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How to play football pools | Explanation and tips
Football pools continue to be an extremely popular way of betting on football and Colossus have some of the biggest sports jackpots and payouts in the world. So we decided to put together a handy and informative guide that will tell you everything you need to know about how to play football pools.
How do the football pools work?
Football pools, and pools betting in general, operate similarly to a lottery. Every Colossus player places their stake into their chosen football pools which are then collated into one large pool (hence the name pools betting) and distributed between any winners. So rather than playing against the bookmaker, like in fixed odds betting, you are effectively competing against other players as the less winning players at the end of a pool, the bigger your payout (or dividend) is likely to be.
Colossus currently offer three primary pools types; 1X2, Correct Score and Both Teams to Score. Although each operate identically in terms of how the winnings are collected and distributed, the way you play each of them differs greatly. Here is a quick guide to each.
1X2
Also known as win-draw-win, this is probably the best known market type in football betting. Simply put, you have to select which side will win, or whether it will be a draw, in a pre-determined number of football matches. If it sounds simple that’s because it is but it’s also a lot harder than you might think.
Correct Score
Like the 1X2 pools, Correct Score pools require you to predict the outcome of each game (or leg) contained within a pool. However, the difficulty is ramped up as you need to predict the actual final correct score of the match, whether it’s a 2-1 victory to the home side, a boring 0-0 draw or an exciting 2-3 win for the visitors. Predictably it is far harder than the 1X2 pools but the rewards are ramped up as well.
Both Teams to Score
BTTS pools are a simple and fun option which simply require you to decide whether both of the teams in any given leg will or won’t score. If you think both teams will score then just select ‘yes’, if you think one or both of them will fail to score then select ‘no’. It’s as simple as that.
How much can you win?
The more legs in a pool, and depending on the type of pool, the harder the difficulty can become. The harder the difficulty, the more prize money there is available to be won and the larger that football pools payouts potentially are. So, how much can you win on the football pools at Colossus?
In terms of the 1X2 pools there tend to be three types on offer, a Pick 5, Pick 8 and Pick 15, with the number corresponding to the amount of legs in each. Pick 5 pools will typically have a £5,000 jackpot, Pick 8 start at £10,000 but usually roll over, meaning that so much money is bet into them that the jackpot increases substantially and can reach up to £40,000 on occasions. The biggest by a distance, however, is the Pick, which offers a staggering £800,000 guaranteed jackpot to any winners.
Correct score pools tend to consist of a Pick 3 or a Pick 6, again the increased difficulty leads to a remarkable increase in the prize fund with the Pick 3 usually offering a £5,000 minimum whereas the Pick 6 has an unbelievable £1,000,000 prize. It is the biggest jackpot currently on offer at Colossus and could make you a millionaire should you win it alone.
Lastly the BTTS pool usually offers a pick 20 with a cool £250,000 jackpot for any winners to share.
You can see some of the biggest football pools payouts in Colossus history by clicking here.
How to play football pools
So, how to play football pools. Each of the three types of football pools can require different levels of research to really give yourself a fair chance of succeeding.
1X2 might require you to research general form, home form, away form, xG and even head to head records to try and gain an advantage or, alternatively, if you just want a bit of fun you can simple use your instincts.
Correct Score betting tends to be focussed on all of the above plus you have to take into consideration the number of goals each side is likely to score and concede. Read our correct score betting article for further information.
Lastly, when taking on a BTTS pool you probably need to focus on the attacking and defensive capabilities of each side rather than anything else.
To make playing the football pools easier, you can pick multiple selections in each leg though this will also increase your overall stake.
Ultimately pools betting, like any other form of betting, rewards you for the work and research you put into it. However, the way to find out how to play football pools is probably to sign up and give them a go yourself.
Why should I play the football pools at Colossus?
In addition to huge jackpots, Colossus offer a range of fantastic features to increase your enjoyment of playing the football pools.
Syndicates allow you to join with your friends and tackle a pool as a team. You can even be rewarded with cash rebates for setting up a Syndicate in our Captain Rebate promotion.
Cash Out let’s you take a full or partial cash out offer during a pool, giving you peace of mind as you secure a definite return before a tricky leg.
Consolation Prizes allow you to win on near misses. You can get a return even if you lose.
Refer-A-Friend rewards you with £10 cash and a FreePlay for every friends you get to sign up.
And if you need any help then make sure you check out our football tips every weekend!
You could earn up to £100 (or currency equivalent) in bonus funds by joining Colossus with our New Player Bonus. Click here to join the action.
