What Are The Odds On That? The World's Most Bonkers Bets

 
We all like a bet every now and again, it’s the Australian way. It doesn’t have to be a regular thing – most of us are more than happy just to enjoy the occasional punt. But, of course, there are some who have to go that little bit further.
You know the type, the sort of people who just don’t know what’s good for them and who seriously don’t know when to stop. Over the years there have been some seriously crazy and spectacular bets
laid. Some have won and some have lost. They have all produced weirdly compelling stories.
Like professional American gambler Brian Zembic, who just couldn’t find it in himself to turn down a $100,000 dollar bet proposed by his pals in 1996. A blackjack and backgammon specialist, Zembic had a head for figures. But he ended up with a whole new figure of his own when he called his friends’ bluff and had 38C breast implants fitted. At least with that $100,000 he could afford to get himself a decent bra. Would you believe he’s still wearing it!

by  almostmichelle55 
Or what about Muscovite Andrei Karpov who was so convinced that his poker hand was worth backing all the way that he threw his wife into the pot? This little tale either has a happy or not so happy ending depending on your point of view. Karpov lost the game and in the process found that he really had lost his wife as well. As she told reporters: “It was humiliating and I was utterly ashamed. But as soon as my ex-husband did that I knew I had to leave him.” She added of her new partner: “Sergey is a very handsome, charming man and I am very happy with him, even if he did “win” me in a poker game.”
You can’t help but wonder if Karpov knew what he was doing, but that’s another story.
Not everyone gets punished quite so heartlessly for trusting their luck. In 2004 British entrepreneur Ashley Revell sold everything he owned before flying to Vegas and putting everything – every last penny – on red. Proving that even the best reasons to bet on black may not always be the right ones, he doubled his $135,000 up to $270,000 in a single spin. To his credit he had the good sense to quit whilst he was ahead. Imagine if Brian Zembic had tried this approach!

by  ** RCB ** 
And some bets pay off even bigger than Revell’s. Fed Ex founder and CEO Fred Smith’s worth was estimated in the billions of dollars, but in 1973 Smith’s fledgling business was on the point of being wound up. Facing a $24,000 fuel bill with only $5,000 in the bank, Smith did what any responsible businessman would do. He schlepped off to Vegas and gambled. He came home $27,000 better off, paid the fuel bill and never looked back. Vegas doesn’t always deliver – but Fed Ex do.

by  BriYYZ