The short version
- RingGame uses an ELO rating. Everyone starts at 1500, or at a rating seeded from their Fargo rating.
- Before each match the system works out how likely each side is to win. Beat the odds and you gain more; lose when you were favoured and you drop more.
- New players move faster: K = 40 for your first 20 ranked matches, then K = 24.
- Only ranked matches that are verified by a Ringmaster (or ruled on in a dispute) change ratings. Byes, voided matches and unranked play never do.
- Doubles and team matches use the average rating of each side.
Expected score and rating change
First, your expected score — effectively your chance of winning — from the rating gap:
E = 1 ÷ (1 + 10(Ropp − Ryou) ÷ 400)
Then your new rating, rounded to the nearest whole point:
Rnew = round(Ryou + K × (S − E))
S is 1 for a win and 0 for a loss. Every match has a winner — scores can't be tied — so there is no half-point draw. A 100-point gap gives the favourite an expected score of about 64.0%; a 400-point gap, about 90.9%. The score margin (a 7–0 or a 7–6 race) does not change the result: a win is a win.
K-factor and the provisional period
K sets how far a single result can move you. While you have played fewer than 20 ranked matches your rating is provisional and uses K = 40, so it finds your level quickly. From your 21st ranked match on, K = 24 and your rating settles. Each player uses their own K, so in a match between a newcomer and a regular the newcomer moves further.
| Ranked matches played before this one | K |
|---|---|
| 0 – 19 (provisional) | 40 |
| 20 or more | 24 |
Worked examples
A 1600-rated player meets a 1500-rated player. The favourite's expected score is 0.640 (64.0%); the underdog's is 0.360.
| Result | K | Change for the first player |
|---|---|---|
| 1600 beats 1500 | 40 | +14 |
| 1600 beats 1500 | 24 | +9 |
| 1600 loses to 1500 | 40 | -26 |
| 1600 loses to 1500 | 24 | -15 |
| 1500 beats 1600 (upset) | 24 | +15 |
| 1500 beats 1500 | 24 | +12 |
For example, an established 1600 player who wins gains 24 × (1 − 0.640) ≈ 8.6, which rounds to +9.
Starting rating and Fargo seeding
New players start at 1500. If you already have a Fargo rating, enter it in your profile before your first ranked match and RingGame converts it into your starting rating:
Starting rating = round(1500 + (Fargo − 500) × 1.2)
| Fargo | Starting RingGame rating |
|---|---|
| 300 | 1260 |
| 400 | 1380 |
| 500 | 1500 |
| 550 | 1560 |
| 600 | 1620 |
| 650 | 1680 |
| 700 | 1740 |
| 750 | 1800 |
- Fargo ratings from 100 to 900 are accepted (starting ratings 1020–1980).
- Fargo is self-reported. Staff can mark it verified; organisers may use it for seeding and handicaps.
- Seeding only applies while you have zero ranked matches. After that, editing your Fargo rating doesn't change your RingGame rating.
- You still start provisional (K = 40) so a seeded rating can correct itself quickly.
Doubles and team matches
For scotch doubles, Mixer pairs and teams, each side's strength is the average of its players' ratings. The expected score is worked out from the two averages, and each player then gets K × (S − E) using their own K-factor.
Example: a pair rated 1550 and 1450 (average 1500) beats a pair rated 1650 and 1550 (average 1600). The winners' expected score is 0.360, so an established winner gains +15 and a provisional winner gains +26.
What counts — and what doesn't
| Situation | Rating change? |
|---|---|
| Ranked match, verified by a Ringmaster | Yes |
| Ranked tournament match, verified | Yes — tournament matches are ordinary rated matches |
| Dispute ruled in favour of a side | Yes, using the ruled score |
| Dispute ruled a rematch | Not until the rematch completes |
| Dispute ruled void / match cancelled or expired | No |
| Bye (bracket, Swiss or lives round) | No |
| Forfeit or no-show decided by an organiser override | No — the match is voided |
| Unranked match or unranked tournament | No (still counts in total played/won) |
| Tied score | Not possible — every match needs a winner |
Leaderboards, divisions and national rankings
- Leaderboards rank players by rating. You appear once you've played at least one ranked match.
- Leaderboards can be viewed overall, by venue (players with completed ranked matches there) and by region.
- National rankings are split into divisions — East, Central, South and West. Your division comes from your home region, which is based on the state in your profile.
- Players who turn off Public profile are hidden from public lists; their friends and staff can still see them.
- Your profile also shows peak rating, win rate, streaks and recent rating movement.
Rating change calculator
Try a result before you play it.
Rating FAQs
Why did I gain fewer points for beating a lower-rated player?
Because the system expected you to win. The bigger the rating gap, the less a favourite gains for winning — and the more they lose for an upset.
Can my rating go down if I win?
No. A win always adds points (or, against a much weaker opponent, rounds to zero). A loss always removes points or leaves you unchanged.
I changed my Fargo rating — why didn't my RingGame rating move?
Fargo only sets your starting rating. Once you've played a ranked match, your rating is driven entirely by your results.
Do unranked or casual matches count?
They appear in your match history and overall win/loss totals, but they never change your rating or your ranked record.
Is there rating decay for inactive players?
No. Ratings don't decay. Your peak rating is also tracked separately on your profile.
Can I hide from the public leaderboard?
Yes. Turn off Public profile in Settings → Privacy. You'll be hidden from public lists and search; friends and staff can still see you, and your rating still updates.
A match was ruled a rematch. What happens to ratings?
Nothing until the rematch is completed and verified. Only the final, verified result is rated.
More questions? See the FAQ or the verification and dispute rules.