How to Play
Everything you need to know about Pick8.
The Basics
Pick8 is a March Madness fantasy game built around a snake draft. Instead of filling out a bracket alone, you and 7 friends draft actual NCAA tournament teams, then compete as those teams play through the tournament.
- 8 players per pool
- 8 teams per player (64 teams drafted total)
- 6 rounds of tournament play
- Most points when the championship ends wins
Forming a Pool
One person creates the pool and becomes the Commissioner. The commissioner names the pool, sets the scoring, and shares an invite link with 7 friends.
Once all 8 seats are filled, the commissioner sets the draft order and schedules the draft. Pools must be full before the draft can begin.
The Snake Draft
The draft uses a snake format across 8 rounds. In odd rounds, the order goes 1 → 8. In even rounds, it reverses to 8 → 1.
...continues for 8 rounds. Highlighted = first pick in each round.
Each pick has a timer (default 60 seconds). If time runs out, the system will auto-pick the highest-seeded available team. There are 64 teams in the tournament, so every team gets drafted. No leftovers.
Scoring
| Round | Points per Win | Total Available |
|---|---|---|
| R64Round of 64 | 1 | 32 |
| R32Round of 32 | 1 | 16 |
| S16Sweet 16 | 1 | 8 |
| E8Elite 8 | 1 | 4 |
| F4Final Four | 1 | 2 |
| CHAMPChampionship | 1 | 1 |
Every win is worth 1 point regardless of round. 63 total points are distributed across the pool over the tournament.
Elimination & Alive Teams
The NCAA tournament is single elimination. When a team loses, they're done for the season and stop earning points. Your dashboard shows which of your 8 teams are still alive and which have been eliminated.
The leaderboard also shows max possible points for each player: the total they could earn if every remaining alive team wins out. This keeps trailing players engaged and builds tension as the tournament narrows.
Winning the Pool
When the championship game ends, the player with the most total points is crowned champion. There's no bracket to bust. It's cumulative scoring across all 6 rounds.
The best strategy balances high seeds (safe early points) with mid-seed sleepers (massive upside if they make a run). A 12-seed that reaches the Elite 8 earns 15 points, the same as a 1-seed that loses in the Sweet 16.