Soccer 13 Xtra Explained: How the Pool Works
Soccer 13 Xtra is a popular South African pool bet where you predict the outcomes of 13 selected football matches. It is a TAB tote pool, so it works differently from a single-match bet at a bookmaker.
This guide explains what the pool is, how you play it, and how payouts are worked out, plus a quick word on the related Soccer 6 and Soccer 10 pools.
What is Soccer 13 Xtra?
Soccer 13 Xtra is a South African TAB pool bet on 13 football matches. In its current form, Soccer Any 13 Xtra, TAB lists 30 matches and you choose the 13 you want to bet on. For each of your 13 you predict one of three outcomes: a Team A (home) win, marked 1; a draw, marked 2; or a Team B (away) win, marked 3. That is TAB's numbering, not the 1, X and 2 used on some other coupons, so on a TAB ticket 2 is always the draw. Your aim is to correctly call as many of the 13 results as possible, and the more you get right, the higher the prize tier you land in. Unlike a normal bookmaker bet, you are not backing a single team at a set price - you are competing against everyone else in the same pool. For example, if you fancy a home side, a tight derby and a heavy away favourite, you would mark 1, 2 and 3 across those three lines. The full board only settles once all 13 matches finish.
Because it is a pool, every player's stake flows into one shared prize fund rather than being paid at fixed odds. After the operator takes its cut, the rest of that fund is divided among the winners in each tier, which is why the payout is never fixed in advance. This makes Soccer 13 Xtra closer in spirit to a lottery-style pool than to a straight bet on one match, and it explains the appeal: a small stake can, on a lucky round, return a very large sum. The trade-off is that calling 13 results correctly is genuinely hard, so most boards win nothing. For example, two evenly matched fixtures where a draw is likely can wreck an otherwise strong board. Treat it as an affordable flutter, not a plan to make money, and only stake what you are happy to lose.
How do you play Soccer 13 Xtra step by step?
- Check the list of 30 matches for the current pool, choose the 13 you want to bet on, and note the kickoff times.
- For each of your 13 matches, mark 1 for a Team A win, 2 for a draw, or 3 for a Team B win.
- You can mark more than one outcome on a match, called a permutation, but each extra pick multiplies the number of boards and therefore the cost.
- Choose your stake, confirm the board, and keep your ticket or bet reference safe until all 13 results are in.
How are Soccer 13 Xtra payouts worked out?
Soccer 13 Xtra pays across several tiers, not only for a perfect 13 out of 13, so a board that just misses can still win. Prizes come from two pools: Pool A for boards that call all 13, and Pool B for boards with 12 right. If nobody gets 12, Pool B moves down to the best score below that, whether 11, 10, 9 or 8. The exact rand amount in any tier depends on two moving parts: the total size of the pool that round, and how many players share that particular tier. Because both change every week, no payout is fixed in advance. This is why the top prize can be huge: if only a handful of boards call all 13, they split the biggest slice between very few winners. For example, a large pool with a single perfect board hands that player a giant prize, while a round with dozens of winners spreads it thinly. Always check the round's own tier breakdown before you play.
How do Soccer 6 and Soccer 10 compare?
Soccer 6 and Soccer 10 run on exactly the same pool principle as Soccer 13 Xtra, just over fewer matches: you predict the results of 6 or 10 fixtures instead of 13. Fewer games means a full house is easier to call, so more boards tend to win and the top prizes are usually smaller and shared more widely. Soccer 6 is the gentlest entry point, and many South African players start there to get a feel for pool betting before stepping up. Soccer 10 sits in the middle, offering a bigger challenge and bigger potential prize than Soccer 6. For example, calling 6 from 6 is far more achievable than 13 from 13, but the reward reflects that. The caveat is the same across all three: they are games of prediction with real risk, and most boards still lose, so keep stakes small.
Soccer 13 Xtra prize tiers at a glance
| Correct results | Prize tier | What it depends on |
|---|---|---|
| All 13 | Pool A | Shared by boards with all 13 right; carried forward to a later pool if nobody gets there |
| 12 of 13 | Pool B | Shared by boards with 12 right |
| 11, 10, 9 or 8 of 13 | Pool B, moved down | Paid to the highest of these scores with a winner, only if nobody got 12 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Soccer 13 Xtra the same as a normal bet?+
No. Soccer 13 Xtra is a pool bet: every stake goes into one shared fund, and prizes are split among the winners in each tier once all 13 matches finish. A normal bookmaker bet pays at fixed odds on a single event you choose. That means your Soccer 13 payout is never known in advance, unlike a straight fixed-odds bet.
Do I need all 13 results correct to win?+
Not always. Pool A pays boards with all 13 right, and Pool B pays boards with 12 right. If nobody gets 12, Pool B moves down to the best score below that, so in some rounds 11, 10, 9 or even 8 correct wins something. That said, every board carries real risk, and most win nothing at all, so treat it as entertainment rather than a strategy.
How is the Soccer 13 Xtra payout amount decided?+
It depends on two things that change every round: the total size of the pool, and how many players share each winning tier. The operator takes a cut, then divides the rest among winners. Because both the pool and the number of winners vary weekly, the exact rand payout is never fixed in advance, so always check the current round's tier breakdown.
Can I mark more than one result per match?+
Yes. Marking two or three outcomes on a single fixture is called a permutation, and it improves your chance of calling that game right. The catch is cost: each extra pick multiplies the number of boards you are paying for, so a few permutations can quickly turn a cheap entry into an expensive one. Only perm as many lines as your budget allows.
Reviewed for responsible-gambling compliance by Priya Naidoo.