How it works
Everything you'll want to know before starting a league.
What is Bracket Club?▾
A fantasy bracket pool for small friend groups (2-12 players) playing along with the 2026 tournament. Snake draft, click-to-advance bracket, live standings — all in one app with no signup for friends.
How does the AI strategist work?▾
It's correlation-aware: only 2 teams advance per group, only one team per bracket quarter reaches the semifinal. The strategist applies tier-aware multipliers to expected points, models how opponents draft (FIFA-rank vs Top-EV vs Champion%), and suggests three pick lanes — Safe (highest floor), Smart (best combined value + denial), and Swing (max upside). It's a deterministic heuristic, not an LLM call — works offline.
Why does only the host get the strategist?▾
The host is the one organizing the league and (optionally) tipping. It's a small fairness gift to the person doing the work. Friends still get a basic value board so picks aren't blind.
Is this gambling?▾
No. Bracket Club is for-entertainment-only. We don't administer cash prizes, hold contest fees, or pay out winnings. Any side-bets between friends are entirely between friends, on their own.
Do I have to pay?▾
No. Everything works free. The optional Ko-fi tip ($3+) unlocks the AI strategist for the league host's account only. Friends always play free, regardless of whether the host tipped.
Do my friends need to sign up?▾
No accounts, no email. Friends visit the join page, enter the 6-character league code + their display name, and they're in. The honor-system identity is intentional — Bracket Club assumes you trust the friends you invited.
What if a friend posts as someone else's name?▾
They can. We don't authenticate display names. Treat the league code like an invite — only share it with people you trust. If someone misbehaves, the host can reset the league.
Is this affiliated with FIFA or the World Cup?▾
No. Bracket Club is an independent hobby project. We use country names and flags (which are not trademarks), but no FIFA logos, official tournament names, or endorsements.
What data do you collect?▾
League data (picks, predictions, chat messages, results) is stored on the server hosting this app. We don't collect emails, ad IDs, or any tracking cookies. See the privacy policy for the full list.
Can I delete my league?▾
Yes. Hosts can fully delete their league from /setup → Danger zone. All picks, predictions, chat, and history wipe from the database. Friends in the league get their cookies cleared on their next visit. If you need a non-host delete (e.g. removing your name as a member), email nb@noaberger.com.
How do I report a bug or get help?▾
Visit /support or email nb@noaberger.com. If you tipped on Ko-fi but the strategist didn't unlock, include your league code (the 6-character one) so it's quick to fix.
Where does this run?▾
Each league has its own data file. The default deployment is on Vercel + Neon. You can also self-host: clone the repo, run `npm run dev`, expose via Cloudflare Tunnel to your phones.
Will this work for next year's tournament?▾
v1 is hardcoded for the 2026 tournament. A v2 will let hosts configure any bracket format (NFL playoffs, March Madness, Euros, custom).