Gambling has been a part of human society for hundreds of years. Although many may consider betting a waste of money, it is something that brings extra fun and drama to all kinds of things, from sporting events, reality television shows, and even small competitions between friends. Occasionally though, the wagers that people make will not be the usual run-of-the-mill ones that you might expect, but actually bizarre and outright strange. In these cases, the bets are obscure, baffling, and sometimes shocking.
7. Breast Implants
7. Breast Implants
Brian Zembic, a notorious gambler and poker player, was challenged by his friends to get breast implants and keep them in for a year. If he carried out the task successfully he would be paid $100,000. While most men would probably turn the offer and the money down, Zembic actually did it became something of a celebrity in the process.
6. Getting a Poker Name
6. Getting a Poker Name
A New Zealand man was playing poker with his friends yet didn’t have enough money to cover one of the bets. Instead, his friends decided that he could still play as long as he agreed to change his name to something that contained 99 characters if he lost. When his hand was inevitably beaten, the man duly obliged and is now officially known as “Full Metal Havok More Sexy N Intelligent Than Spock And All The Other Superheroes Combined With Frostnova.”
5. Green Eggs and Ham
5. Green Eggs and Ham
Dr. Seuss only wrote the book Green Eggs and Ham, which went on to launch his career, after a bet he made with the co-founder of Random House Bennett Cerf. The wager stated that Dr. Seuss would be unable to write a book with just 50 individual words, something that Bennett Cerf thought would be impossible. Not only did he write the book but it went on to be a best seller and inspire numerous other works.
4. Taser Punishment
4. Taser Punishment
While watching a NFL game in a bar, a married couple decided to add a bit more risk to proceedings by agreeing that whichever one of their teams lost, that supporter would be tasered by the victor. When Tinley Park’s Green Bay Packers were beaten by the Chicago Bears, the husband actually followed through on the bet and got out a Taser and shocked her three times. She phoned the police to stop further attacks and John Grant was arrested for felony possession of an electronic weapon.
3. Betting Everything He Owned
3. Betting Everything He Owned
The tale of Ashley Revell was so strange that it was actually captured on camera for a television show. He planned to sell off every single thing he owned, including his house, and then put it all on one spin of the roulette wheel. After he had gotten rid of his possessions and raised $135,000, he flew off to Las Vegas and put the whole lot on red. He duly won and netted $270,000.
2. Betting His House
2. Betting His House
One Ugandan man was so convinced that Arsenal would beat Manchester United, with the famous club struggling under new manager David Moyes, that he put a bet on with a die-hard fan and neighbor. The bet involved both his home as well as his neighbor’s house, wife and car. Van Persie scored the only goal, netting a win for Manchester United and Henry Dhabasani was evicted two days later.
1. Frankie’s Magnificent Seven
1. Frankie’s Magnificent Seven
Despite the fact that the thought of one jockey winning all seven races at the Royal Ascot horseracing meeting was dismissed as an impossible feat, many people still put money on Frankie Detteri doing just that in 1996. When the young Italian won every race, bookmakers lost a fortune and several lucky members of the public won staggering amounts, ranging into hundreds of thousands of pounds.
