Easy Betting Games

• Masters Betting Games
• Easy Betting Games

Can you even have a Super Bowl party if you don't have Super Bowl betting games? The short answer is no. The longer answer is definitely not.

Red Keno is a classic betting game that is popular because of its simplicity. The main task of the player who makes a bet on this game is to choose from 1 to 8 numbers out of 80 possible. If any of the chosen numbers draw - the player wins, if not - he loses. Shot roulette is an easy game for party-starters to create, too. All you'll need is a roulette wheel and ball (these are cheap enough to buy in ‘travel size'), and the numbered felt upon which players traditionally place their bets. In this bet, you have the least chance of winning by betting on the underdog. The exception is when the underdog is very close in skill with the team favored to win. The win bet is relatively easy to analyze beforehand in sports like basketball and American football. It is the most difficult to analyze before a game.

If you are struggling to come up with ideas, The Action Network is here to help. I've been playing Super Bowl party betting games for years, and I'd like to share some of my favorites.

Before we get to the list, remember: Communication is key. Make sure to inform your guests in advance about what betting games you will offer (and the stakes) at your party, so that they will arrive prepared. Nobody wants to spot anybody cash for these activities.

Square Pool

This is the most famous Super Bowl betting game, and it's one most of you have probably played at a party. If you haven't, you just need a poster board, a magic marker, a ruler, and basic math skills.

Pro Tip: Buy two poster boards just in case you struggle in that last department. I've seen some botched boards in my day. Also, someone will inevitably write their name in too many squares. More on that to come.

Once you have those four things, draw 11 equal squares across the top of the board and 10 more down the left side (eleven including the already completed square in the left corner). Next, draw a 10X10 grid of squares inside of the row and column of squares you just created.

Now, divide 100 by the number of participants to determine how many squares each person gets. Once you have that number, each participant will write their name in that amount of random squares.

Pro Tip: Make sure you wait as long as possible to ensure everyone who wants in can play.

If you can't divide 100 equally, create a house square and make up your own rule for those squares. We like to carry it over if those numbers hit before the end of the game, and give it to the party host if they hit at the end. You can also offer to sell those additional squares to increase the pot. In the example below, 10 people bought into the pool, which means each writes their name in 10 random boxes.

After you have all of the names filled in, put the numbers 0 through 9 on small pieces of paper into a hat. Have someone pick them out one by one. Write those numbers as they are picked across the top squares in order. Repeat for the squares down the left side of the board. Finally, split the first square in the top left corner with each team's name.

The rules of the game are simple. If the Patriots win the game 24-20, STUCK would win the pot, since his name is in the square that coincides with the Patriots (4) down the side and the Eagles (0) on top. You can choose to split the pot by quarter, half or just do winner takes all at the end. I hope you avoid the 9!

Prop Pool

You need to have a skill-based Super Bowl betting game where the person who gets the most questions right wins the pot. As a result, I like to assign the highest buy-in to this game, but know your audience. You can create your own questions, such as…

Also, mix it up with entertainment and sports if you have a bigger crowd. Or if you don't want to go through the trouble of creating your own prop pool, then just use our printable sheet.

Pro Tip: I have found using 20-25 questions with varying point values works best. Picking the MVP deserves a higher reward than guessing heads or tails, but it's up to you.

Pass the Cup

This is the easiest of them all. The rules are simple:

We like to divide this up into quarters to increase the excitement. The person holding the cup at the end of the first and third quarter takes a small amount out. The person at the end of each half gets a bigger payout. Divide it up however you see fit, but be prepared for the late half, meaningless Hail Mary interception cup switch.

Pro Tip: You can also use a football instead of a cup. However, watch out for your token drunk friend who is losing all of his bets.

If you want to make the game even more interesting, you can add a rule that every player must hold on to the cup (or ball) at all times when in possession. If someone gets caught putting it down, the cup changes hands. Finally, if someone passes out (or 'falls asleep') while holding the cup, make them watch the rest of the game outside through a window.

MVP Hat Draw

For those who still need more party action, you can also do an MVP draw. Just write down all of the best players' names on little pieces of paper, put them in a hat, and draw. The person who draws the MVP wins the pot, which keeps the game interesting even in the event of a blowout.

