Super Bowl Pool Strategy

When participating in a Super Bowl squares pool where each score change pays out, selecting squares strategically can maximize your winnings. Below are three main strategies to consider. Each of these strategies below are assuming you maximizing your payout by buying 8 squares.

Strategy 1: Full Spread

This strategy involves selecting 8 squares, ensuring each square is in a unique row and column (e.g., squares 5, 16, 27, 38, 49, 60, 71, 82). This maximizes number diversity and broadens your chances of landing on frequent score-ending digits, covering the most different outcomes.

Strategy 2: Hybrid Approach

In this method, 4 squares are uniquely placed in different rows and columns (e.g., 3, 14, 25, 36), while the other 4 share a row or column (e.g., 47, 48, 57, 58). This allows for potential consecutive payouts (e.g., a touchdown followed by an extra point could result in back-to-back wins).

Strategy 3: Stacked Pairs

This strategy focuses on selecting 4 pairs of adjacent squares (either horizontally or vertically), such as (10, 11), (22, 23), (40, 41), and (67, 68). This increases the odds of winning on consecutive score changes, especially if one square is hit and the next score change lands on its adjacent counterpart.

Simulation Results

• Full Spread: Expected Winnings: $220.59
• Hybrid: Expected Winnings: $224.94
• Stacked Pairs: Expected Winnings: $224.05
• Hybrid Net Profit: Slightly higher due to back-to-back payouts

The hybrid strategy provides a small edge over both the full spread and stacked pairs, making it the best choice for optimizing potential payouts.

FAQ

• Does it matter where I place my squares?
  Yes! Spreading them out ensures you have a wider range of score combinations, while grouping some can increase back-to-back payout potential.
• What are the best numbers to have?
  The most common score-ending digits in NFL games are 0, 3, 7, 4, and 1.
• What happens if I get bad numbers?
  If you land on 5, 8, or 9, your chances are lower, but consecutive scoring (like safeties or missed PATs) can still work in your favor.