How to Start an NCAA March Madness Pick 8 Pool

The only thing better than actually playing in the NCAA March Madness tournament is participating in a bracket pool for the tournament. Looking over the 128 teams at the start of the tournament can be a daunting task, especially for those who don't pay attention to all of the teams in the NCAA during the year. A great twist on the traditional bracket pool is to start an NCAA March Madness Pick 8 pool. A Pick 8 pool doesn't require knowledge of a lot of teams and can be put together without much hassle.

Instructions

1. Contact friends and co-workers who may want to participate in the NCAA March Madness Pick 8 pool. Find out whether there is interest in participating before you start the work of setting up the pool.

2. Choose a sports website to host the pool to cut down on the amount of work you have to do. There are a number of free sites available to help you or you can choose a low-cost pay site.

3. Set a price for participation in the Pick 8 pool.

4. Invite friends to join in the Pick 8 pool and inform them of the website to use, rules, entry fee and other details.

5. Make sure everyone understands the rules. Each person picks eight teams before the tournament begins. When a team wins, points are awarded to the participant based on the seed of the winning team. For example, number 8 seed Oklahoma beats number 2 seed Kansas to give a participant 8 points. If Kansas is a chosen team, 2 points are awarded for each win.

6. Collect the entry fee and then give the information needed to join the Pick 8 pool online.

7. Choose 8 teams shortly after Selection Sunday when the team rankings and games come out.

8. Track each participant's score online at the sports website hosting the pool.

9. Use a built-in message board on the sports website to communicate with participants in the pool.

10. Pay out the winnings promptly once a winner is determined to encourage people to participate next time.

Tips & Warnings

• Look for a Cinderella team to earn lots of points. Remember, if a number 1 seed wins every round, you only get 6 points.

• In the very rare case of a tie, you will need some type of tie breaker. If you have a first and second place prize, you can combine the prize and split it evenly between the winners.

• Don't give people the website information until you have money in hand. It may be difficult to get money from someone who is losing but still had access to the pool.