Alex D 2019-05-23T06:40

Ten Most Bizarre Bets

Ten Most Bizarre Bets

The beauty of sports betting is that you can place a wager of almost anything. Few of us actually think of putting money on something, but instead laugh about saying 'what if?' Fortunately for these punters they saw into the future and made a handsome return because of it.

Luis Suarez Biting Giorgio Chiellini

Luis Suarez is no saint, and before Uruguay's 2014 World Cup group stage matchup against Italy he had already been banned twice for biting an opponent. You would have presumed that the talented striker would have known better following lengthy bans in the Netherlands and England. However, he didn't.

Some punters almost mystically saw into the future; as 167 people had placed bets on the Uruguay man biting an opponent during the match. The odds were a ridiculous 175-1, and one gambler from Norway walked away with $916.

Ryan Tunnicliffe

When you're growing up playing football, dad's are always interested in your career, and of course, hope that you can play for your favourite team. But one father gambled £100 with a local bookmaker that his son would play for Manchester United in the future.

He was given the odds of 100-1, and in 2012 he became the proud owner of £10,000. His son was called Ryan Tunnicliffe, and he made his only appearance for the Red Devils as a 78th-minute substitute in a Capital One Cup game against Newcastle United at Old Trafford.

Judd Trump

Snooker is a game which older men like watching and playing. But when one snooker hall regular spotted a nine-year-old playing way above his age; he was quick to get down to the bookmakers and place a bet on him becoming World Champion. Fortunately for the punter, that dream was released this year, and his 1,000-1 shot paid off.

Racing journalist Neil Morrice was the man to spot the potential, and fittingly he was in attendance to watch Judd Trump win the World Championship's; 21 years after he had placed his bet.

Leicester City

Undoubtedly the most surprising Premier League winners of all-time, and the more remarkable sporting achievement of our lifetime. Leicester City had been priced at a massive 5000-1 to win the Premier League after narrowly escaping relegation in the previous season. To put that into perspective; they are the same odds that you would get for Elvis Presley to be found alive.

However, the Foxes went onto win the title with one game to go and only one person had refused to cash out and won a massive £100,000. Thirty-five other people had the bet until April but cashed out following a defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Frankie Dettori

Frankie Dettori is one of the best flat jockey's of all-time, and he is straight-talking when it comes to his chances. When he has a bad ride, he will be open about it. When he was interviewed on Racing TV, and he said: "I could have an each-way chance in the first, and I may win the third." That was it for one lucky punter, and he placed £67.58 on all seven of the races to be won by Dettori.

The punter returned having played as his local team lost 4-0 expecting the result to be equally disappointing. However, Dettori won on all seven of his rides at Champions Day in 1996 at Royal Ascot; meaning that the punter took home £550,823.

Xabi Alonso

There are some player's that are renowned for having a shot from inside their own half, and Xabi Alonso was one of them. A lucky punter quickly picked up on this and took odds of 125/1 for Alonso to score a goal from inside his own half.

It finally happened in an FA Cup fixture against Luton Town, and the punter picked up £25,000. Paddy Power was quick to congratulate the punter, but they admitted: "When he placed the bet, we thought it was the easiest £200 we had ever made."

Massive Accumulator

Back in 2001, Mick Gibbs, a roofer from Staffordshire, England bet 30 pence on an insane accumulator bet consisting of 15 matches; meaning that he had to get all of them right to win the money.

His odds? 1,666,666-1. The final game of his mega-bet came down to a Champions League match between Bayern Munich and Valencia. The game went to penalties. However, Bayern won the trophy and Gibbs won £500,000.

Pie-Gate

Sutton United third-choice goalkeeper, Wayne Shaw gained a celebrity-like status earlier on in the clubs FA Cup run, as his posture did not match a typical athlete.

Sun bets, the online bookmaker that is owned by The Sun newspaper, offered a very unusual bet. They laid 8/1 odds on that Shaw would start eating a meat pie during the match. Few dozens of punters thought it was a funny joke and placed their money on this novelty football bet. As it later turned out, in the 81st minute of the game, Shaw became hungry and started munching on a meat pie. His teammates began laughing, and all the cameras were focused on him.

Betting Your Wife

Two men from Uganda made a bet for the Arsenal against Manchester United FA Cup game in 2008. It would be nothing particularly interesting at this point, were not for the stakes they used.

The man who supported Arsenal put his house and the one who was a United fan, placed his car and his wife as the stake for the bet. The first man lost and he had to leave his house, together with his family of over eight people.

St. Louis Cardinals

A fan bet $250 that the St Louis Cardinals would make the MLB World Series back in 2011, and with 500-1 odds it seemed a crazy idea.

Such was his confidence in the team. He later placed an additional $125 bet at odds of 999-1 that the Cardinals would win the World Series. He was left in astonishment as St Louis went onto win, and the punter claimed $375,000 for his loyalty.