ncaa bracket ideas

[Absolute 0]

I think it would be a good idea to start a forum here at FCP for the NCAA Tournament Brackets.We are all here talking about poker, so we are all gamblers. And what better time of year for gambling than the NCAA Tournament?I think posting a temporary forum solely for the NCAA Tournament would be a good idea for a couple of reasons.1) It would be much more efficient and easy for anyone involved. You wouldn't have to sort through all the General posts to find discussions.2) You could keep one sticky with the main bracket at the top of the forum, and everyone could submit their picks to that post, and leave the rest of the forum for discussion on the various match-ups.I would be willing to submit a balanced scoring system for the brackets. I have run countless bracket pools for the NCAA Tournament. Also the internet is full of good scoring systems for this kind of thing.I would suggest we do it the traditional way, however, and not round by round. That just gets too difficult. You make your picks all the way through before Round 1, and you get more points for every round you choose correctly.Anyone, I'll run the idea of a new temporary forum past Jayson and see what he thinks.

[Guest XXEddie]

I say just do it in the off toipc forum, theres not a lot of topics there, but I like the idea we already got a scoring systemI say just do it in the off toipc forum, theres not a lot of topics there, but I like the idea we already got a scoring system each 2nd round pick right; 2 pts each 3rd round pick right; 4pts each elitle 8 pick right; 8pts each final four pick right; 16pts each champ. game pick right; 32pts pickthe winner 64 pts

[Absolute 0]

I wouldn't reccomend that scoring system. It leans too heavily towards the last games, and focuses almost nothing on the first and second round games, which are just as difficult to pick sometimes.Also, are you assuming that all the picks are made before the tournament began?

[Guest XXEddie]

acually pick the later games is MUCH more difficult, picking who will make it two the second round....you have 2 tems to chose from, picking the winner, 64 teams also yes I recommend we pick ALL game prior to the start, like a rwal bracket should be pickedscrew this tired, going to bed, discuss this tomorrow

[Absolute 0]

I don't mean to be difficult, but I think this scoring system is much more balanced. (It is also the most common and regarded NCAA Bracket scoring system) teams games points possible points1st round 64 32 10 320 2nd round 32 16 20 320 3 (regional semifinals) 16 8 40 320 4 (regional finals) 8 4 80 320 5 (national semifinals) 4 2 120 240 6 (national finals) 2 1 160 160 Totals 1680

[KDawgCometh 2]

I wouldn't reccomend that scoring system. It leans too heavily towards the last games, and focuses almost nothing on the first and second round games, which are just as difficult to pick sometimes.Also, are you assuming that all the picks are made before the tournament began?

that's a scoring system I've used since 92, and I haven't had anyprobs. The idea is of course for all the picks to happen before the first round starts. How should we take care of $$$

[Absolute 0]

KDawg, I think if you look at the scoring system I proposed, you will see that there is a fair emphasis on picking the winner, but you can also be rewarded for good first round selections.ESPN, yahoo, CNNSI, etc. all use a very similar system. you will find with the scoring system of 2-4-8-16-32-64 that whoever picks the final four correctly wins. i know that's a big part of the game, but considering how predictable the final four can be, I suggest we place a little more emphasis on upsets in the earlier rounds.

[MSR 0]

considering how predictable the final four can be, I suggest we place a little more emphasis on upsets in the earlier rounds.

If the final four is so easy to predict everyone will get it right and the early round upsets will still be important in determining the winner.

[Absolute 0]

If the final four is so easy to predict everyone will get it right and the early round upsets will still be important in determining the winner.How can you be defending me and arguing with me at the same time?Then why not just use a scoring system that is more balanced?I mean seriously, there is a reason every internet bracket challenge uses one like I proposed. Millions of people fill in their picks on them, I doubt they just arbitrarily come up with how to score them fairly. Doubling the scoring each round is a pretty silly way to do a bracket challenge. We might as well just pick from the Elite 8 on.

[KDawgCometh 2]

KDawg, I think if you look at the scoring system I proposed, you will see that there is a fair emphasis on picking the winner, but you can also be rewarded for good first round selections.ESPN, yahoo, CNNSI, etc. all use a very similar system. you will find with the scoring system of 2-4-8-16-32-64 that whoever picks the final four correctly wins. i know that's a big part of the game, but considering how predictable the final four can be, I suggest we place a little more emphasis on upsets in the earlier rounds.

