Super Bowl Squares Pool – How To Play & What Are Good #’s?

If you're watching the "Big Game" and you're not a San Francisco or Kansas City fan, and if you're not particularly fond of half-time show performers Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, then how do you keep yourself entertained at a Super Bowl party besides watching the commercials? Well, eating a whole lot of food and maybe imbibing in your favorite beverage are a "given"...you also could have a "little action" on the game to keep it interesting! So, you could take a shot at some prop bets (sports gambling is LEGAL in Iowa ya know!) or join in a "squares pool"!

Some people call them "box pools", either way, it's always been a fun tradition for my family to have a "squares pool", because ANYONE, can participate! I don't even charge money for my family pools, I just buy some fun prizes, like candy bars or lottery scratch tickets. Everyone can play! It doesn't matter what your age is, and you certainly don't have to have any knowledge of football rules. You simply have to be lucky! And well, it helps to have "good numbers". But first, I'll explain how it works.

How To Play
If you're unfamiliar, Super Bowl squares require people to put their name or initials in one or more of 100 available squares on a 10-by-10 grid. After every box is accounted for (or purchased, if you’re playing for money), the numbers 0-9 are then randomly assigned along the vertical and horizontal headers (you can't pick your own numbers!). To determine which box is a winner, take the last digit of each team’s score and the end of each quarter, half-time and the final score, and find the corresponding square on the grid. There's your winner!

What Are Good #'s?
Clearly you want numbers like 0, 3, 4, and 7. These are good "football numbers".

Cross your fingers that you get the number 0...or even better the box with both 0's...this was a score combination that was found at the end of 8% of quarters of all games over the past five seasons, including the playoffs, and offered a big return. Conversely, if you have the box with 2/5 in it...it's the "kiss of death", you have virtually no chance of winning.

Besides, 0/0, the next best combinations is a square with 7|0 (the home team listed first) offered the next best return followed by 3|0 and then 4|0. The most common ending to a football game? 20-17.

2 is not a good number. Getting a safety is one thing but it takes a lot of field goals to get to 12. (Or two missed extra points for the glass is half empty people). Rarely do you see a 2, 12, or a 22. Of all the possible outcomes, the best numbers to have in order are: 0...7...3...4...1...6...2...and finally 8...5...9.

So enjoy, the "biggest game of the year", and if someone asks you if you want in a "squares pool", say "Yes!", because now you know how to play!

Washington Post