How to Strategize in a Super Bowl Pool

Coming up with a solid strategy for a Super Bowl pool is tricky because of the random chance involved: Not only are there two nervous teams on the field, but the numbers assigned to your squares won't be drawn until after all the squares are purchased. While there's no foolproof way of winning, there are a few ways you can increase your odds.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Entry fees (preferably enough for two or three squares)

Super Bowl pool strategy

1. Know the rules. Most pools work like this: There are 100 squares available in a 10-by-10 grid. After all the squares are purchased, someone picks the numbers 0 through 9 at random (often out of a bag or hat) and assigns them to the grid in the order they were picked. Once one side of the grid is complete, the process is repeated so each square has two numbers: one representing the last digit of the score of the AFC team and the other representing the last digit of the score of the NFC team. If the two numbers assigned to your square happen to be the last two numbers of the respective teams' scores at the end of any quarter, you should be entitled to a portion of the prize pool. While each Super Bowl pool can award prizes in any way it sees fit (the person running your pool should lay out the ground rules before selling squares), you can expect to win 20 to 25 percent of the total pool buy-in for each quarter won by a square you own.

2. Pick early. Whether it's in the office or with your friends, make sure you get to pick your squares as early as possible (being first to pick is a best-case scenario). This gives you the best chance of getting the squares you want, and allows you to buy as many squares as you like while strategically selecting spots across the board.

3. Think diagonally. Assuming the numbers are picked at random after you pay, you're probably best served if you don't choose two squares that are in the same column, whether it's horizontally or vertically. This is a way to lessen the blow of random number selection. That way, if one of your squares is in a column that's assigned a bad scoring number, it won't hurt you twice. For instance, if one of your squares is a 2, you're odds of winning in that square are probably less than if you drew a 7 (which is the amount a team gets for a touchdown and an extra point, or if that team scores two touchdowns and kicks a field goal). So having two squares that have a 2 in them for the same team could make it a rough night.

4. Think three. Treating your Super Bowl pool like a game of tic-tac-toe is a pretty good idea. While luck is going to be the ultimate factor over whether or not you win any money, you can increase your chances by having a variety of numbers. Placing a square in the upper left of the grid, the center (or as close as you can get to the center), and the lower right should guarantee a decent mix of numbers. Granted, you won't always get great numbers (and there is even a chance you could end up with the same combination for both teams), but you'll be staking your claim with three combinations that are guaranteed not to share a number on the same side of the grid while only risking 3 percent of the total prize pool.

5. Know what you're willing to risk. Super Bowl pools aren't like poker, where you can use your skill and knowledge to beat your opponents in the middle of the game. Once the squares are bought and the teams kick off, you have no more control. While you can help your odds a little with the aforementioned strategies, luck will still have a great deal in determining what happens. Therefore, know how much you're willing to lose, as the odds will always be against you unless you buy more than half the squares on the board (which will normally cost you in the hundreds of dollars).