A Plain-English Look at How Pool Tournament Brackets Work
Single elimination, double elimination, round robin: a quick guide to the formats behind the matches.
The basic formats
Most events use one of a few formats. Single elimination sends the loser home immediately. Double elimination gives every player a second chance. Round robin has everyone play everyone.
Why format matters
The format shapes the schedule, the length of the day and how much a single bad rack can cost a player.
