No, not a misplaced MC thread, but a genuine poll... Here's the story: other half is a reasonable successful gambler. He doesn't win enough to give up work, but over the course of a year makes a profit, especially on football bets. Every year, round about Christmas, he bets on who will be champion of various domestic and European leagues. One of this year's bets is doing fairly well: all but one of the teams is in first place, the other team is second, two points behind, with three games to play. However, none of the leaders has its league sewn up, as yet. If they all win, he'll pick up about £3,000. At the weekend, the bookmaker offered to settle the bet now for £300. He's got to the end of the week to decide. What does everybody think?
Always a good sign. No deal. You aren't short of cash, your husband enjoys gambling, tends to make a profit, you gotta let this ride. Even if you lose it's a small price to pay for all the fun of watching the games with the added incentive of the financial gain.
I suck at betting. I lost a bet on the 1980 Presidential Election. I got my ass handed to me, gift wrapped. However, I won a Super Bowl bet in 1993. I should have gave away points and bet more, but what the Hell. I felt bad about collecting because the guy had just accidentally burned down a tent/equipment and lost a stripe in an Article 15, but he still owed me. He appealed the Article 15 and got his rank back. Everybody wins!
I like how every answer includes a mild obscenity. If your bookmaker wnats to buy a bet back, don't let him. He knows more about this than you do, and he thinks he'll be safer of if he buys it back. Trust his instinct and don't do what he wants. Oh, and you might also want to take into consideration that I don't know anything at all about gambling.
I was too pissed off at the title to read the post Oh, and having now read it I'm not going to either because I don't believe in gambling and there's no "he shouldn't have bet in the first place" option.
Can't decide based on the evidence available. Eg, I wouldn't bet against Utd winning the title so if he has 'Chelsea' as his one team not currently top, I'd take the £300. Otherwise...
go back to the bookie, tell him to up it to a grand - since hubbie gambles, suggest part or all of it as credit for better odds of him going for it- and its a deal and see if/how he haggles. bookies are good at doing odds, and thats why you never a see a poor one and also why he's offering this - he's seeing an opportunity to save £2700 that he feels is at high risk from losing. if the bookie wants to give it away, then they're sweating and if you can get a grand, take it.
Are there further games to go? Could he let it ride for another match or two just to see if the bookie ups the offer? If not...well, I tend to agree w/ Clyde.
It would be easier if I knew what he had put down in the first place, but on the whole if you can live without the £300 let it ride. Part of the fun of gambling is the thrill of it, the anticipation, waiting until the last minute to see if you win or not.
This is a fairly simple decision, IMHO. Does your husband think his chances of winning are better or worse than 1:10? The bookie clearly thinks that they are better than 1:10.
I didn't vote in the poll because I didn't want to give away my feelings right at the start, but I have to say, what Clyde posted is pretty much what I said to other half when he told me about it. PGT, the Premiership isn't involved in this bet - it's a couple of the lower leagues plus some European stuff. Genk are the team in second place ATM. Oh, and El Chup, he's got another bet running that involves Spurs finishing fifth... He's fairly hopeful about that one.
If we lose to Arsenal this weekend I think it'll deflate us and prevent us getting that high. As long as we get back into the Uefa Cup I'll be reasonably satisfied with this season considering we've played double the amount of fixtures as we did last year.
