Win Count

Pure victory count. Every first place adds one, and the biggest pile leads.

count(1st-place finishes)

Best at

Seasons and leagues that want to reward attendance as well as winning.

Where it misleads

Punishes anyone who plays less, however good they are. Totals mean nothing across groups.

How it works

Win Count is the purest accumulation metric. No ratios, no normalization -- just raw wins. It rewards both skill and participation.

How it works: Every first-place finish adds one to your total. The player with the most wins leads the standings.

When to use it: Great for seasons or leagues where you want to reward players who show up AND perform. Unlike win percentage, playing more matches is always an advantage.

Watch out for: Players who play many more matches than others will naturally accumulate more wins, even with a lower win rate. This is a feature for some contexts (rewarding participation) but a bug for others.

Works well with

Chess Connect Four Dominion

Also in Basic Counting

Win PercentageNew groups, any game, and settling the 'who actually wins more' argument.Weighted Win CountTournaments and playoffs where the stakes genuinely vary.Podium FrequencyFree-for-all fields of four or more, where a near-miss still deserves the record.Podium RateComparing people who have played very different numbers of matches.Top Half RateBig groups, where finishing consistently above average is the real competition.