Pro Tip: Have everyone draw 2-3 names. You never know when a Dexter Jackson might surprisingly win MVP.

Having said that, I hope you pick Tom Brady, the only player in NFL history to win four Super Bowl MVPs. Overall, quarterbacks have won the award in 28 (55%) of 51 Super Bowls. But don't lose hope if you pick a non-quarterback. A Dallas linebacker won in a losing effort in Super Bowl 5. And if things play out like they did in 1978 when two Cowboys defensive lineman won it in the only Super Bowl to have co-MVPs, then I guess everyone gets their money back. Although, I'd think of a more creative way to decide a winner, such as beer pong or poker.

LCR

You will need to keep the action going during the never-ending halftime show. After making your play on any second half action, break out the LCR dice. If you have never played before, then go buy a set from the store or order here. Just make sure you tell everyone in advance to bring plenty of dollar bills.

Pro Tip: Get extra dollar bills. Multiple people will inevitably not bring them, so be prepared to change people out.

The extended halftime show will be over before you even know it.

More Super Bowl 52 betting content from The Action Network

Sign up for The Action Network's daily newsletter to get a daily rundown of the biggest stories in the sports betting world.

If you're like me, sometimes you want to put as little effort into your games as possible. You want to play a game that requires little-to-no skill and let everything be left purely to chance.

The best way to scratch that itch is to figuratively and literally roll the dice. Casinos offer a variety of simple dice games. You may be able to play these in your own home. So grab your kids, because we're about to get simple. Actually, grab your dog, or even your neighbor's dog, because these games are so simple, even they may be able to play.

Of course, when you think of gambling with dice, the first game that comes to mind will be real money craps. Craps can be a fun game, but we're going to go even easier. Keep in mind that the dice games I'm about to mention are usually regional games. To broaden your dice gambling horizon and keep your night at the table nice and easy, here are 5 easy dice gambling games you should know about.

1 – Chuck-a-luck

Chuck-a-luck is played in many smaller casinos. It's simple and entertaining because of how flashy the game can be. The game is played using a giant spinning hourglass that holds the dice.

Players at the table place bets, and then the dealer will start cranking and spinning the hourglass. Three large dice tumble inside the cage as it spins. There are 5 types of bets that you can place.

The game table is divided into different betting areas. You can place a numbers bet, where you place chips on any of the 6 numbers on the dice that you think will be rolled.

A high bet is when you place chips on the area indicating that the total of the 3 dice will be over 10.

A low bet is when you place chips on the area indicating that the total of the 3 dice will be under 10.

A field bet is when you place a bet that the total number on the dice will equal 1 of the numbers in the field area.

And then there's the jackpot bet, where you bet that all numbers rolled will be the same.

Easy right? You can easily play this at home.

2 – Klondike

Klondike is a game that's played with 5 dice.

It's simple—the dealer rolls his or her dice first, then the player rolls in an attempt to roll a higher combination.

There are 6 possible combinations. From highest to lowest, they are: 5 of a kind, 4 of a kind, full house (3 of a kind and a pair), 2 pairs, 1 pair.

In real money casinos, you can bet to roll a combination higher than the dealer, lower than the dealer, or you can place a bet to 'beat 2 aces,' where you must roll 2 pairs.

Keep in mind that all ties in this game count as a win for the house, so it can be harder than you think to continuously come out on top. The main takeaway from this is that there is definitely a house edge for Klondike, and because the dealer wins on ties, you end up with a house edge somewhere around 5%.

Now that edge can also change depending on the rules of the casino. If you're not familiar with house edges, I'll say that a 5% house edge is bad—it's not the worst (Keno is around 20% for example, and some games are even higher than that), but when you compare it to blackjack, it's bad.

Blackjack might have a house edge of around 2% for players who know what they're doing, and it can go down to half of a percent or even lower for players who are implementing a strategy.

So yes, this game can be easy and fun, but there's a price to pay when you're playing this at a casino.

