A Super Bowl pool, often called "Super Bowl squares," is a popular game where participants wager on the outcome of the game based on the last digit of the teams' scores.
What is a Super Bowl Pool (Squares)?
At its core, a Super Bowl squares pool is a grid-based game where players buy individual cells within a 10x10 grid. This grid corresponds to the scores of the two teams playing in the Super Bowl at the end of each quarter. It's a game of chance, requiring no football knowledge.
Setting Up the Grid
The organizer of the pool starts by creating a 10x10 grid, resulting in 100 individual squares.
- Assign Teams: One Super Bowl team is assigned to the rows (typically running down the left side), and the other team is assigned to the columns (running across the top).
- Assign Numbers to Axes: The numbers 0 through 9 are then randomly assigned to the rows and columns. According to the process, you put the numbers in random order down the left side for the rows. This randomization can be done by drawing from a hat, using Excel, or even asking a digital assistant. The same random assignment is typically done for the columns across the top. These numbers represent the last digit of each team's score.
Here's a simplified visual representation of the grid structure:
| Team Across Top (0-9 Random) | ... | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Team Down | 0 | 1 | 2 | ... |
| Side | ||||
| (0-9 | 0 | Square (0,0) | Square (0,1) | ... |
| Random) | 1 | Square (1,0) | Square (1,1) | ... |
| 2 | Square (2,0) | Square (2,1) | ... | |
| ... | ... | ... | ... |
How Players Participate
Once the grid is set up (but before the random numbers are assigned to the axes), players buy or claim one or more of the 100 squares. Each square usually costs a set amount (e.g., $5 or $10). Players write their name or initials in the squares they purchase. After all 100 squares are filled and the numbers 0-9 are randomly assigned to the rows and columns, the grid is finalized.
Determining Winners
Winning is based on the score at specific points in the game, most commonly:
- The end of the 1st Quarter
- Halftime (end of the 2nd Quarter)
- The end of the 3rd Quarter
- The Final Score
To determine the winner for a given period (e.g., the end of the 1st quarter):
- Look at the score for each team.
- Identify the last digit of each team's score.
- Find the square on the grid where the row number (corresponding to the last digit of the team assigned to the rows) intersects with the column number (corresponding to the last digit of the team assigned to the columns).
The player whose name is in that intersecting square wins the payout for that period.
Example:
Let's say at the end of the 1st quarter, the score is:
- Team Down Side: 14
- Team Across Top: 7
The last digit of the Down Side score is 4. The last digit of the Across Top score is 7. The winning square is the one at the intersection of row '4' and column '7'.
Payouts
The total money collected from selling the squares forms the prize pot. This pot is typically divided among the winners of the four scoring periods (end of Q1, Halftime, end of Q3, Final Score). A common split might be 15% for Q1, 30% for Halftime, 15% for Q3, and 40% for the Final Score, but this can vary depending on the pool organizer's rules.
Super Bowl squares offer a fun and engaging way for casual fans and avid bettors alike to have an interest in the game, right down to the very last digit of the score.
