Twelve tourney games to play

 

When the pairings are announced on Selection Sunday, a lot more than 32 games are set in motion. The bracket announcement gives rise to hundreds of thousands of games played by college hoops fans across the country—among friends, workers, strangers and on-line communities.

 

There are all types of tournament pools. With the most popular variation, you take one stab at the outcome of the 63 games played and hope for the best. Another pool takes you game by game through a slow, agonizing test of character. Mercifully, there’s even a pool based solely on luck, so you don’t have to lay your sports ego on the line.

 

Tired of losing pools run by someone else? Want to lose one of your own? Try running one of these pools.

 

Bracket Challenge – The old standby, Bracket Challenge is easy to play, requires only a passing knowledge of college basketball—and will drive you crazy. It is frequently won by somebody who has no idea what a Hoya is. Entrants simply fill out the bracket before games start on Thursday, picking the outcomes of all first-round games, then the outcomes of all subsequent rounds based on their picks.

 

Correct first-round picks earn one point, second-round picks earn two, third-round earn three…and so on to the champion, which earns six points. Some pools double the points with each round, but that puts a much lower premium on correct picks in early rounds…and essentially requires you to correctly pick the winner. To run a Bracket Challenge pool, go on-line to find a bracket, distribute it to your entrants and make sure you get it back before Thursday.

 

Crazy Eights – Crazy Eights is ideal for people who: a) can’t help pulling for their favorite school, b) get a kick out of guessing which teams will be Cinderellas, and c) don’t want to sweat over every single tourney game. Players pick any eight teams from the tourney field. Every time a player’s team wins, he or she scored points based on the team’s seed. Here’s how the points break down:

 

·         No. 1 seeds = one point per win

·         No. 2 and 3 seeds = two points per win

·         No. 4 and 5 seeds = three points per win

·         No. 6, 7 and 8 seeds = four points per win

·         No. 9, 10 and 11 seeds = five points per win

·         No. 12 and 13 seeds = six points per win

·         No. 14 and 15 seeds = seven points per win

·         No. 16 seeds = eight points per win

 

While easy to play, Crazy Eights requires more strategy than the Bracket Challenge. You have to pick the right blend of favorites and longshots. It’s generally won by someone who knows something about college hoops.  Play Now!.