How to create a quick and easy and not-so-expensive Super Bowl "Block" Pool

So, you didn’t get into a Super Bowl Block Pool for whatever reason. Either they were filled up before you could enter or you didn’t start one yourself until too late or maybe you just don’t have 100 friends with enough money to make it work. (That always seems to be my problem.)

It happens.

But even with a limited amount of participants, you can have your own quick, easy version. Presenting:

The 10-Person, 1-Dimensional Reverse Line Pool!

Here’s how it works:

> You get 10 people, none of whom puts any money into the pot until the game actually starts.

> You assign each of those people a random number from 0 to 9. Those numbers will correspond to the “ones” column of the game’s combined points scored whenever there is a scoring play.

> When a team scores, combine the teams’ scores to that point and whomever has that “ones” number pays in, starting at $1 and increasing incrementally. So if the first score of the game is a field goal (score is 3-0, so 3 + 0 = 3), whomever has 3 then puts $1 into the pool.

> Whomever has the number for the combined score after the next scoring play then puts in $2, then $3, then $4, etc.

> NOTE: We suggest you deal with touchdowns/extra points as one scoring play to keep it simple and fairly low-cost, but if you want to split them up into two and increase the possible wager amounts, just make sure everyone knows how expensive it could get.

> Whomever has the “ones” total for the final score (who will have also been the last person to ante up), wins the entire pot.

How about an example . . .

Let’s run through how the Eagles' Super Bowl 52 victory would have played out with these contestants being assigned these numbers:

1-Anthony / 2-Bob / 3-Chris / 4-Dave / 5-Ethel

6-Frank / 7-Greg / 8-Hannah /9-Isaac / 10-Jessica

Eagles FG (3-0/3) 3-Chris $1 (pot=$1)

Patriots FG (3-3/6) 6-Frank $2 (pot=$3)

Eagles TD+PAT miss (9-3/12) 2-Bob $3 ($6)

Eagles TD+PAT miss (15-3/18) 8-Hannah $4 ($10)

Patriots FG (15-6/21) 1-Anthony $5 ($15)

Patriots TD+PAT miss (15-12/27) 7-Greg $6 ($21)

Eagles TD+PAT (22-12/34) 4-Dave $7 ($28)

Patriots TD+PAT (22-19/41) 1-Anthony $8 ($36)

Eagles TD+PAT (29-19/48) 8-Hannah $9 ($45)

Patriots TD+PAT (29-26/55) 5-Ethel $10 ($55)

Eagles FG (32-26/58) 8-Hannah $11 ($66)

Patriots TD+PAT (32-33/65) 5-Ethel $12 ($78)

Eagles TD+PAT miss (38-33/71) 1-Anthony $13 ($91)

Eagles FG (41-33/74) 4-Dave $14 ($105)

Final 41-33 4-Dave wins $105 pot