Get Your 2023 Death Pool Watch On

2022 winner, Roman Leto

After an exciting end to 2022 with Roman Leto taking home a big win with Queen Elizabeth, we are ready to pick who ends up at the deep end of the death pool in 2023.

Filling out our traditional death pool ballots on Thanksgiving has become as much of a tradition as turkey. This year there are 51 Death Pool enthusiasts, each contributing $5.00, awarding the winner with largest take home purse in Death Pool history, of $255.00 (51 x $5.00). 

We should note that the Governing Committee has added a clarification to Rule #6. regarding terminal or life limiting illnesses (see below) and added a new rule, Rule #13, which is a shout-out to our beloved, long-time Thanksgiving Day host, Andrew Veum, who passed away in August 2022.

Rule #6. The celebrity cannot already be diagnosed with a terminal illness.  

ü  Clarification in 2018:  Aids will be recognized as a terminal illness. You cannot pick someone diagnosed with Aids. If you already have a pick with Aids, they're grandfathered in.  You can keep them. 

ü  2023 ruling:  Dementia was recognized as a ‘life limiting or terminal’ illness and continued support of recognizing the diagnosis of Aids as a terminal illness.

 Rule #13.  NEW in 2023:  Andrew Veum (RIP) gets to keep his last pick of Richard Simmons indefinitely.  Exemption to rule #10.

 2023 Death Pool Selections 

Name	Celeb	How Would I Know Them…
Aaron Veum	Andy Dick	Born, Andrew Thomlinson, actor and registered sex offender
Abby Zoladkiewicz	Clint Eastwook	American actor and filmmaker
Amanda Veum	Shirley Maclaine	American actress, author, and former dancer.
Andrew Veum (RIP)	Richard Simmons	American fitness personality
Ava Lehmann	Pope Benedict XVI	Retired prelate of the Catholic Church
Barb Luther	Al Roker	TV Personality
Beth Bremer	Keith Richards	Rolling Stones English Musician and Song Writer
Bob Zerneke	Maxiene Waters	U.S. representative for California's 43rd congressional district
Carrie Neumann	Ian McKellen	English actor from Shakespeare to sci-fi on both the stage and screen
Chad Ulrich	Bill Cosby	Comedian, Actor, Producer of The Cosby Show
Chris Zerneke	Madonna	"Queen of Pop", American singer, songwriter, actress
Donna Hommen	William Shatner	Canadian actor. Best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in Star Trek
Duane Rue	Cher	"Goddess of Pop", American singer, actress and television personality.
Ellen Joyce	Donny Osmund	American singer, dancer, actor, television host, and former teen idol
Eric Zerneke	Steve Tyler	Lead singer of Aerosmith
Faith Kraemer	Wendy Williams	Ex daytime dieve former host of the Wendy Williams show
Gary Zibell	Harvey Weinstein	Hollywood mogul and sex offender
Gillian Ulrich	Shia Saide LaBeouf	American actor, performance artist, and filmmaker
Grace Leto	Dick Van Dyke	American actor, entertainer and comedian
Greg Luther	Machine Gun Kelly	Colson Baker, alternative rock with hip hop Rapper
James Imhoff	Bam Magera	American former professional skateboarder, stunt performer, television personality, and filmmaker
Jan Jarlsberg	Alan Dershowitz	Known for taking on high-profile and often unpopular causes and clients
Jen Luther	Ndamukong Ngwa Suh	American football defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles
Joan Zerneke	Nancy Sinatra, Jr	American singer and actress.  elEer daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra.
Joe Leto	Dolly Parton	Country Music Singer
Joe Luther	Brittney Griner	Phoenix Mercury's WNBA star
Karen Day	Mama June	From 'Not to Hot' is an American reality television personality
Katie Luther	Jamie Lynn Spears	Sibling of Brittney Spears, actress, and singer
Kevin Luther	Flava Flav	William Jonathan Drayton Jr., American rapper and hype man.
Kia Kienitz	Travis Barker	Drummer for rock band Blink-182
Laura Zibell	Bob Newhart	American actor and stand-up comedian
Leah Zoladkiewicz	Matthew Perry	Best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the NBC television sitcom, Friends
Marcus	Chevy Chase	Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase, comedian and actor
Margie Ulrich	Anthony Fauci	Former, Chief Medical Advsor to the President
Marti Kojis	Pope Francis	Head of Catholic church since 2013
Max Neumann	YG	Keenon Dequan Ray Jackson, American Rapper
Mike Ziarnik	Chris Kristofferson	American singer, songwriter, actor
Mike Zoladkiewicz	Brian Wilson	Co-founder of The Beach Boys, singer and songwriter
Monica Veum	Al Sharpton	American civil rights activist.
Mya Lehmann	Bob Barker	Retired TV game show host, The Price is Right
Nancy Borchert	Paul Pelosi	Businessman, married to former Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi
Pam Ziarnik	Chris Rock	American stand-up comedian, actor, and filmmaker
Randy Johnson	Travis Scott	Jacques Bermon Webster II, American Rapper
Renee Johnson	Carol Brunette	American actress, comedian, singer, and writer.
Rita Porter (from Green Bay bar)	Tom Hanks	American actor and filmmaker
Robby Zibell	Kanye West	Racist American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer
Roman Leto	OJ Simpson	"Juice" American former football running back, actor, and broadcaster
Tara Luther	Chuck Grassley	Senior United States Senator from Iowa
Tom Luther	Whoopi Goldberg	Caryn Elaine Johnson, known as Whoopi Goldberg, "actress" ex-wife of Ted Danson
Travis Ulrich	Donald Trump	45th US President
Trevor Leto	Dick Cheney	46th Vice President of the United States

