2013 March Madness Pool Spreadsheets

Looking for 2014 brackets? Check here.

Here we go, everyone! The much anticipated ExcelGeek.com March Madness pool manager spreadsheet (and associated individual picks spreadsheet) is out! Here's a cute little article to get you some quick facts while you're filling out your brackets.

The system works the same as last year. There are two files: The first is the "master" spreadsheet, used by the pool organizer to track the results of everyone's picks vs. who actually wins, etc. This is where you determine how many points a correct pick in each of the rounds is worth, as well. Also, the pool manager can make his or her picks in this file, too. The second file is the simplified "individual picks" spreadsheet used by the participants in the pool to make their picks and send the file to the pool organizer to automatically pull their picks into the master.

• "Master" spreadsheet ($2.00)
• "Individual Picks" spreadsheet (FREE)

Once again, the individual picks spreadsheet is free, but the more complex "master" spreadsheet is not. It is ONLY $2.00, though. The files are both locked down and protected. In the case of the master spreadsheet, it requires a "key code" to unlock the magic.

Like I first did last year, I won't make you email me the "lock code" the file presents to you when you first open it and then email you back a "key code" to unlock it -- I've automated the process.

What you will do is the following:

1. Download the "master" file by clicking on the link above.
2. Open the file. Make sure you've got macros enabled. If you didn't have macros enabled when you first opened the file, enable them, then close and reopen the file, making sure to enable macros. If the file doesn't display a "Lock Code" when you open it, something didn't work right. Try again.
3. Copy the "lock code" the file presents you.
4. Paste that code (be sure to delete any trailing spaces added when you paste it -- it normally adds an extra trailing space for some reason) into the "Lock Code" field below.
5. Click the "Buy Now" button below to pay the $2.00 for the file via PayPal. You do not need to have a PayPal account to pay this way. Any major credit card will work just fine.
6. At the end of the transaction, you'll be redirected to a confirmation page with my pretty little avatar on it. It will display (among other things) the "key code" you'll need to activate the file.
7. Copy and paste that code into the spreadsheet into the proper place, click submit, accept my terms and conditions, and you're off and running!

Again, if you don't paste in your Lock Code and complete your transaction, you won't receive a "Key Code" that will actually work to unlock your file. Do not forget this part! You may have to pay another $2.00 if you mess it up.

(Removed payment button so folks don't get confused now that 2013 is over.)

Best of luck, everyone!

Excel_Geek

Build Up to March Madness 2013 - Another Crazy Pool Format

Looking for 2014 brackets? Check here.

I thought I'd continue to stoke the excitement fire for March Madness 2013! Many of you know that besides college football bowl season, March Madness is the biggest event for ExcelGeek.com each year.

To reiterate from my last post, this year the ExcelGeek.com March Madness bracket situation will work like year's past. Once Selection Sunday is over, I'll post this year's bracket files -- both the "Master" file that pool organizers use and the "Picks" file that individual participants in pools use to track how they're doing and to send to the organizers to make it easier for them to input picks into the "Master".

I'll also be using the same online file registration process as last year. That really worked well. If you don't remember it, how it works is that you FIRST download the Master bracket file (the one pool organizers use to manage the pool) and open it (with macros enabled). It provides a Lock Code. Then you click the PayPal button link to submit payment of $2.00. It's at that time that you provide the Lock Code. Once your payment is confirmed, you'll be provided with a Key Code. With that key code you'll unlock all the wonder that is the ExcelGeek.com March Madness Master bracket file.

Awesome, right?

So...what are you supposed to do between now and this coming Sunday night?

Here's another interesting March Madness pool sheet I just did for a client. This one involves randomly assigning participants to each of the 68 teams in the tournament. Then, the winners of each game are determined by the final score vs. the official betting line on the game. Example: If you've got Missouri in a match-up vs. Duke, and Duke's favored by 5, you win so long as Missouri beats the spread. In the event your team actually wins the game and beats (or matches -- a "push") the spread, you advance with your team to the next round. If your team loses, but beats the spread, you advance to the next round AND (here's the fun part) you steal the loser's team (since they won the game). Fun, right? Anyway, you can do different payouts for wins at each round of the tournament, and this client wanted to actually do pay-outs for the Championship loser and Semifinal losers, too, so I built that in. All in all, it was another example of a pool where your ability to pick teams is not really a factor. It's about your luck.

I believe this client is still rounding up participants for the pool. If you're interested, let me know and I'll pass along his email address.

Excel_Geek Insiders Subscribers, I'll send along a copy of that file.

Later,

Excel_Geek

Getting Excited for March Madness 2013? An Appetizer

Looking for 2014 brackets? Check here.

Hey folks! Are you getting excited for March Madness 2013? You know I am. Many of you know that besides college football bowl season, March Madness is the biggest event for ExcelGeek.com each year.

This year will be a like year's past. Once Selection Sunday is over, I'll post this year's bracket files. I'll also be using the same online file registration process as last year. That really worked well. If you don't remember it, how it works is that once you've downloaded the Master bracket file (the one pool organizers use to manage the pool) and open it (with macros enabled) it provides a Lock Code. When you submit payment of $2.00 via PayPal, you'll have a place to type or copy-paste in that code. You'll then be provided with a Key Code. With that key code you'll unlock all the wonder that is the ExcelGeek.com March Madness Master bracket file.

Awesome, right?

So...what are you supposed to do between now and this coming Sunday night? Well, I just recently created a different kind of March Madness pool sheet for a client. It's a whole different animal than the typical bracket challenge type pool that I've done in the past. It uses a 10x10 grid format where the top axis of the matrix corresponds to the last digit of the winning team's score at the end of regulation and the left axis corresponds to the losing team's score at the end of regulation. Participants are assigned, randomly, the number of squares in the grid that they've purchased/earned/were given. Then the numbers along the top and left sides are randomly sorted. Having the correct square for each game awards that participant an increasing number of points or money from round to round. It's a pretty cool arrangement. It keeps everyone interested all the way through, even if your pickem' teams have long been beat out.

I believe this client is still rounding up participants for the pool. If you're interested, let me know and I'll pass along his email address.

Excel_Geek Insiders Subscribers, I'll send along a copy of that file.

Later,

Excel_Geek