I thought I had figured out how starting picks work, but I guess not.

In this game, https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=7697152, how did I receive pick 5 instead of pick 6? None of my picks contested his first 3, and I was supposed to get Indonesia against SA/CA/WA.

It has to do with turn order. For picking, your picks were selected before his. This is probably simplified, as it probably switches priority for each pick, but the principle is the same.

Your first territory, you get your first pick.
His first territory, his first pick is uncontested, he gets it.
Your second territory, as long as your second pick wasn't already taken by him last round, you get.
His second territory, as long as his second pick wasn't taken by you up until then, he gets.

Now for your third territory, the game checks your third pick, but it was taken. So it moves to your fourth pick, and that was taken as well. Next it checks your fifth pick, which isn't taken, so it gives it to you.

His third territory, it checks his third pick, but that was just taken by you, so he gets his fourth pick.

I see.

This is different from what I had been expecting, but I think I follow the logic.

ABBAAB = turn order.

Who A and who B is is determined randomly (or by who picks faster, depending game mode)

In this case, you are B he is A.

He has the priority for his first territory, he gets his first territory, now you have the priority for the next two territories, which you get.
Then he has priority for his 2nd and 3rd and gets them.
Now your next 3 picks are territories that already have been distributed, so you gets no.6 as your third.

Edited 12/23/2014 13:07:19