Winners Circle

2009-Zib picked Michael Jackson, aged 50
2010-Gillian picked Amy Winehouse, aged 27
2011-Zib picked Steve Jobs, aged 56
2012-Shut out.  No winners.
2013-Sarah West picked Joan Rivers, aged 81
2014, 2015, 2016-All shut outs. No winners.
2017-Grace Leto picked Mary Tyler Moore, aged 80
2018-Zib picked Burt Reynolds, aged 82
2019-Joe Leto picked Ginger Baker, aged 80
2020-Ava Lehman picked Hugh Downs, aged 99
2021-Trevor Leto picked Larry King, aged 87
2022-Roman Leto, picked Queen Elizabeth, aged 96
2023-YOUR NAME HERE

2023 Rules -The rules are simple and here they are:

1. The person must be a celebrity "now" and not become a celebrity because of their death.
2. The celebrity cannot be a death row inmate, even in states that don't execute death row inmates (e.g., California).
3. The you cannot kill anyone on your list.
4. The celebrity cannot be dead before you post your picks.
5. The celebrity must be human (no animals).
6. The celebrity cannot already be diagnosed with a terminal illness.  

ü  Clarification in 2018:  Aids will be recognized as a terminal illness. You cannot pick someone diagnosed with Aids. If you already have a pick with Aids, they're grandfathered in.  You can keep them. 

ü  2023 ruling:  Dementia was recognized as a ‘life limiting or terminal’ illness and continued support of recognizing the diagnosis of Aids as a terminal illness.

7. Points are awarded by subtracting the age of the dead celebrity from 100 (50 year old gets you 50 points, 80 year old gets you 20 points, etc.).
8. All selections and entry fees must be submitted by noon on Thanksgiving Day.
9. NEW in 2018:  In the event of a roll-over and you don't have a bet for the previous year entry fee will include current and previous year and you only get 1 pick.
10. NEW in 2018:  You must be able to verbalize your pick. So you cannot make a bet for an unborn baby or someone in a coma.
11. NEW in 2018:  You must be paid up to win.
12. NEW in 2018:  Current owners of the pick have 'right of first refusal' to keep that pick, even if someone dies.
13. NEW in 2023:  Andrew Veum (RIP) gets to keep his last pick of Richard Simmons indefinitely.  Exemption to rule #10.