I'm definetly down. Just throwing out the system that I've used, not saying its concrete. Can you break down the ESPN points system a little better as I don't completely understand it at first look. I'll be down with whatever point system works best, I just want to fill out a bracket or two

[swoosh210 0]

i think there should be a big NCAA tourny pool for FCP members. my buddy had a nice program that automatically took care of points and whatnot. i'll have to ask him where he got it. there is also the possibilty of using ESPN's tourny and creating a private group.. unless someone can come up with a way for money to be collected and payed out, it might just have to be for pride. i'd like to make this happen, so is there any other ideas?

[MSR 0]

Yeah I'm sorry about that, definately not meaning to start an argument, just real tired and not thinking quite straight. Like Kdawg said, I'm more interested in filling out a bracket than how they are going to be graded. Plus if I pick all the right teams it doesn't matter how they will be graded.

[chuckf410 0]

Can you take this garbage to the off topic forum. This is the General Pokerforum.The NCAA is just a waste of time.

[Absolute 0]

KDawg here is how it works......Rather than have the scoring progression go like this...2-4-8-16-32-64it goes like this10-20-40-80-120-160i can show you an example of why it is more effective.In system one the possible points for each round go like this...(64+64+64+64+64+64) for a total of 384.(320+320+320+320+240+160) for a total of 1680.I just think the system that rewards correct choices when there are more games to choose from is more effective.Because in system one last year, you could have chosen the favorite UConn and gotten the same amount of points you got if you chose EVERY first round pick correct. and to make things even more extreme, if you chose the final last year (which was ALSO predictable) you would have gotten the same amount for choosing every single first and second round game correctly.In system two, if you chose every first and second round game correctly you would receive 640 total points, but if you chose the final correctly (say Illinois vs UNC, which could very easily happen) you would recieve 400 points (which is still a very good number).I just think it favors more precise selecting rather than selecting the favorites.But hey, you guys are free to argue me here.

[TheMathProf 0]

Does everybody remember when Iowa State lost to Hampton in the 2-15 matchup one year?I had Iowa State as my national runner-up that year in a 2-4-8-16-32-64 system (we had 1 for the play-in game) and still managed to win the pool on the strength of my first and second round picks (yes, it helped that I picked the national champion, but it was my ONLY Final Four pick to make it there!).

[allinbluff35 0]

http://games.espn.go.com/content/tcmen/200...?page=howtoplaycreate a private group

[Absolute 0]

Yeah, it sucks to lose your entire bracket because you incorrectly choose a couple final four teams.isn't the whole point of filling out brackets winning those all-important sleeper matches, and then having them mean something?

[KDawgCometh 2]

Yeah, it sucks to lose your entire bracket because you incorrectly choose a couple final four teams.isn't the whole point of filling out brackets winning those all-important sleeper matches, and then having them mean something?

I just went to espn.com. I dig on their system, so I'm down. Are we gonna do it for $$$, that's my only other question

[Absolute 0]

I imagine doing this for money would be very difficult to do.This is where I wanted to bring up something interesting...Maybe Daniel would be willing to put 50 bucks in to a real money account for the winner at pokermountain !just kidding................................. kindaseems like a cool promotion for FCP and PokerMountain though, and it would be cool for all the forum members.

[MSR 0]

Even if we don't find a way to put money on the line I'm sure we could come up with something cool. Maybe a new title like "March Madness Expert" or something more creative that I can't think of at this time of night, instead of "Poker Forum Nut"

[Absolute 0]

Ha, yeah.They could just go ahead and change mine to 'Professional Poker Player'they have been needing to do that for a while anyway.

[Douglas333 0]

Im licking my chops for this guys. Hope we can get this off the ground. NCAA tourney brings me an annual income of about 200 dollars.

[swoosh210 0]

well as good as that sounds, i doubt DN would put money into a PM account for a NCAA bracket tourny.. although, Absolute great suggestion.. maybe we'll get lucky.. anyways, why dont we just do a private group on ESPN? let them take care of the points and whatnot. as soon as it's available, i can start a private group.

[Douglas333 0]

sounds good swoosh

[AllenRay4 0]

Absolute is completely right when it comes to the scoring systemsand for those of you who says it doesnt matter it does. Last year i won 2 pools, a work one and a family one, however i got 4th in the one with all my friends (and the most profitable one) because the scoring system was screwed up. and i had the same exact bracket - all 65 games!!it would be hard to do for money however so i suggest we get Negreanu involved - fast :-)