Super Bowl 2012: Fun New Ways to Gamble on Sunday

The great thing about the Super Bowl is that it is always fun, even if you do not care about the teams that are playing.

Sure, you could just pick a team to root for based on different factors (including hate), but the game creates an experience that is larger than sports.

It is a great time to hang out at a party with all of your friends. If you do not have enough friends, you go to a bar and make new friends. 

This is a time where it is socially acceptable to eat too much, drink too much and, of course, gamble too much.

Gambling can be dangerous for some people and illegal in most places, so I am not suggesting anyone throws away their life's savings. Although, friendly wagers can be more fun if you add in a little creativity.

While the real sharks are worried about which team wins the game, you can leave smiling regardless of the final score.

Here are the different ways to gamble during the Super Bowl, and each one is more fun than the last. 

Don't be afraid to break these out during your party on Sunday.

Super Bowl Grid

This is not the newest of ideas, but it is great for those who do not know anything about the game itself.

The idea is that you select a box that will represent the last digits in the final score.

What makes this type of game so exciting is the randomness of it all. Super Bowls do not follow the same type of script as a regular-season game, and sometimes the scores get out of hand.

Normal final numbers like seven and zero are replaced by fives and nines.

Besides, there is nothing quite like rooting for a safety in the closing minutes to win your office pool.

Prop Bets

These bets you need to place before the game, but it can take seemingly boring moments and change it into the most intense part of the day.

This starts immediately with the national anthem. Fans can bet on how long it will take to finish, how long Kelly Clarkson will hold the note "brave" or whether or not she forgets a word.

Throughout the game you can win money based on Peyton Manning being on camera, what the announcers mention during the game and what color Gatorade will be splashed on winning coach.

Although it requires more focus on the broadcast, winning one of these makes for a good story and can be extremely satisfying.

Live Bets During Game

At this point of the day, you are going to need to find some friends willing to play along.

All that is required is placing a fair bet about the game with someone else watching.

This could be a simple as "I bet team A scores on this drive," or more complex like "Rob Gronkowski will get a catch of 10 or more yards on this play."

It is up to you and your gullible friend. 

The game could be a 40-point blowout, but it still allows fans to hang on every play and every drive with the same type of intensity. 

What else are you going to do, go home?

Commercial Bets

This is where it starts to get fun.

People love to watch the commercials for the humor, but have you ever considered it a lucrative opportunity?

Before the beginning of the break, make a simple wager on what you expect to see in the upcoming advertisements.

The tough part is making a fair bet, like whether the product will be edible or non-edible. 

Other examples include if an animal will be present (Super Bowl commercials are big on animals) or which beer company will be shown next.

However, the bet can be as original as looking for a person with a red shirt or mustache. 

The only limit is your creativity. 

Bet on Your Friends

The game could be boring and the commercials could be lame, but gambling always survives.

Have you ever looked at a friend sitting on the couch and thought, "He might not move for the next two hours?"

Well now you can bet on it.

Take a look around the room and decide something strange that could happen, then simply wager on it.

It could be when a person will say a certain word or phrase, how long someone will be out of the room or even how many wings someone will eat.

The key is to not let the subject know they are part of the experiment. However, feel free to mock or berate anyone after the bet's completion.

With these new ideas, you will never be bored on Super Bowl Sunday.