3 – Hazard

The casino game craps supposedly evolved from hazard, so if you want a simplified version of craps, this is definitely the game you want to try. A fun fact about the origins of this game is that supposedly it was invented much earlier than many gambling games.

Many gambling games can trace their roots all the way back to ancient China or Egypt—I'm talking thousands of years here. But not hazard. Hazard is believed to have been invented by European crusaders back during the 12th century. Sure that's not yesterday, but it's not thousands of years either!

Historians believe that the game was invented to pass the time while the European knights were laying siege to a castle that was called 'Hazart,' and that it slowly grew in popularity over time, exploding into even more popularity in the 17th and 18th centuries when people began to have more leisure time to play games.

The game is played with 2 dice and only has a few rules you need to follow.

First, you'll need to decide who rolls first among the group of players. This person is known as the caster.

The caster chooses a number 5 through 9. This number is called the caster's 'main.'

The caster can also roll for this number.

If you're the caster, and you have the option to choose your main, you'll probably want to choose 7. Rolling 7 on dice is statistically easier than rolling any other number.

The other players will place bets on whether the caster will win or lose, then the caster rolls.

After the main number is chosen, the caster rolls the dice for or chooses a chance number, which is 4 through 10. If the same number is rolled twice in a row, it's a win. If the main is rolled after a chance, it's a loss.

Other numbers to remember are:

• Main of 5 or 9, then a roll of 11 or 12 loses.
• Main of 6 or 8, then a roll of 11 loses, but a roll of 12 wins.
• Main of 7, then a roll of 11 wins, but a roll of 12 loses.
• Rolling a 2 or a 3 is always a loss.

4 – Sic Bo

Sic Bo originated in China, and it made its way to the West in the late 1900s. Sic Bo is an easy game to play, but if you see this game table at a casino, it could look a little intimidating.

The game table has every dice combination and payout odds. You can place your bets on the table, and in most cases, the dealer will use an electronic dice shaker to throw the dice.

The table is divided into the 3 betting sections. You can place a bet on what number shows up on 1, 2, or all 3 dice. There is even an area on the table for combination bets, but the combinations are specific.

Odds of a payout are less likely here. You can also place a bet on the total number rolled. Since the table shows you exactly every possible number you can bet on and the odds of winning, you barely have to do any thinking.

Just make sure you're keeping track of your real money.

Masters Betting Games

5 – Banca Francesca

Banca Francesca is similar to Baccarat, but this version of the game is mostly played in Europe, particularly Portugal, and of course it's played with dice instead of cards. The name literally translates to 'French Bank' in English. Don't worry, you don't need to speak Portuguese to play this game.

The rules are simple. Players place their chips on 1 of 3 betting areas on the game table. The betting areas are 'big,' which is 14-16; 'small,' which is 5-6; and 'aces,' which means that all 3 dice have rolled a 1.

After you have all of the names filled in, put the numbers 0 through 9 on small pieces of paper into a hat. Have someone pick them out one by one. Write those numbers as they are picked across the top squares in order. Repeat for the squares down the left side of the board. Finally, split the first square in the top left corner with each team's name.

The rules of the game are simple. If the Patriots win the game 24-20, STUCK would win the pot, since his name is in the square that coincides with the Patriots (4) down the side and the Eagles (0) on top. You can choose to split the pot by quarter, half or just do winner takes all at the end. I hope you avoid the 9!

Prop Pool

You need to have a skill-based Super Bowl betting game where the person who gets the most questions right wins the pot. As a result, I like to assign the highest buy-in to this game, but know your audience. You can create your own questions, such as…

Also, mix it up with entertainment and sports if you have a bigger crowd. Or if you don't want to go through the trouble of creating your own prop pool, then just use our printable sheet.

Pro Tip: I have found using 20-25 questions with varying point values works best. Picking the MVP deserves a higher reward than guessing heads or tails, but it's up to you.

Pass the Cup

This is the easiest of them all. The rules are simple:

We like to divide this up into quarters to increase the excitement. The person holding the cup at the end of the first and third quarter takes a small amount out. The person at the end of each half gets a bigger payout. Divide it up however you see fit, but be prepared for the late half, meaningless Hail Mary interception cup switch.

