Example betPrivate link
Will Maya run the 10K in under 55 minutes?
Resolves by group vote
Stakes held on Solana
50 USDC
5 friends joined
Yes
303 friends
No
202 friends
Betting with friends
Bet with friends online, from one shared link.
Write one clear question, share it with the group, and let each person stake before the result is known. Poll keeps the terms, pot, and final decision in one place.
One shared record
See the full bet before anyone joins
Every friend sees the same question, sides, stake, deadline, and resolution method. The example below shows the flow. Its values are illustrative, not live activity.
Step 1
Create and share
Write one yes-or-no question, set the deadline, and send the private link.
Step 2
Friends choose and stake
Each person reviews the same terms, takes a side, and stakes before joining.
Step 3
The group settles it
Participants vote on the result. The settled pot pays the winning side.
Know before you bet
Use money carefully
USDC is a digital asset. Stablecoin, network, and provider risks still apply. Stake only what you can afford to lose.
Review the exact cost
Poll does not charge to add funds. It takes a small percentage from winning payouts. The confirmation screen shows the figures that apply.
Make the result clear
Use one observable result and a deadline. If a group vote ties, the stakes return instead of paying one side.
Why it usually falls apart
The terms drift
It was agreed in a chat 200 messages ago and now two people remember it differently.
Nobody knows who is in
You counted thumbs-up reactions and hoped that meant something.
Someone does not pay
The bet was the easy part. Getting the money afterwards is what actually ruins it.
How betting with friends works on Poll
- 01
Write the question
Any yes or no question. Name the two sides in your own words and set the stake. There is no list of approved markets to pick from.
- 02
Share the link
Send it to the group chat. A private bet opens only through that link, so it stays between the people you sent it to.
- 03
Everyone stakes to join
Taking a side means putting the money in. The stake is held until the bet settles, so nobody is owed anything at the end.
- 04
The group calls it
Everyone who wagered votes on the result and the majority decides. The pot pays out onchain, with no bookmaker taking a cut of the line.
What is different
No house, so no margin
There is no bookmaker on the other side taking a cut of the price. The money goes between you and the people you are betting.
Any question, not a fixed list
Sportsbooks can only offer what they list. Most of what friends argue about is not on any board.
Nobody has to chase anyone
Everyone stakes when they join, so the money is already in before the result is known.
Questions people ask
Is this real money?
Yes. Bets are staked in USDC, from $0.01 upward. Some apps in this category use virtual units instead, which is a different product.
What can we bet on?
Anything you can phrase as yes or no. Sport, TV, who gets promoted at work, whether someone actually makes it to the gym.
Who decides who won?
Everyone who wagered votes on the outcome and the majority decides. If it ties, or nobody can tell, stakes come back in full.
What does it cost?
Adding funds is free and Poll takes a small percentage from winning payouts only. Cancelled and tied bets carry no fee.
See it with a real occasion
The same bet, applied to something your group actually argues about.
- Telegram groupsTelegram group betting poolAdd Poll to the chat, open a cash bet, and let members wager and settle without leaving Telegram.
- Fantasy seasonFantasy league side-pot trackerRun weekly rivalries and season-long challenges as separate private cash bets.
- Draft dayFantasy league buy-in collectionCollect the league buy-in up front so the commissioner stops chasing anyone on Venmo.
- Season longFantasy punishment and last-place betsBack who finishes bottom, with the stake settled by the group instead of argued over.
- Matchup weekFantasy football side betsPut a cash side bet on the league mate you play this week, settled when the week ends.
- KnockoutNFL survivor poolRun the weekly knockout as separate private cash bets: one pick a week, last one standing.
- Game dayNFL squares poolKeep the 10x10 sheet where it is and run the cash bets around it on Poll.
- Fight nightUFC group betting poolCreate one private cash bet for the fight-night question your friends cannot agree on.
- Office footballPremier League sweepstakeTurn each fixture into a separate private cash bet for the work group chat.
- PreseasonPredict the Premier League tableCall the title, top four and the drop before kickoff, each as its own private cash bet.
How Poll compares
Against the other ways people do this, including where they win.
- ComparisonPoll vs WagerLabWagerLab tracks virtual bets. Poll settles real cash.
- ComparisonPoll vs RounderSame argument. One of them pays out.
- ComparisonPoll vs FinalCallA tracker remembers. It does not pay you.
- ComparisonPoll vs BroThrowOne suspends you. One already has the money.
- AlternativePolymarket alternativeTheir team picks the markets. You pick yours.
- AlternativeKalshi alternativeAn exchange lists contracts. You have an argument.
- No longer availableBetU alternativeThe app is gone. The bets do not have to be.
- ComparisonPoll vs a group chat and a spreadsheetThe chat is fine. Collecting is the problem.
- AlternativeWagerLab alternativeUnits are fun. Cash is the point.
- AlternativeBettorEdge alternativeA marketplace lists markets. You have an argument.
- No longer availableKutt alternativeBetting there is paused. Yours does not have to be.
- ComparisonPoll vs BetOpenlyA scoreboard settles one. Your group settles the other.
- ComparisonPoll vs BettorEdgeNo house either way. Different other side.
- AlternativeReBet alternativeTheir coins are virtual. Your argument is not.
Related guides
- What to do when a friend won't pay a bet
- Browse bet ideas for friends
- Compare apps for betting with friends
- A betting app built for the whole group
- Peer-to-peer betting, with no house in the middle
- Bet against your mates, not the bookie
- A betting app with no house edge
- Peer-to-peer gambling, with no house to beat
- The app where you can bet on anything
- The peer-to-peer betting exchange, minus the order book
- A poll with friends, where the answers count
Settle it properly.
Write the question, share the link, and let the group decide.