CLASSIC POOLS

The Classic Pools game is the modern equivalent of traditional football pools competition originally offered by Littlewoods Pools. The aim is for the player to get as many points as possible from eight matches selected from a list of 49 matches.

Players can pick 10 matches for £1, 11 matches for £2.75 or 12 matches for £7.50 to be covered as full perms but in all cases it is the best 8 matches from those selected that determine whether or not the player wins a prize. Other pools plans can be used but in those cases it is the best line of eight matches that will be used to determine if the player qualifies for a prize.

The Classic Pools points system requires a bit of explanation, because as far as the Classic Pools game is concerned, any given football match can have one of four outcomes, and each outcome earns the match a certain number of points for Classic Pools purposes:

• The home team can win. This makes the match worth 1 point.
• The away team can win. This also makes the match worth 1 point.
• The teams can achieve a No Score Draw, which means that neither teams score any goals so that the match ends 0-0. This makes the match worth 2 points.
• The teams can achieve a Score Draw, which means that both teams score the same number of goals. This makes the match worth 3 points.

When all of the Classic Pools matches have been played and the results announced, the player can add up the total value of his best eight matches (if he is playing a full perm) or his best line (if he is using a pools plan).

For example, let's imagine that a player has paid £1 to enter 10 matches in a full perm (this is also referred to as an any 8 from 10 entry). The 10 matches might have resulted as three home wins, two away wins, two no score draws and three score draws. In this case the Classic Pools player would drop the two lowest scoring games and select the best eight, so he would discard two of the home wins, and his total score for the eight best matches that remain would be 16 points.

Generally speaking, a player needs to score 21 points or more to win a Classic Pools prize, and the ideal score is 24 points, which represents eight score draws. If a player gets eight 'high score draws' (which means draws of 2-2 or above) he wins the Classic Pools jackpot.

Occasionally, games are postponed due to bad weather or some other cause. These games are looked at by a committee of football experts, called The Pools Panel, who jointly decide the most likely outcome of the game if it had been played. This 'Pools Panel Result' is binding as far as the Classic Pools competition is concerned. If no Pools Panel Result is declared then a Void match is counted as 2 points.

Describing the Classic Pools competition in lots of detail like this can make it seem quite complicated, but it really isn't. The thing to remember is that your aim is to score as many points as you can from your best eight matches, and that you will usually win a prize if your best eight totals 21 points or more. Ideally, you want to get 24 points so that you're in with a chance of winning the Classic Pools jackpot.