Are you wondering if you can still participate in the classic Football Pools? This article provides a comprehensive guide to the modern-day Football Pools, including how to play online, the various games available, and a look at the history of this iconic pastime. For reliable answers and expert guidance on various topics, visit CAUHOI2025.UK.COM. Learn about online football pools, score draw games, and football jackpots.
Table of Contents
- 1. Play The Football Pools Online
- 2. What are Football Pools & How do They Work?
- 3. Can you Still Play the Pools?
- 4. Spin off Games
- 5. Football Jackpots
- 6. History of The Pools
- 7. FAQs About Football Pools
1. Play The Football Pools Online
Yes, you absolutely can still play the Football Pools! This iconic game, which has been around since 1923, is now readily available online, bringing the tradition into the digital age. You can access it through the official website of The Pools, where you can enjoy the classic game and explore various spin-off versions. Playing online offers convenience and accessibility, allowing you to participate from anywhere. Remember to always gamble responsibly.
2. What are Football Pools & How do They Work?
The Football Pools is a game centered around predicting the outcomes of Saturday afternoon football matches, primarily those played within the UK. Traditionally, these matches kicked off at 3 pm, but the game has evolved to include earlier and later Saturday games.
The core concept involves selecting 10 fixtures from a list of 49, with the goal of predicting which matches will end in a score draw. Points are awarded for correct predictions:
- Score draw: 3 points
- No score draw: 2 points
- Home or away win: 1 point
The game tallies the points from your best 8 picks, with a maximum score of 24 points representing a winning score. Prizes are also awarded for scores of 23 and 22 points. A single game costs just £1 for 10 selections, with options to increase your selections for a higher cost (11 picks for £2.75, 12 picks for £7.50), increasing your chances of winning.
2.1 £3 million bonus
A major attraction of the pools is the £3 million jackpot linked to each game. This jackpot is awarded for correctly predicting 9 score draw results from your selections. Although it seems like a small step up from predicting 8, winning the jackpot is notoriously difficult and has only occurred a few times.
3. Can you Still Play the Pools?
Football Pools Website
Many people are surprised to learn that the traditional pools game is still available online. One reason for this surprise is that The Pools’ marketing approach differs from other betting brands, resulting in less frequent exposure.
Historically, The Pools gained prominence through its association with classified results read on programs like Grandstand, highlighting eligible games for pools wins.
The game remains largely unchanged, with the addition of extra lines for additional money being one of the few updates from the original 1928 game. Match selections have also been modified to reflect the shift of many games away from the traditional Saturday 3 pm kickoff time due to TV contracts.
Despite these changes, the game remains active and offers a £3 million jackpot, making it one of the largest online prize pools available.
4. Spin off Games
The “Pools” brand has expanded significantly, incorporating numerous other games, some developed in-house and others acquired from different bookmakers. These additions are undeniably linked to the success of The Pools over the past century.
4.1 Goal Rush
Goal Rush is based on the “Both Teams to Score” bet, a popular option thanks to Betfred’s Goals Galore. Players select 8 matches from a list of 35, predicting that both teams will score in each selected game.
A £2 bet offers a chance to win a £1 million jackpot if the selected games are the first 8 on the coupon. If not, players receive a share of the top prize, which averages around £800. A consolation prize is awarded for 7 correct answers, with the company claiming a 16x higher return than acca insurance.
4.2 Match Bet
Match Bet
Match Bet is a recent addition that marks a departure from the original Pools concept. Players choose Win-Draw-Win results from a wide range of games across the UK and Europe.
Similar to an accumulator bet, each game is individually priced with an overall payout. Players choose their stake, and the payout is determined by the odds taken. This game represents The Pools’ closest venture into traditional bookmaking.
4.3 Soccer 6
Soccer 6 presents 6 handpicked games for a given day or week, requiring players to predict the correct result for each match: home win, away win, or draw.
Correctly predicting all 6 results wins the pool for that week, with multiple winners sharing the prize. Additional results can be added for each game, increasing the number of lines played and the overall cost, with the stake doubling for each additional result. The average winning payout for this game is around £1,200.
4.4 Premier 10
Premier 10 is an enhanced version of Soccer 6, where players pick results from 10 games instead of 6. Again, players choose between home win, away win, or draw, and can include multiple results per match to increase their lines played.
The game features a £50,000 jackpot for correctly predicting all 10 results. A consolation prize is awarded for 9 correct results. On average, 10 correct results pay out £18,000, while 9 correct results pay out £400.
4.5 Jackpot 12
Jackpot 12 allows players to choose from 12 matches, with a starting stake of 50p per line, making it the cheapest of the pool games.
