Here’s how to set up an Oscar pool for the 2018 Oscars

A lot of people dread the first few months of the year. And we get it: the holidays are over, it’s cold outside, and we’re just counting down the days until spring. But there’s still one big reason to love winter. And that’s awards show season. We’re in the thick of it, you guys. The 2018 Golden Globes set the stage for a great awards show season to come. Then, the Critics’ Choice Awards, PGA Awards, and SAG Awards added to the drama and excitement. Next up are the Grammys, the BAFTA Awards, and the Independent Spirit Awards. But it’s all leading up to the most glamorous night of them all: the 2018 Oscars. And this year, we have the low down on everything you need to know about setting up an Oscar pool.

On Tuesday, January 23rd, Tiffany Haddish and Andy Serkis announced the 2018 Oscar nominees. There were some snubs, like Tiffany Haddish not being nominated for Best Supporting Actress and the fact that Wonder Woman wasn’t nominated for a single Oscar. And there were some big celebrations, like Greta Gerwig becoming the fifth woman ever nominated for Best Director. We don’t know about you, but once the Oscar nominees were announced, we immediately started making our predictions for who and what would win each category. Which is why you should set up an Oscar pool!

What exactly is an Oscar pool?

It’s like March Madness or fantasy football, but with cinema and celebrities. You gather a group of friends and all write down your predictions for who and what will win each Oscars category. Then, if you’re right, you get a certain number of points. To keep things interesting, some players weight certain categories more heavily than others. The winner gets…whatever your group decides! Likely eternal glory and social media bragging rights.

So, how do you set up an Oscar pool?

Just head to TheOfficePool.com to get started. Once you set up an account, you can create an Oscar pool and invite friends to join. Then, make your picks and the website will do the rest for you. You won’t have to print out scoring sheets, do math to keep track of points, or worry about tallying everyone’s score. This handy site will do all of that for you — and in real-time, no less. If there’s a tie, it’ll even handle that too. (The tie goes to the person who most correctly guesses how long the show will run past 10:30 p.m.!)

Yep, setting up an Oscar pool is that easy.

And keeping track of the results is even easier. Every time a new winner is announced, your score and your standing will automatically update. So you can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

Using TheOfficePool.com to keep track of your Oscar pool will cost you, but the fee isn’t much. Every participant will pay a $1 fee, and there will be a minimum hosting fee of $15. So round up 15 people and the whole thing will cost you just two bucks. It’s a small price to pay for not having to do any math.

Time to set up your Oscar pool!