Pro Tip: You can also use a football instead of a cup. However, watch out for your token drunk friend who is losing all of his bets.

If you want to make the game even more interesting, you can add a rule that every player must hold on to the cup (or ball) at all times when in possession. If someone gets caught putting it down, the cup changes hands. Finally, if someone passes out (or 'falls asleep') while holding the cup, make them watch the rest of the game outside through a window.

MVP Hat Draw

For those who still need more party action, you can also do an MVP draw. Just write down all of the best players' names on little pieces of paper, put them in a hat, and draw. The person who draws the MVP wins the pot, which keeps the game interesting even in the event of a blowout.

Pro Tip: Have everyone draw 2-3 names. You never know when a Dexter Jackson might surprisingly win MVP.

Having said that, I hope you pick Tom Brady, the only player in NFL history to win four Super Bowl MVPs. Overall, quarterbacks have won the award in 28 (55%) of 51 Super Bowls. But don't lose hope if you pick a non-quarterback. A Dallas linebacker won in a losing effort in Super Bowl 5. And if things play out like they did in 1978 when two Cowboys defensive lineman won it in the only Super Bowl to have co-MVPs, then I guess everyone gets their money back. Although, I'd think of a more creative way to decide a winner, such as beer pong or poker.

LCR

You will need to keep the action going during the never-ending halftime show. After making your play on any second half action, break out the LCR dice. If you have never played before, then go buy a set from the store or order here. Just make sure you tell everyone in advance to bring plenty of dollar bills.

Pro Tip: Get extra dollar bills. Multiple people will inevitably not bring them, so be prepared to change people out.

The extended halftime show will be over before you even know it.

More Super Bowl 52 betting content from The Action Network

Sign up for The Action Network's daily newsletter to get a daily rundown of the biggest stories in the sports betting world.

If you're like me, sometimes you want to put as little effort into your games as possible. You want to play a game that requires little-to-no skill and let everything be left purely to chance.

The best way to scratch that itch is to figuratively and literally roll the dice. Casinos offer a variety of simple dice games. You may be able to play these in your own home. So grab your kids, because we're about to get simple. Actually, grab your dog, or even your neighbor's dog, because these games are so simple, even they may be able to play.

Of course, when you think of gambling with dice, the first game that comes to mind will be real money craps. Craps can be a fun game, but we're going to go even easier. Keep in mind that the dice games I'm about to mention are usually regional games. To broaden your dice gambling horizon and keep your night at the table nice and easy, here are 5 easy dice gambling games you should know about.

1 – Chuck-a-luck

Chuck-a-luck is played in many smaller casinos. It's simple and entertaining because of how flashy the game can be. The game is played using a giant spinning hourglass that holds the dice.

Players at the table place bets, and then the dealer will start cranking and spinning the hourglass. Three large dice tumble inside the cage as it spins. There are 5 types of bets that you can place.

The game table is divided into different betting areas. You can place a numbers bet, where you place chips on any of the 6 numbers on the dice that you think will be rolled.

A high bet is when you place chips on the area indicating that the total of the 3 dice will be over 10.

A low bet is when you place chips on the area indicating that the total of the 3 dice will be under 10.

A field bet is when you place a bet that the total number on the dice will equal 1 of the numbers in the field area.

And then there's the jackpot bet, where you bet that all numbers rolled will be the same.

Easy right? You can easily play this at home.

2 – Klondike

Klondike is a game that's played with 5 dice.

It's simple—the dealer rolls his or her dice first, then the player rolls in an attempt to roll a higher combination.

There are 6 possible combinations. From highest to lowest, they are: 5 of a kind, 4 of a kind, full house (3 of a kind and a pair), 2 pairs, 1 pair.

In real money casinos, you can bet to roll a combination higher than the dealer, lower than the dealer, or you can place a bet to 'beat 2 aces,' where you must roll 2 pairs.

Keep in mind that all ties in this game count as a win for the house, so it can be harder than you think to continuously come out on top. The main takeaway from this is that there is definitely a house edge for Klondike, and because the dealer wins on ties, you end up with a house edge somewhere around 5%.

