How do I winterize a pool without messing it up?

Clean the pool, lower the water below the skimmer and return jets, add winter chemicals (shock and algaecide), then blow out the plumbing lines or pour in pool antifreeze. Plug the skimmer and returns, then cover it tight. The two places people mess up: not getting all the water out of the lines (ice expands and cracks pipes) and leaving a dirty pool to fester all winter. Get a real winter cover with a cable and winch, not a flimsy tarp.