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How to Play POOLS Online

POOLS Online is a great option for new sports bettors who want to play from their computer or mobile device. The game is as simple as choosing which teams you think will win across 8-16 matchups. Players who get the most correct picks win or share the growing prize pool. To see which games are available for play, you can check out the POOLS cards on pools.olg.ca

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How POOLS Online Differs from POOLS In-Store

POOLS Online and POOLS In-Store share the same prize pool and overall game structure but there are some notable differences. When playing POOLS Online you can:

  • Complete the entire betting transaction online, rather than bringing a paper selection slip or online-generated barcode to be scanned in-store. Both options are available on pools.olg.ca
  • Use funds from your online wallet to place bets
  • View past bet slips along with any saved, open (all active bets) or settled bets you have in your account

FYI

You must be 18+ to play POOLS In-Store and 19+ to play POOLS Online.

A phone displaying the POOLS logo is shown on the opposite side of a convenience store.

How to Play POOLS Online in 2 Easy Steps

  • A POOLS card on a phone screen displays a football and goal posts on the top, a hockey puck and stick in the middle along with a baseball and baseball bat at the bottom. These represent some of the sports available when playing POOLS Online.
    1

    Pick a POOLS card: cards can be chosen by sport on pools.olg.ca

  • A POOLS card graphic is shown with two rows of two football players versing each other. On the first row, the football player on the left is checked, and on the second, the right one is checked, representing the picks.
    2

    Make your picks: Single Play or Box Play.

1. Pick a POOLS card on pools.olg.ca

A POOLS card on a phone screen displays a football and goal posts on the top, a hockey puck and stick in the middle along with a baseball and baseball bat at the bottom. These represent some of the sports available when playing POOLS Online.

To get started, you’ll need to visit pools.olg.ca and pick a POOLS card by sport and league.

2. Make your picks

Next, make your picks and choose the type of wager. Since POOLS has no odds or spreads, simply pick the team you think is going to win each matchup, Team 1 or Team 2. POOLS cards feature anywhere from 8-16 matchups and players must get the most correct picks to win or share the prize pool.

For each matchup on your card, you’ll have two betting options: Single Play or Box Play.

Single Play

A POOLS card graphic is shown with two rows of two football players versing each other. On the first row, the football player on the left is checked, and on the second, the right one is checked, representing the picks.

Single Play is the easiest way to wager on POOLS—simply make a prediction on which of the two teams will win a matchup. If you do Single Plays on all matchups, the cost of play is $5 per card.

Box Play

Box Play is a style of bet where you can pick both teams as the potential winner for up to 4 of your POOLS matchups. Available for an additional cost on your ticket, Box Play means paying a premium to guarantee that some of your picks are correct.

BOX PLAY WAGER AMOUNTS:
Depending on how many Box Plays you choose to make, the cost of your card will increase:

  • Box 1 matchup: $10.
  • Box 2 matchups: $20.
  • Box 3 matchups: $40.
  • Box 4 matchups: $80.

A POOLS card displayed on a phone is shown with two football players each representing a different team. Each football player has a box checked underneath it, representing both that teams have been picked for Box Play.

Auto Pick

An “Auto Pick” button.

Even the most seasoned sports fans can get stumped when trying to predict a winner. If you’re unsure about which team to pick, you can use Auto Pick, a feature that randomly selects a team for you.

Checking your bets & results

POOLS Online lets you view all your picks in one place. This means you can see all your open (active) bets at a glance, and the results of any closed (settled) bets in your account. This added visibility also lets you see how much you may have won or lost, to help you stick to your budget.

Ties/Pushes

When playing POOLS Online, ties or postponed games result in an automatic “win” for both teams. This means the matchup is considered a “Push” and the card is recalculated as if it was never included in the voided selection.

Voided vs. Loss

From time to time, one of your picks might be “voided” based on circumstances beyond your control, like a game being cancelled or rained out. This doesn’t mean you lose that bet. Instead, the ticket is recalculated as if it never included the voided selection.

Check out other sports betting offerings

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