FYI I think there is some kind of time decay involved too, my 7.77 got me to top place for about 24-48 hours, but after that it was no longer enough and I dropped back.
I think after this time you could have got to top place with less than my bid, how much is the question. The mechanics are a little opaque - I well may have been over bidding.
RE: Everything (trick) you need to know about promoting a post on leofinance (newbie HACK 2)