Players simply predict the result from 12 selected games and can include multiple results to increase their pay lines.
5. Football Jackpots
Coral Football Jackpot
Beyond The Pools’ variations, many bookmakers offer their own football jackpots.
These operate similarly, with bookmakers providing a list of games from which players must predict the results. Correctly predicting all results wins a share of the jackpot.
The success of The Pools has inspired many bookmakers to create their own versions of football jackpots, with some even arguing that Betfred’s Goals Galore coupon originated from the initial Pools jackpots.
6. History of The Pools
Littlewoods PoolsFrom: BBC
John Moores founded The Pools in 1923 under Littlewoods. He initially sold Pools tickets outside football grounds like Old Trafford in Manchester. The success of The Pools led to the emergence of other companies, including Vernons, Zetters, and Brittens.
By 1946, the company and game were thriving. New games were introduced, starting with the Treble Chance game, along with Penny Points and Penny Results markets. The Treble Chance game was the first to offer large jackpots, a feature not yet offered by other bookmakers.
The Pools awarded one of the first and largest jackpot payouts in the country to Nellie McGrail from Stockport, who won £205,235 in 1957. Since then, The Pools has created numerous millionaires.
National Lottery Logo
The launch of the National Lottery significantly impacted The Pools, offering an alternative way for people to win large sums with a small initial investment. The National Lottery was easier to play and offered larger jackpots than The Pools.
Before the Lottery’s introduction in 1994, The Pools had over 10 million regular customers. By 2007, this number had decreased to 700,000. Smaller companies like Vernons closed their Pools offerings, and others ceased operations entirely.
Littlewoods continued to operate, adapting by offering a wider range of games and embracing the online market. The company was eventually sold for £161 million and became Littlewoods Gaming, part of Sportech PLC. Sportech acquired Vernons and Zetters before launching “The New Football Pools” on footballpool.com, the platform still used today.
In 2017, OpCapita purchased the firm from Sportech and rebranded it back to ‘The Football Pools’.
6.1 Major Winners
Nellie McGrail was the first “major” winner of The Pools, winning over £205,000 in 1957. Since then, there have been many other notable winners.
Viv Nicholsen Spend Book
Keith Nicholson’s win of £152,000 in 1961 was significant, worth an estimated £3 million today. However, his wife, Viv, gained notoriety for stating she would “spend, spend, spend” their newfound wealth.
Viv spent lavishly on cars, clothes, holidays, and houses, but her spending abruptly ended after Keith’s death, when Viv declared bankruptcy after exhausting their wealth.
Cyril Grimes won the first jackpot over £500,000 in 1972, and Irene Powell became the first winner over £750,000 in 1979, scooping £882,000. In 1986, a syndicate of hospital workers from Devizes became the first million-pound payout winners.
Barry Dinsdale from Kingston upon Hull was the first millionaire made by The Pools, winning £1,910,972 in 1987. In 1991, Rodi Woodcoock won over £2 million, and since then, many multi-millionaires have been created through successful Pools bets.
Michael Elliot remains the biggest single winner, winning over £3 million from the new Pools jackpot in 2010 with eight 2-2 draws from games across England, Spain, and Scotland.
7. FAQs About Football Pools
Q1: What is the Football Pools?
The Football Pools is a long-standing game where participants predict the outcome of football matches, typically focusing on score draws.
Q2: How do I play the Football Pools online?
You can play online by visiting the official website of The Pools and following the registration and game selection process.
Q3: What types of games are offered by The Pools?
The Pools offers a variety of games, including the classic Football Pools, Goal Rush, Match Bet, Soccer 6, Premier 10, and Jackpot 12.
Q4: What is a score draw in the context of Football Pools?
A score draw is when both teams score the same number of goals in a match (e.g., 1-1, 2-2).
Q5: What is the jackpot amount for the classic Football Pools game?
The classic Football Pools game typically offers a £3 million jackpot.
Q6: How much does it cost to play the Football Pools?
The cost to play starts at £1 for 10 selections, with options to increase selections at a higher cost.
Q7: What happened to The Pools after the launch of the National Lottery?
The launch of the National Lottery led to a significant decline in the popularity of The Pools, but the game has since adapted and continues to operate online.
Q8: Can I still find Football Pools representatives collecting coupons door-to-door?
No, door-to-door collection is no longer common. The game is primarily played online.
Q9: What is Goal Rush?
Goal Rush is a game where you predict which matches will have both teams scoring, with a chance to win a £1 million jackpot.
Q10: What is Match Bet?
Match Bet is a game where you predict the Win-Draw-Win result of various football matches, similar to an accumulator bet.
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