Now that edge can also change depending on the rules of the casino. If you're not familiar with house edges, I'll say that a 5% house edge is bad—it's not the worst (Keno is around 20% for example, and some games are even higher than that), but when you compare it to blackjack, it's bad.

Blackjack might have a house edge of around 2% for players who know what they're doing, and it can go down to half of a percent or even lower for players who are implementing a strategy.

So yes, this game can be easy and fun, but there's a price to pay when you're playing this at a casino.

3 – Hazard

The casino game craps supposedly evolved from hazard, so if you want a simplified version of craps, this is definitely the game you want to try. A fun fact about the origins of this game is that supposedly it was invented much earlier than many gambling games.

Many gambling games can trace their roots all the way back to ancient China or Egypt—I'm talking thousands of years here. But not hazard. Hazard is believed to have been invented by European crusaders back during the 12th century. Sure that's not yesterday, but it's not thousands of years either!

Historians believe that the game was invented to pass the time while the European knights were laying siege to a castle that was called 'Hazart,' and that it slowly grew in popularity over time, exploding into even more popularity in the 17th and 18th centuries when people began to have more leisure time to play games.

The game is played with 2 dice and only has a few rules you need to follow.

First, you'll need to decide who rolls first among the group of players. This person is known as the caster.

The caster chooses a number 5 through 9. This number is called the caster's 'main.'

The caster can also roll for this number.

If you're the caster, and you have the option to choose your main, you'll probably want to choose 7. Rolling 7 on dice is statistically easier than rolling any other number.

The other players will place bets on whether the caster will win or lose, then the caster rolls.

After the main number is chosen, the caster rolls the dice for or chooses a chance number, which is 4 through 10. If the same number is rolled twice in a row, it's a win. If the main is rolled after a chance, it's a loss.

Other numbers to remember are:

• Main of 5 or 9, then a roll of 11 or 12 loses.
• Main of 6 or 8, then a roll of 11 loses, but a roll of 12 wins.
• Main of 7, then a roll of 11 wins, but a roll of 12 loses.
• Rolling a 2 or a 3 is always a loss.

4 – Sic Bo

Sic Bo originated in China, and it made its way to the West in the late 1900s. Sic Bo is an easy game to play, but if you see this game table at a casino, it could look a little intimidating.

The game table has every dice combination and payout odds. You can place your bets on the table, and in most cases, the dealer will use an electronic dice shaker to throw the dice.

The table is divided into the 3 betting sections. You can place a bet on what number shows up on 1, 2, or all 3 dice. There is even an area on the table for combination bets, but the combinations are specific.

Odds of a payout are less likely here. You can also place a bet on the total number rolled. Since the table shows you exactly every possible number you can bet on and the odds of winning, you barely have to do any thinking.

Just make sure you're keeping track of your real money.

Masters Betting Games

5 – Banca Francesca

Banca Francesca is similar to Baccarat, but this version of the game is mostly played in Europe, particularly Portugal, and of course it's played with dice instead of cards. The name literally translates to 'French Bank' in English. Don't worry, you don't need to speak Portuguese to play this game.

The rules are simple. Players place their chips on 1 of 3 betting areas on the game table. The betting areas are 'big,' which is 14-16; 'small,' which is 5-6; and 'aces,' which means that all 3 dice have rolled a 1.

There are pretty slim odds of rolling aces.

Big and small bets pay out 1 to 1, and aces bets pay out 61 to 1.

Easy Betting Games

Luckily, players are allowed to change bets before the dice are rolled, so if you bet aces and you're not feeling lucky, go ahead and remove those chips.

The house edge here is actually pretty good, around 1.5%, so compared to some of the other games I've listed here, this one is worth playing.

Conclusion

Real money gambling is supposed to be fun, or at the very least, isn't supposed to be work. These easy dice games can get your blood pumping or be a source of relaxation.

But, either way, there isn't a steep learning curve associated with any of them. In fact, most of the dice games mentioned here are 100% chance. If that's what you're looking for, be sure to try them.

Have you played any of these dice games before, or do you know of any other easy dice games that you think are worth mentioning? Leave a comment to share your thoughts and experiences with playing easy dice games.