Prior to the advent of the lottery and online gambling in the mid-90s, pool betting was one of the most popular and accessible ways of wagering.
Make no mistake: football pools and so-called “tote” betting also offered the opportunity to make life-changing amounts of money. Today, you can engage in pool betting online at selected sportsbooks, across a number of different sports too!
But how exactly does pool betting work, and which sites offer the best experience when engaging in this type of wagering? Let’s get into it and more in this betting guide!
What is Pool Betting?
When you engage in fixed-odds wagering, sportsbooks will lay your back bet at a predetermined price. Pool or tote betting offers a viable alternative to this model, as it instead sees individual stake amounts combined in a common pool.
The operator of the pool then subtracts their commission from the total cash haul, typically up to 10%. The remaining money will then be distributed between the eventual winners. Interestingly, the size of each individual payout is determined by the number of people who have selected the winning outcome.
This is the standout feature of pool betting, as the odds are not predetermined or known when bettors commit their stakes. This means that you cannot calculate your potential payout in relation to your unit bet.
Ultimately, if only a few bettors successfully predict the outcome of a match or race, your dividend will be higher. Conversely, this will be reduced incrementally as the number of winners grows.
How does Pool Betting Work?
Offline pool betting originated in October 1922, as a way of predicting and wagering on football matches. However, various iterations of pool betting have emerged since, across differing sporting events too.
However, most betting pools follow a broadly similar structure. So, here’s a step-by-step guide to understanding pool betting and placing your first wager of this type!
Choose Your Betting Pool
We’re going to explore the most common types of betting pools later in the guide. However, let’s say that you were going to place a ‘tote’ bet on the winner of a particular horse race. In this instance, you analyse the runners and stake £10 on the most likely winner. Another 99 bettors participate and make their own picks with the same unit bet, creating a total pool of £1,000.
The Operator Takes Their Cut
The operator or sportsbook in question then claims their commission from the total pool. In most cases, this will be between 5% and 10%, but for simplicity we’ll say that the latter percentage is charged. This removes £100 from the pool and leaves £900 in total dividends.
The Race is Run and Odds Calculated
If your pick subsequently wins the race, you’re in line to receive at least a nominal payout. In this case, let’s say you were one of just 25 participants who successfully predicted the outcome of the event. This means that you’ll receive an equal share of the £900 pool.
You’ll Receive Your Payout
Your dividend can be calculated by dividing the total pool (£900) by the number of winners (25). This will equate to a £36 return, meaning that you’ve effectively wagered successfully at odds of 3.60. However, if you had been the only bettor to pick the race winner, your return would have been an incredible £900 at odds of 90.00.
Types of Pool Bets
Now, we’re going to drill a little deeper in the various types of pool bets. The primary difference between these pools is the sport and precise betting markets that they target, although they may also introduce slight format changes. Here’s a summary of the most popular pool bets:
Tote Win Bets
Tote win bet pools work exactly as the example above. More specifically, you’ll pick your winner in a particular horse race, before your stake is combined with others in a single pool. The final odds and payout will be determined by the total amount staked (minus commission) and the number of winners. You can only claim a share of the pool if you select the race winner.
Tote Win and Place Bets
This is a variation of the classic tote bet, and one that enables you to pick a horse that you think will either win or place in a specific race. Depending on the size of the competing field, this means that you can claim a payout if your horse finishes first, second or third. Place finishes may result in an incrementally lower share of the pool.
Jackpot Pools
Jackpot pools are also synonymous with horse racing, although they’re much rarer and are so-called because of their ability to unlock significant returns. Here, you’ll have to successfully pick the winners of the first six consecutive races at a particular event or venue, often unlocking prohibitive odds in the process.
Exacta Bet Pools
With exacta bet pools, you’ll have to pick the two horses that will finish first and second in a particular race. If you select the right runners in the correct order, you’ll claim a share of the pool. You can also participate in reverse exacta bets, which may require higher stakes but enable you to predict the top two in any order.
Match Pools
In football pool betting, you can predict and wager on the outcome of football matches during the coming gameweek. There are various types of match pools available online, while these can target additional betting markets such as correct scores, both teams to score, the first goal scorer and the total number of goals scored in a particular game. We’ll discuss football pools in more detail in the next section of the guide!
Popular Sports for Pool Betting
As we can see, football and horse racing are the two most popular sports when it comes to pool betting. However, you can also access variations of pool betting when wagering on American football, baseball and even motorsports!
Football Pool Betting
Football pool betting can be focused on several different outcomes in English Football League (EFL) matches. However, there are three primary types of football pools available online, including the following:
- Classic Pools: ‘Classic Pools’ is built on the original betting game, and it requires you to correctly predict 10, 11 or 12 ‘score draws’ from a predetermined list of 49 matches. You can predict 10 scores for as little as £1, while the total prize pool regularly exceeds £100,000.
