It’s estimated that around 45 million people in the UK play the National Lottery each week, hoping to overcome the 48,000,000/1 odds to scoop the jackpot.
There are those who instead place their speculative weekly wagers on sport, knowing that they too face huge odds in their pursuit of a mammoth payday.
But the reality is that somebody usually wins the lottery, and from time to time people win with their monster betting coupons too.
One such instance came just last weekend, as the Premier League entered its tenth round of matches for the 2021/22 campaign. But rather than placing a huge acca on a stack of match results or Both Teams to Score selections, this savvy punter took a different route to his riches….
As revealed on Twitter, he wagered on four players to be booked – Jack Harrison and Kenny McLean in the Norwich City vs Leeds United encounter, and Pablo Fornals and John McGinn in the West Ham vs Aston Villa clash – at combined odds of 3774/1.
Some bet this is today ? #NORLEE #ASTWHU pic.twitter.com/H1VxwpMTIf
— Jon Townsend (@TownsendJon80) October 31, 2021
And the rest, as they say, is history….
Leeds Stick the Boot In
It’s fair to say that Leeds United don’t mind a tackle under the guidance of Marcelo Bielsa.
They travelled to bottom club Norwich City last weekend and were their typically aggressive selves, racking up 23 fouls and four yellow cards along the way.
Our intrepid punter needed the Yorkshiremen’s winger Jack Harrison to have his name taken, and he duly obliged on the stroke of half time when he dragged down the marauding Max Aarons.
To complete his whopping 110/1 double on this particular game, the slip-holder also needed the Canaries’ Kenny McLean to be yellow carded – he wouldn’t have to wait long.
Just one minute after the half-time break, and two minutes after Harrison’s booking, the Scottish midfielder chased down a back pass to Leeds keeper Illan Meslier and, in no uncertain fashion, left a bit on the Frenchman.
McLean was carded for his troubles, and the 110/1 booking double – and part one the mammoth bet builder – was in.
The Late, Late Show
Sleeping nervously but no doubt excitedly too, our punter was dreaming of a high octane bloodbath in the West Midlands, where Aston Villa were hosting West Ham on Sunday afternoon.
But for the first half, that did not look likely as the Hammers took the advantage and led 2-1 at the break.
Then it happened. Ezri Konza was sent off for what the referee perceived to be a professional foul, and in the midst of that Kourtney Hause landed a forearm on the jaw of Pablo Fornals. Blood suitably pumped, the tackles started to fly in.
The action reached its boiling point in the 78th minute. Fornals and Marvellous Nakamba slid into a tackle and both were aggrieved by the other, which let to the kind of melee that cards backers love.
And look who it is….McGinn comes flying over and launches into Fornals, who understandable is a tad cheesed off with the Scot’s reaction.
The result? Bookings for Fornals and McGinn, and our punter’s 33/1 double was complete – matched with the 110/1 wager he had already landed, it meant his 3774/1 dreams had come true.
And that meant his £25 stake was turned into a payday of some £94,350 – thank the stars for the lack of self-control shown by Premier League footballers!