It’s not very often that long odds pay off, but when the occasion arises, people are well paid and unforgettable stories are formed! We explore 10 of the craziest bets ever placed and how they turned out for the risk-takers.
Betting is almost as old as humanity itself. Where there is risk or chance involved, humans can’t help but enjoy the challenge associated with potentially winning. In gambling circles, folks like to put their money where their mouth is.
While we tend to think of sports betting or casino gaming as the standard go-to platforms for wagering, there are many other options available. People bet on political decisions and candidates, about the winners of competitions and talent shows, and other odd outcomes too.
Explore a list of the 10 strangest bets that have been placed in history. While some include long-odds casino and sports betting gameplay, each bet listed has an unconventional and out of the ordinary result attached to it.
1. Sell Up for Vegas
While Vegas is filled with high rollers, very few people have put as much on the line as Ashley Revell. In 2004, the Kent man decided to sell up all his worldly possessions and lay the money on the line on a single roulette bet.
After convincing Sky TV in the UK to cover his story of ‘Double or Nothing’, he set out on a trip to Vegas to potentially gamble his life away. The destination – Plaza Hotel and Casino, who eventually decided to accept a single £78,000 bet on an even roulette wager.
Revell put it all on red. The outcome proved favourable for the Englishman, who walked away from the table the victor with a prize haul of £153,680! Gambling was obviously in this man’s blood, as he used the winnings to fund an online poker company, which was unfortunately not as lucky for him as he went out of business in 2012.
2. Some Things Never Change
In 1989, an unknown man from Wales placed a truly unconventional 6,479:1 wager with Ladbrokes bookmakers, which truly seemed like a long shot. His bet was based on five things that would remain the same in the world between 1989 and the year 2000.
His bet slip included a £30 wager on the following:
All his predictions came to pass, earning him a handsome and unexpected payday of £194,400.
3. Landing Loss
Gambling should always be done responsibly. It is one thing to place your livelihood on the line, but when you endanger the lives of nearly 100 other people, you have taken your entertainment a step too far.
Russian Pilot, Alexander Kliuyev, placed a friendly bet with his co-pilot that he could land their Aeroflight plane he was piloting without any visual aids.
He decided to draw the cockpit curtains and ignore the flight controller on his descent. Kliuyev misjudged his approach and sent the plane hurtling into the runway. Over 60 people died on that flight, and he got 6 years of jail time for his stunt. His co-pilot lived to tell the tale but got off freely.
4. The Suitcase Gamble
William Leen Bergstrom will go down as one of the most well-known gamblers in Las Vegas. While not a professional bettor, he made three massive wagers which inevitably end in sorrow.
Bergstrom walked into the Horseshoe Casino with two large suitcases. One was filled with $777,000 of mostly borrowed money and the other one was empty, as he anticipated to walk away with more than he came in with.
He staked all the money on a single bet at the craps table, shooting a winning 7 and walking away with double his stake in one swoop. Three years later, he returned with a $500,000 wager and again clinched the win. According to sources, it had always been his dream to place a $1 million bet, which he did in 1984.
Unfortunately, the mega wager did not pan out this time and he lost it all. A few days later, Bergstrom sadly committed suicide. His three single lifetime bets will go down in the annals of Vegas and will be remembered for decades to come.
5. 1.56 Trillion to 1
Patricia Demauro’s winning streak at an Atlantic City casino is surely a world record. After spending hours on the penny slots at Borgata Hotel Casino, she got bored and ventured to the tables, where she decided to try her luck at craps.
A novice at the game, she decided to bet against landing 7, which is the most rolled number in the game and is not a popular bet option.
She managed to evade the number for 154 straight throws, which is unheard of in gambling circles. The odds of this happening were 1.56 trillion to one. The 155th throw broke her streak, but not her spirit, as she walked away from that experience with a wealth of wins under her belt.
6. A Busty Bet
Renowned magician and avid gambler, Brian Zembic, was known for his inability to turn down a wager. Having concluded several ridiculous bets in the past, none would be as extreme as his stunt in 1997.
He was bet $100,000 that he would not have silicone breast implants fitted and live with them for a year. Zembic defied the odds and increased his bust by a few sizes to claim his cash.
What makes this tale strange, is that after the year was done, he refused to have the implants removed, keeping them in for almost 2 decades before finally succumbing to pleas from his daughter to take them out.
7. A Racing Rarity
Some people just recognise talent when they see it. Richard Hopkins accompanied his son to the go-kart racetrack in 1998, where he was super-impressed by a boy racer by the name of Lewis Hamilton.
Such was his awe for the child that it led him to make three bets:
Hamilton went on to win his first race at 22 and walked away with his first world title at 23, winning Mr Hopkins a total payout of over £165,000!
8. Virgin Airways vs Air Asia
When two ridiculously rich men come together to wager against each other, a little more than money is needed on the table to satisfy the winner.
Sir Richard Branson (owner of Virgin Airways) and Tony Fernandes (major shareholder in Air Asia) were supporting two opposing teams to win the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix one year. They both agreed that whoever’s team lost, the backer would have to dress up as an airline stewardess and serve passengers on one of their opposition’s flights.
Branson was forced to put on a wig, a hostess uniform, and bright red lipstick while making flight announcements over the loudspeaker on an Air Asia charity flight in 2013 after he lost the bet.
He managed to get one back before the end of the 5-hour flight though and tipped a tray full of drinks on Fernandes, who was present on the flight.
9. Dr Seuss, the Gambler
Sometimes, small bets can have far bigger outcomes than anticipated. Publisher Bob Cerf (Random House Publishers) bet Theodor Geisel $5 that he could not write an entire storybook that consisted of 50 words or less.
The writer accepted the challenge and claimed his $5 win upon the release of one of the most iconic children’s books ever: ‘’Green Eggs and Ham’’ by Dr Seuss, which was Greisel’s writer’s pseudonym.
It is safe to say that that single wager paid off tremendously for the writer and the publishing house.
10. A Watery Grave
Perhaps one of the craziest bets to ever be made was by Matthew Webb in 1883. His claim to fame was as the first person to swim the English Channel, which he completed in 1875. His fame and success in swimming circles led to his writing of a book called ‘’The Art of Swimming’’.
In support of his own abilities, Webb took a wager of $2000 that he could traverse the Whirlpool Rapids close to Niagara Falls, a feat that no one else had accomplished before. Unfortunately, this proved to be a rather irresponsible bet, as the swimmer drowned in the attempt.
Is It Your Turn?
Next time you have a hunch, it could be the one that pays off! Always play responsibly, whether you’re aiming to win big on a crazy wager or you’re simply playing your favourite online slot.
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