- ‘Goal Rush’ Pools: This betting pool iteration is based on the popular ‘both teams to score’ betting market. Here, you’ll pick eight matches in which you predict that both competing teams will score, and each of your selections must prevail if you’re to receive a payout. This can often unlock a jackpot of £1 million at some football sportsbooks online.
- Correct Score Betting: Similar to classic pools, this game requires you to pick the exact score in a predetermined number of matches. You can predict both decisive results and draws, although correct score betting makes it much harder to secure a payout. However, the odds at which you’re able to win may well be sizable.
Horse racing
We’ve already covered a number of horse racing betting pools, including exacta, place and jackpot pools. These games exist in addition to classic tote betting and each-way pools, the latter of which lets you simultaneously back horses to win and place in the top three.
Tote single bets also include so-called ‘Trifectas’. In this type of betting pool, you’ll have to pick the horses that will finish first, second and third in a specific race (in the correct order). This type of pool enables you to back betting favourites without necessarily having to compromise on your returns.
Pool Betting in Alternative Sports
While football and horse racing dominate pool betting, you may find similar wagering opportunities in other sports. Here are some additional pool betting options to keep in mind:
- 13-Run Pools: In baseball betting, you can access 13-run pools. These can include up to 30 players, with each one automatically assigned an MLB team. To win, your team must score all the runs between 0 and 13, while the site in question will update the pool leaderboard as the game ends.
- 33-Point Pools: Synonymous with American football, this game will see 32 players assigned weekly NFL teams at random. When your team scores 33 points, you’ll earn a point in the pool, and you can build your score during the regular NFL season. If you top the leaderboard at the end of the campaign, you’ll be crowned the winner!
- ‘One and Done’ Pools: With ‘One and Done’ pools, you’ll wager on weekly NASCAR outcomes. Simply pick a driver each week and add their total cup points to your personal tally. Every other player does the same, and once again, you’ll win the pool if you top the leaderboard at the end of the season.
Best Pool Betting Site
Now that you understand a little more about pool betting, it’s time to identify the best sites for placing this type of wager. We’ve reviewed the best sportsbooks across the length and breadth of the UK, with the following sites offering the best value overall!
Best Pool Betting Site: 10Bet
10Bet is our pick as the best pool betting site in the UK. This sportsbook certainly excels from the perspective of football and horse racing betting, both in terms of its market coverage and the available promotions.
For example, you can access a weekly £10 free bet when you wager £75 or more within the qualifying period, alongside a 100% price boost across all footy accas. If you’re a horse racing fan, you can also unlock a £5 free bet when you stake £40 or more on events during the previous week.
On the subject of bonuses, you can qualify for a 100% welcome bonus up to the value of £50 here. However, you’ll have to wager the total value of the bonus eight times before completing a withdrawal.
Best Pool Betting Cashback Offer: Betarno
If you wager with Betarno, you can access an array of cashback offers when betting on football. These enable you to recoup 10% of your losses up to £500 when wagering on the Premier League and Champions League.
If you’re a fan of EFL betting, you can also access well in excess of 350 different lines and markets when wagering on the Championship, League One and Two. These include moneylines, correct score picks, BTTS and multiple totals lines.
As for the welcome offer, this comprises a £10 free bet when you initially wager £15 at odds of 2.00 or greater. The free bet can be deployed at minimum odds of 1.50.
Best Pool Betting Fixed Odds Offer: BetUK
If you like to engage in pool betting and wager at fixed odds, BetUK is an excellent choice of sportsbook. Here, you can access multiple fixed odds betting promotions, including weekly free horse racing bets up to the value of £6.
You can also unlock a £5 football free bet each week, which requires you to place £10 or more in qualifying wagers on specific ‘Bet Builder’ markets. Your qualifying bets must be placed at odds of 2.00 or greater too.
The BetUK welcome offer comprises up to £30 in free bets when you deposit and wager £10. Your qualifying bet must be staked at minimum odds of 1.80 and settled within seven days.
Best Pool Betting Free Bet Offer: Betiton
On a similar note, Betiton is running a trademark welcome bonus that offers considerable value to customers. Simply place an initial wager of £15 at odds of 2.00 or greater and a £10 free bet will be added to your account.
Your free bet can be staked at more competitive odds of 1.80, enabling you to target a much broader selection of football and horse racing markets.
Betiton also provides exceptional coverage of all EFL football matches, offering more than 150 betting markets per game. The site’s ‘Boostion’ offer can also help you to maximise your accumulator returns, up to 77% depending on the number of selections included.
Best Pool Betting Jackpot Offer: BoyleSports
Last, but not least, we come to BoyleSports. One of the most recognisable and trustworthy sportsbooks in Ireland and the UK, BoyleSports offers extensive tote betting across numerous domestic meetings.
This includes both win market and place betting opportunities, while you can occasionally target jackpot pools too through the site. BoyleSports also runs a number of generous horse racing promotions, including best odds guaranteed on selected races and free bets worth the value of your stake if your pick finishes second to an SP favourite.
