The Point Pool is more fun and compelling than other football pools for a combination of reasons.

First, it is simple. Your only involvement is to sit down for a few minutes each week and decide which teams you want to pick in your two games and how many points you want to risk. It is enjoyed by big time fanatics, casual fans, men and women alike, who enjoy watching football because of the excitement of the games themselves.

Second, it revolves around game winners and losers. You’ll have a direct rooting interest in two games each week; games that otherwise you probably wouldn’t care about. You’ll also have an indirect rooting interest in the games of others, especially when an upset is in progress.

Third, as the season slowly unfolds, the Point Pool gets more compelling every week, culminating in the playoffs where you wager on every game, head to head with your competition; where a single game outcome can carry you to the top – or the bottom – of the standings.

Fourth, it is incredibly volatile. Weeks and weeks of careful, smart wagering can be destroyed with one big upset or bad decision. Conversely, being mired way back in the pack well into the season doesn’t mean you’re out of it. The Point Pool is a marathon, not a sprint, and to paraphrase the great Yogi Berra, the Point Pool ain’t over til it’s over.

Fifth, with everyone having a unique schedule of two games a week combined with the weekly decisions of which team and how many points to risk, the Point Pool is a great social networking game. Whether gathering around the water cooler or using a blog or forum, the Point Pool generates interest and interaction week after week.

When all is said and done, the Point Pool is a game of strategy and luck. When the playoffs finally roll around, the strategy turns into a chess match where the real challenge is anticipating what others will do and making your picks accordingly. Of course, they’ll be doing the same thing to you.

So remember, the water-cooler is a great place to drop hints – perhaps true, perhaps not – about what you are going to do. After all, all’s fair in love, war and the Point Pool.