Basketball fans watched excitedly Sunday at Baton Rouge bars as the 64 teams that will compete in the NCAA Championship were announced.Students participate in the tournament by predicting the games’ results with public and private brackets. Some are free, but others involve gambling. LSU will not participate in the tournament, but students are still planning to follow the games.”It’s one of the best times of the year,” said Elton Williams, sociology senior.Rufus Johnson, biology senior, said he plans to participate in seven gambling brackets for men’s basketball. He is supporting Syracuse — a No. 1 seed — in six brackets and Gonzaga — a No. 8 seed — in another. Johnson said he has participated in the brackets every year since he was 7, and he has done money brackets for the last six years.He picked North Carolina in four brackets last season and won $350, which he spent on beer — despite it being half the cost of his rent.Web sites such as Facebook and CBSSports.com allow fans to create their own brackets for free.ESPN.com is offering a $10,000 prize to the person who fills out the most accurate bracket and $5,000 to the runner-up.BetUS.com is offering a $5 million prize to the participant with a perfect bracket. There is a $100 entrance fee, and participants must be 18.Aaron Lamb, political science junior, said he participates the brackets on Facebook and ESPN.com.Lamb said when he chooses his teams he has to “throw in at least two underdogs, because if they win, then you’re the smart one.”He usually participates in two or three brackets. When the Tigers participate, he submits one with LSU winning the tournament, as well as a couple more feasible predictions.It’s fun to cheer for a different team occasionally, Lamb said.Williams has participated in brackets for about 10 years. He usually fills out 10 on ESPN.com, one on Yahoo! and one on Facebook.But, while some students research their picks, Williams said winnings are based on chance. “I don’t do a lot of research,” Williams said. “Some of my friends who don’t even watch basketball turn out better than I do.”Matt Duet, construction management junior, said he is confident in his picks until the games start. Then he tends to be wrong.And watching the games tends to be a social event among friends.”We try to watch the games together — especially if my pick and someone else’s pick are playing,” Lamb said.Participating with friends often leads to friendly rivalries.”If I have a good bracket, everyone’s going to hear about it,” Williams said.Local restaurants also see business pick up during March Madness.Drew Galloway, manager at Pluckers, said the restaurant will offer $4 off any 34-ounce domestic beer during the games.Buffalo Wild Wings offers its own bracket challenge online, and Cody Dugas, general manager, said the restaurant is also raffling off a basketball goal.Betting on sports tends to be more socially acceptable than other gambling, but it can still become an addiction, said David Earle, a Baton Rouge counselor.”It is their drink of choice, but it is still alcohol,” Earle said.There can be a denial factor as with any addiction, Earle said.  “It’s easy to say, ‘I’m not a gambler because I don’t go to the boats,'” Earle said.–Contact Joanna Zimmerman at [email protected]