The pot is squares × price
Start with the number of squares sold. A full 10×10 board has 100 squares, so a $5 square creates a $500 pot, a $10 square creates $1,000 and a $20 square creates $2,000. If you sell only 80 squares, the pot is 80 × the price, not 100 × the price. Decide before kickoff whether unsold squares reduce the prizes or whether the host covers them. Write the answer on the board.
Two splits cover most pools
The even split pays 25 percent at the end of Q1, halftime, Q3 and the final. The weighted split pays 20/20/20/40 and makes the final worth double. Both add to 100 percent, so the full pot is paid out. A third option, 20/20/20/20/20, reserves the last fifth for a reverse-winner side prize.
| Period | Even split | Weighted split |
|---|---|---|
| End of Q1 | 25% | 20% |
| Halftime | 25% | 20% |
| End of Q3 | 25% | 20% |
| Final (incl. OT) | 25% | 40% |
What a $10 square actually pays
On a sold-out 100-square board at $10, the pot is $1,000.
| Split | Q1 | Half | Q3 | Final | Reverse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25/25/25/25 | $250 | $250 | $250 | $250 | — |
| 20/20/20/40 | $200 | $200 | $200 | $400 | — |
| 20/20/20/20 + 20 reverse | $200 | $200 | $200 | $200 | $200 |
The same arithmetic works at any price. At $5, cut every number in half. At $20, double them. The percentages are the part that matters; the dollar amounts follow.
Reverse-winner payouts
A reverse-winner prize pays the square with the row and column digits swapped. If the final score points to row 4, column 7, the main winner is 4-7 and the reverse winner is 7-4. Pools usually offer it for the final only, because paying it every quarter doubles the lookup work. Decide whether the reverse prize is an extra line in the budget or comes out of the final prize. The cleanest structure is 20/20/20/20 for the four periods plus 20 percent for the reverse; it is easy to explain and easy to check.
Every-score-change pools
In this format, the pool pays a fixed amount whenever a score change creates a new winning square. A high-scoring game can produce 20 or more changes, so set a per-change amount and a cap on the total. For example, $10 per change with a $300 cap. This format is more fun for a group that wants constant action, but it needs one person to track the current square. An online board that highlights the live square makes the job much easier.
Super Bowl squares payouts
A Super Bowl board usually fills faster than a regular-season pool, so the pot can be larger at the same buy-in. The math does not change: 100 squares × the price is the pot, and the split decides how it is divided. On a sold-out $20 board, the pot is $2,000; a 20/20/20/40 split pays $400, $400, $400 and $800. Decide whether the final includes overtime and whether a reverse-winner side prize comes out of the pot. Print the dollar amounts on the board before guests arrive, and pay the winners after the game rather than promising later.
Collecting and tracking the money
Keep a list of who paid, not just who claimed a square. Cash is fine for a small office pool; a payment app creates a record without extra work. Do not mix the pool money with personal money, and pay the winners at the end of the game rather than promising to settle up later. If you run the pool online, One credit adds a paid/unpaid column, a running total and CSV export, which is useful when a treasurer or a second host needs the record.
Check your local rules
Check your state and local laws before running a pool for money; many offices play for fun or donate the pot. A small buy-in with a transparent split is easier to defend and easier to keep friendly. If your workplace or venue prohibits betting, run the board for bragging rights or a donated prize instead. The pool works the same way without cash.