submitted with their bet.
- To announce the winner, click the Star icon
 next to the winning bet
- This guest will be declared the winner and no further betting will be allowed (if it hasn't ended already).
TO DECLARE A TIE
- Follow the instructions above for announcing a winner; click the star icon next to the person you wish to add to the tie
- You will be asked to confirm whether you want to tie the winners or replace the previous winner
- Choose the TIE option and click "Submit"
- Repeat until you've added all the winners to the tie; there isn't a limit but for your own sanity I wouldn't recommend having more than a 3-way tie!
TO CHANGE THE WINNER:
If you made a mistake and need to change the winner, you DO NOT need to remove the winner. You can simply change the winner by:
- Follow the "To Declare A Birthday Bets Winner" instructions above; click the star icon next to the person you wish to become the new winner
- You will be asked to confirm whether you want to tie the winners or replace the previous winner
- Choose the REPLACE option and click "Submit"
TO REMOVE THE WINNER COMPLETELY:
If you declared the winner prematurely or otherwise want to remove the winner and resume the game:
- Log into your Host Control Panel and go to the Birthday Bets Manager
- Choose "Remove Winner & Resume Birthday Bets Game"
- Click "GO!"
- You will be asked to confirm that you wish to remove the winner and resume the game
- Once you have confirmed, you may wish to edit your Birthday Bets Setup in case the "Date Bets End" has already passed.
Note: If you are already on the Edit / View Bets page, you can also remove the winner by clicking the "Resume Birthday Bets Game" button in the middle of the page.
Turning Off Entire Birthday Bets Page
If you no longer wish to play the Birthday Bets game and do not wish to display the Bets on your Web Baby Shower, you can turn off the Birthday Bets page. The Birthday Bets data and any associated contact information your guests submitted will still be available to you via the Birthday Bets Manager (see above) until your Web Baby Shower ends.
To Turn Off Your Web Baby Shower Birthday Bets Page Entirely:
- Go to your Web Baby Shower home page (find)
- Click the "host control panel" link near the bottom of the page
- Once you have logged into the Host Control Panel, click the "Birthday Bets Manager" icon, a blue circle with dice
- Under "What Would You Like To Do?" check "Turn Entire Birthday Bets Page Off" and click "Go!"
- You will be asked to confirm that you wish to turn off the entire Birthday Bets page. Click the "Turn Off ..." button to confirm.
Note: Turning the Birthday Bets page off will only remove it from display on your Web Baby Shower; the data will still be intact and saved for printing in your Web Baby Shower Memory Book. If you wish to remove your Birthday Bets data completely, you will also need to follow the instructions above for removing Birthday Bets.
Participating In The Birthday Bets At Web Baby Shower
System Requirements
Web Baby Shower's Birthday Bets are HTML based so the only system requirements are a computer with Internet access and your favorite web browser (Internet Explorer, FireFox, Netscape, etc).
For full enjoyment of the Web Baby Shower website and games:
- Please add webbabyshower.com as a trusted site to your computer's security systems (firewall, anti-virus, web browser security settings) so that your computer will allow you to add your bet by submitting a form
- Allow cookies from webbabyshower.com (more info)
- Turn JavaScript ON in your web browser.
How To Play
Placing your Birthday Bet is easy! Just click on "Birthday Bets" in the navigation bar of your Web Baby Shower to get to the Birthday Bets page (if there is not a link to Birthday Bets or Gotcha Bets then it means your host has not set up the page yet, or that she has turned it off). Once you are on the Birthday Bets page, you can see any bets that other guests have already placed, the expected due date or adoption date and then, enter your own bet.
To enter your Birthday Bet:
- Click "click here to place your own bet!" at the top of the page or scroll down to the "Place Your Bets!" form
- Enter YOUR first name or a "screen name" for yourself
- Enter your predictions for the baby's or babies' birth or adoption and any "additional bets" the host wants you to make or any additional comments you'd like to share (please be positive and supportive of the expecting parents!).
- If you would like the host to contact you if you win, or to keep you updated about the Web Baby Shower and the expecting parents you can optionally add your contact information (see below for more info)
- When you are done entering your predictions, click "Place Your Bets"
Please note:
- Your use of this website and participation in the Birthday Bets / Gotcha Bets game implies your acceptance of the Terms of Service
- If you are not able to submit your Birthday Bet, PLEASE add webbabyshower.com as a trusted site to your computer's security systems (firewall, anti-virus, web browser security settings) so that your computer will allow you to submit the form
How Web Baby Shower Uses Your Information
Your name or screen name plus all of your predictions will be displayed on the "Birthday Bets" page of the Web Baby Shower where you play the game. Please pick a name you feel comfortable displaying on the web, but also make sure your host can identify who you are from it!
You also have the option of submitting your full name or email address or phone number so that the host can contact you should you win a prize. Submitting this information is completely optional; it will be kept private and only accessible by the host(s) of that Web Baby Shower. If you do not submit your contact info, the only risk is that if you win and the host does not know how to get in touch with you, you may forfeit any prize she was offering.
The host may use any information you submit to contact you regarding the general progress of the Web Baby Shower and the expecting family. The host may not use your information for any non-personal purposes, so if you suspect abuse, please contact Web Baby Shower.
Web Baby Shower will keep your Birthday Bet predictions and any contact information you submit on file until one month after the Web Baby Shower ends.
Web Baby Shower will not sell, rent or share your information with any third parties (except with the host(s)) without your permission, or as required to operate the site, or as required by law. Please see the Terms of Service for complete privacy information.
Removing or Editing A Mistake
If you make a mistake while entering a Birthday Bet you must contact the host directly and ask her to make any changes for you. Please DO NOT enter duplicate or multiple bets. You can ask your Web Baby Shower host to edit or remove any erroneous or duplicate bets through the Host Control Panel for you. Because Web Baby Shower does not require every guest to have an account and password, only the host can make changes to the Birthday Bets and other guest data.
Viewing Birthday Bets
To view the Birthday Bets, simply click the "Birthday Bets" or "Gotcha Bets" link in your Web Baby Shower navigation bar (if there is not a "Birthday Bets" or "Gotcha Bets" link then it means that the host has not started the game yet or has turned it off). The first five Bets (in chronological order by Date of Birth/Adoption predicted) will be displayed at the top of the page and the form to enter a new bet will be towards the bottom of the page. You can scroll through the bets by clicking the page numbers at the top or bottom of the list of bets, or you can choose to see all bets on one page by clicking "show all".
Please make sure your web browser (eg: Internet Explorer) allows cookies from webbabyshower.com (more info), that JavaScript is enabled in your browser, and that webbabyshower.com has been added as a trusted website so that you can access and play the Birthday Bets game.
Information found in the Web Baby Shower Resource Directory is provided "As Is" with no warranty; information regarding pregnancy, birth and parenting is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition and is not meant to be a substitute for personal care from a professional health care practitioner. Web Baby Shower/Snowboard Mommy Productions does not endorse any product or service and is not responsible for the content or conduct of sites it links to.
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