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Bracket basics

How does bracket scoring work?

You earn points for every pick you get right. Later rounds are worth more points. The highest total after the title game wins the pool.

One common system

Many big pools use these points.

Points double every round.

RoundPoints per right pickGames
First round1032
Second round2016
Sweet 16408
Elite Eight804
Final Four1602
Title game3201

A perfect bracket scores 1,920 points in this system.

No one has ever picked one to the end.

The longest known run got 49 picks right in a row, in 2019.

Why late rounds rule

One right champion pick earns 320 points.

That equals 32 right picks in the first round.

So a hot start does not win a pool.

The pool is won in the last two rounds.

Guard your Final Four picks with care.

Every pool sets its own rules

Some pools use 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 points.

Some give bonus points when a low seed wins.

An upset bonus rewards brave early picks.

Ask how your pool scores before you pick.

Most pools also ask for a tiebreaker.

Guess the total points scored in the title game.

Closest guess wins a tie.

Five questions start it. You finish it.

Our picker opens on Selection Sunday, March 14, 2027. Five answers start your bracket. You can flip any pick. Free forever, no ads, no accounts.

Common questions

How does bracket scoring work?

You earn points for every pick you get right. Later rounds are worth more points. In one common system, a right pick earns 10 points in the first round, then 20, 40, 80, 160, and 320 for the final. The highest total after the title game wins the pool.

How many points is a perfect bracket worth?

In the common 10-20-40-80-160-320 system, a perfect bracket scores 1,920 points. No one has ever picked a perfect bracket to the end.

More bracket basics