The BoyleSports welcome offer comprises £30 in free bets. To qualify, simply place a minimum £10 wager at odds of 2.00 or greater. Once settled, you’ll also receive a £10 casino bonus!
How to choose the Right Pools Betting Platform
While these sportsbooks represent our picks as the best pool betting sites, we’d encourage you to make your own selection based on the factors that are most important to you. Here are some considerations to help inform your choice!
- Licensing and Security: All reputable pool betting sites in the UK should be licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). Sportsbooks should also boast 128-bit encryption as a minimum security standard, as this helps to safeguard your deposits and withdrawals.
- User Interface and Experience: The best betting sites should also offer an intuitive interface and genuine ease of navigation. Sportsbooks should operate native apps or responsively designed websites too, to enable seamless navigation between desktop and mobile devices.
- Sports and Market Coverage: Most pool betting opportunities revolve around football and horse racing. So, you should prioritise sites that offer extensive market coverage across these sports. Also, look for sportsbooks that cover baseball and American football, as this may unlock additional pool betting markets.
- Fixed Odds Competitiveness: It’s unlikely that you engage in tote or pool betting exclusively, so it’s also important to check each site’s fixed-odds offerings. Ideally, you’re looking for the most competitive odds and price boosts, while sites like BoyleSports offer guaranteed odds across selected horse races.
How to Get Started with Pool Betting
At this stage, you may be wondering how you can get started with pool betting? So, we’ve prepared some crucial tips that will enable you to identify the best opportunities and maximise your tote returns!
- Pick Your Sport and Pool Type: As with any type of sports betting, knowledge and insight can help you to make more informed picks. So, target a sport that you’re familiar with and conduct thorough research into the betting pools that are synonymous with this discipline.
- Choose Your Sportsbook: Next, search licensed and regulated sportsbooks that offer your preferred type of pool betting. Also, take this opportunity to browse your betting site’s bonuses and welcome offers, as this could boost your bankroll and potential returns.
- Understand the Rules and T&Cs: Before you place your first bets, read the pool’s precise rules and prevailing terms and conditions. Rules may vary from one pool or operator to another, and it’s important to comply if you’re to see any kind of return on your stake.
- Prioritise Underdogs Where Possible: Backing favourites can be an ineffective strategy when engaging in pool or tote betting, as many others may follow suit and diminish your returns. So, analyse relevant form and datasets to identify the most likely underdogs, as taking opposing positions can lead to much bigger shares of the total pool! You can also refer to fixed betting odds to identify prospective underdogs.
- Wager With Your Bankroll at All Times: Regardless of your preferred sport or pool bet type, it’s important that you wager within your bankroll at all times. Ultimately, you should only bet an amount of money that you can comfortably afford to use. Your bankroll should also cover a finite period of time.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Pool Betting
Before you engage in pool betting, you should also consider the unique advantages and drawbacks of this practice. Here’s an at-a-glance summary, with the pros clearly outweighing the cons when it comes to pool betting!
| Advantages of Pool Betting | Disadvantages of Pool Betting |
|---|---|
| Access huge returns with nominal stakes | You won’t know the odds before you wager |
| Different pool bet types are available to suit your risk appetite | |
| Odds are determined by betting trends and demonstrably fair |
Responsible Gambling
We’ve already touched on the importance of bankroll management, which remains a central tenant of responsible gambling.
To help manage your bankroll, consider setting daily, weekly or monthly deposit limits at your chosen sportsbook (depending on your betting frequency). You should also keep track of your betting activity and returns over an extended period of time.
If you start to wager outside your means or incur unmanageable losses, you should seek out professional advice at the earliest opportunity. Charities like BeGambleAware can help in this respect, by providing practical support and connecting you with local support and networks.
Frequently Asked Questions on Pool Betting
How does Pool Betting Work?
In simple terms, pool betting sees individual stakes combined into a single pool. The total pool is then distributed equally between the number of winners, meaning that the odds and payouts aren’t determined until after the event. Betting pools can be accessed across several sports, including football and horse racing.
How do you win Pool Betting?
Pool betting is challenging, as while picking favourites optimises your chances of winning, this may also diminish your final payout and settlement. So, the best strategy is to identify value bets, in the form of underdogs who may have a better chance of winning than their fixed betting odds imply.
What is the difference between Pool Betting and Fixed Odds?
With fixed odds betting, you’ll know the price at which you’re wagering before placing a bet. This enables you to calculate your potential return and the implied probability of a particular outcome occurring. When engaging in pool betting, the precise odds aren’t set until the event has finished and the number of winners has been determined.
What are examples of Pool Betting?
In horse racing, tote win betting is both simple and popular, while the same applies to pools that allow place and each-way wagering. When engaging in football pools betting, picking likely score draws, both teams to score and the correct score in matches are all incredibly commonplace.