What a bracket is, in one paragraph
A bracket is the schedule for a knockout tournament. Every team starts in one position; each match eliminates one team. A single-elimination bracket eliminates half the field per round; a double-elimination bracket gives every team a second chance in the lower bracket.
Why the bracket matters before the first match
Because the bracket decides the room. Who gets a bye, who walks the gauntlet, which team plays tired and which team plays fresh — all of that is set on day one. The desk reads the bracket first, the teams second, the picks-and-bans third.
Three rounds to focus on
The first round sets the storyline. The semifinals decide who plays tired and who plays fresh in the final. The final decides everything. Watch those three rounds, and you have watched the bracket.
