Bracketwise

Bracketwise is a sports-bracket analytics tool designed to clarify the dynamics of March Madness pools. It imports your pool data from CBS Sports or ESPN via a Bracketwise Chrome extension and provides insights to help you understand where you stand, which picks matter most, and how future outcomes could affect your status in the pool. The platform emphasizes statistical comprehension over guesswork, enabling users to identify unique, high-leverage picks and to explore hypothetical scenarios through interactive views.

---

How to Use Bracketwise

1. Sign in with a Google account (social login) or any email via magic link.
2. Install the Bracketwise Chrome Extension in Chrome.
3. Import your bracket pool data by visiting your CBS Sports or ESPN bracket page; Bracketwise will automatically import the pool into the app.
4. Explore your pools from the Bracketwise dashboard (a demo pool is included for exploration).

---

What Bracketwise Explains

• Many bracket pools eliminate players early; Bracketwise helps you understand when and why a bracket loses value.
• It uses a gas-tank analogy: you may have “range” left, but mechanics (like wrong turns or traffic) can derail you; Bracketwise surfaces early indicators of vulnerability.
• Pools are effectively multiple simultaneous head-to-head (H2H) competitions. Unique picks (those not shared with an opponent) determine your potential to gain points that others cannot.

---

Core Views & Features

• H2H Comparison: visualize head-to-head matchups with outer columns for each player’s unique points and a middle column for shared points.
• Must-Win Highlighting: identifies must-win games with an orange basketball cue to indicate critical future outcomes.
• Time Travel: fast-forward/rewind through a past tournament state (e.g., 2023) to analyze pool states at different points in time.
• News Feed: real-time impact of every game on your pool; tracks closeouts, must-win games, and death matches with intuitive drill-downs.
• Crystal Ball: hypothetical future-outcome tool to assess how to stay alive or stay ahead based on possible game results; supports hedging strategies.
• Closeout Matrix: computes, for every pair of players, the most optimistic outcome for the first player and identifies eliminated players (negative minimum closeout).
• Grid View: a summarized pool status with sortable columns and a predicted winner based on relative closeouts.
• Time Travel & Visibility Controls: adjust which players are shown and explore different pool states.
• Assumption-Neutral: Bracketwise provides insights without making betting or gambling recommendations.

---

How It Works

• Import: Connect to CBS Sports or ESPN; Bracketwise pulls in the pool data.
• Visualization: Presents multiple perspectives (H2H, must-win, closeouts, grid) to reveal where you can gain advantage.
• Analysis: Focuses on unique picks to maximize points against each opponent and identifies contingent paths to victory.
• Disclaimers: Bracketwise does not take a position on gambling; it aims to illuminate bracket dynamics for informed decision-making.

---

Safety & Disclaimers

• The tool is for analysis and strategic planning in bracket pools. It does not provide gambling advice, and users should adhere to local laws and platform rules.

---

Core Features

• Google/social login and magic link options for easy access
• Chrome extension-based import from CBS Sports or ESPN
• Automated pool data import with a demo pool for exploration
• Multiple interactive views (News Feed, Crystal Ball, H2H Comparison, Closeout Matrix, Grid View, Time Travel)
• Emphasis on unique picks and head-to-head dynamics to identify true contenders
• Non-judgmental analytics designed to clarify complex pool dynamics