 The Soccer Pools (otherwise known simply as The Pools, or as 6 From 38 Pools in New South Wales) is an Australian Lotto Bloc game administered by South Australian Lotteries. Entries for the Pools close on Saturday afternoon or evening, and the numbers are released on Sunday or Monday, depending on the state. The closing time is 1:00 pm. Six numbers are selected out of 38, but with only one supplementary number.
Unlike other games where the numbers are drawn at random, the Pools is based on soccer scores in Australia - typically in state leagues - and in the United Kingdom and Europe (referred to collectively as Northern Hemisphere matches). A match list is drawn up every week, containing 38 games, numbered 1-38, and a number of reserve games which are numbered from 39 onwards (and currently up to 60). After all games' results are known, the games are then ranked in the following order, from highest to lowest:- Score draws, with higher scoring draws ranking higher (eg. a 3-3 result will rank higher than 2-2);
- Scoreless (0-0) draws;
- Away team wins, with scores with a smaller goal difference ranking higher (eg. a 2-3 result will rank higher than 1-3), followed by total goals scored (eg. 2-3 will rank higher than 1-2); and
- Home team wins, with scores with a smaller goal difference again ranking higher, followed by total goals scored.
The numbers of the first six ranked games are designated the winning numbers, and the seventh ranked game's number the supplementary number. At each ranking level, if all other tie-breakers have been exhausted, the final tie-breaker is match order, with game 38 ranking highest and game 1 lowest. This match order tie-breaker means that, in practice, lower numbers occur slightly less often than higher numbers.
If games are not played or are otherwise considered 'void', the reserve matches' results will substitute for the void matches, starting from match 39's result replacing that of the lowest-numbered void match, match 40 replacing the second lowest-numbered void match, and so on. State rules vary as to what happens if less than 38 games are played, or less than 7 results are declared (an almost impossible occurrence): in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia, a separate drawing of the remaining numbers is made from a barrel to draw the remaining winning numbers, however Tattersalls and Lotterywest instead cancel the draw in their territory and re-enters all entries into the next Pools draw.
Players with a comprehensive knowledge of soccer have an advantage, however it is still very difficult to pick the correct six numbers in a game. For this reason many simply regard The Pools as a game of chance and automated computer picks are offered by outlets. The Pools is probably among the least popular of the national lottery games.
Prize divisions are the same as for Saturday Tattslotto. The Pools usually has a minimum first division prize of $75,000, but jackpots often.
New South Wales
New South Wales (abbreviated as NSW) is Australia's most populous state, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria and south of Queensland. It was founded in 1788 and originally comprised much of the Australian mainland, as well as New Zealand, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. During the 19th century large areas were successively separated to form the British colonies of Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland and New Zealand.
An inhabitant of New South Wales is referred to as a New South Welshman. New South Wales' largest city and capital is Sydney.
It is not clear whether New South Wales refers to the area being named after South Wales, or a New Wales in the Southern Hemisphere.
In the journal covering his survey of the eastern coast of the Australian continent, the then Lt. James Cook (later Captain James Cook) first named the east coast of Australia "New Wales", which he later corrected in his journal to "New South Wales".
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