Horseshoes Up the A** and Worst Beats Ever

[PerpetualCzech]

Everyone likes to hear gambling stories and everyone likes to brag/whine about their wins/bad beats. So let's hear them. Everyone try and remember their biggest swing of good and bad luck and tell us all about it. Maybe we can vote on them and give a prize to the most outrageous story. (No embellishing allowed ... remember, these results can be researched )

 

[MadJack]

many, many bad beats. too many to list, but the one that still sticks out in my mind the most is "the lateral"; when Buffalo just took the lead over Tennesse in the AFC Championship game with something like 15 seconds to play and the Titans ran back the kick, after "the lateral", for a TD. UGH!!!!!!

happy endings for me? when JAX blocked the FG attempt vs. PIT on Monday and ran THAT back for a TD. I had JAX that night

i think they all even out in the end. :shrug:

 

[Mr.]

The Good-When I had money on the Indians last year and they made that HUGE comeback!


The Bad-Just about every Tuesday night......for some reason I almost always lose on Tuesdays

 

[PerpetualCzech]

I have to think more about my worst bad beat ever but the biggest horseshoe I ever pulled out is no contest.

It was a September 4-5 years ago, 1998 I think, and CFL lines back then were really soft. I'm sure they came out of some back office in Vegas that had no clue about stuff like injuries etc. and together with a buddy in Toronto who was a complete CFL guru we were in the middle of a dream season. Money management was just a non-concept back then ... an edge was an edge and my head was so swollen from my success that I had no problem whacking down more than half my bankroll on a single game.

Those were the days of Flutie (or was it Garcia?) and the Stamps tearing up the league and I was pretty much on Calgary and the over on every game. This home game against Saskatchewan was no exception; I loaded up. Calgary was something like 12.5 and the total was 52.5. I bet it every which way I could, -12.5, Over on the total straight up, Calgary Team total over and a huge parlay on -12.5 and Over 52.5.

So here I am thousands of miles away in Prague at 6 in the morning listening to the game on the internet, blearly eyed and swearing for the umpteenth time that I have learned my lesson and will never ever bet on a sure thing ever again if I can just get out of this one mess (hands up all those who know this feeling - not all at once, now)

Calgary is up 25-18 late in the game and I am crushed. With 14 seconds to go they kick a field goal to make it 28-18. Big deal, Saskatchewan gets the ball back and they don't even have any incentive to go for anything since they are down by more than a score. They go for a pass anyway and it's incomplete. 2 seconds left, last play of the game. Final snap and they are still going for a pass! Of course it gets intercepted at midfield and then I have to listen to ~10 seconds of weaving and bobbing and finally the Calgary guy gets tackled at the goal line and the announcer announces the touchdown. 35-18 final. My friend in Toronto taped the game and told me later that his knee was down at the 1 but for whatever reason they gave him the TD anyway.

The total swing on the game for me ended up being more than my entire bankroll (because of the parlay). Even though I won it, to this day that game scares the s*** out of me and gives me ample motivation to treat my bankroll with kid gloves.

 

[PerpetualCzech]

Mr.,

I had Seattle that night, ya bastard!

 

[Mr.]

I also had money on the winning side in the Jet's Miami comeback in 2000 on Monday night..........I guess I've got a horseshoe for that.....

 

[ndnfan]

The BAD:

Was betting some of the harness races at Toledo's raceway park a few years back and wheeled a little trifecta...Put a 16-1 horse on top with all for the 2nd spot with the inside 3 horses for third. Played it for a $1, so it cost me $21 for the wheel. Now at Raceway Park, it's not uncommon for the entire tri pool to go out to one winner, due to their relatively small wagering pools.....usually they get around $1500-$2000 in their tri pools.

Here's the deal it came in 16-1 first, 35-1 second, 8-1 third and I hit it, but there was a problem.

There was an accident in the race and they brought an amulance out on the track, so the horses had to swing wider around the last turn and in the stretch. What happened was the favorite went off stride in the stretch and was out of the money. The reason he broke was because he had the most brutal trip of them all and just plain went off stride because he didn't have any more left when the driver asked him for more.

There was an inquiry and of all things, they declared the race a no-contest and refunded all bets because they said the favorite that broke was spooked by the ambulance lights!!.

I've seen a ton of races and many accidents but this was the 1st time I ever seen one called a no-contest. So instead of the appoximate $1500 bucks, I got my $21 back Smelled really fishy to me.

 

[MadJack]

mr,

i had seattle that night too. ANOTHER bad beat i forgot about.

 

[Mr.]

That was an odd one.......I didn't find out I won the bet til after work the next day.......opened explorer to espn (homepage) and there it was .....what a surprise!!! (which was nice, cause my summer job REALLY sucked last year!!!)


cheers!

 

[He Hate Me]

That Calgary game sounds like the 1994 contest when the Stams and Flutie got the money on a punt return with no time left vs Las Vegas Generals.

 

[fletcher]

last year by far the worst beat i ever took was in mlb astros at pittsburgh saturday,miller pitching takes a 8-0 lead into the 9th they pull him and the bucs score 9 runs and if i remember right all with 2 outs won on a giles grandslam. that was a tuff one to take,

 

[Huckleberry]

He Hate Me.......YES! That is my A NUMBER ONE NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN best beat!

Calgary was up something like 9 or 10 and laying 11 or 12....anyhow, LV (Posse was their nickname) is pinnned inside their 10 yard line and with something like 20 seconds left, they decide to punt instead of going for it.

If they go for it and don't get it, Calgary sits on the ball and the game is over. Anyhow, they PUNT! I couldn't believe it....I was at the game and remember it like it was yesterday. I was sitting at the 35 yard line and it was the most incredible thing I ever saw. They punt and Calgary returner catches it at the 50 yard line or thereabouts.....he goes clear towards the sidelines only to see that the ENTIRE Posse team has him covered........if he reverses field, he can easily score...I'm just yelling my arss off at this point for him to do it......of course, he did just that and barely got in at the pylon!

Biggest win at the time for me...I over bet it of course and was just kicking myself for not having the over straight...Calgary straight, Cal and Over Parlay. Still can't believe a team punted with almost no time left. Just a classic.

 

[ndnfan]

Fletcher....not only did I lose that same game you're talking about, but I got burnt on a similiar game when I played Seattle and my Tribe came back from 14-2 deficit to win it in extra innings 15-14. Funny how you don't seem to forget those games. :shrug:

 

[GENO]

guys

GENO = ditto seattle, ditto houston BAD

ditto JAX = GOOD

seems like that made the JAX over a winner also but my memory fades on that isn't it unreal how we seem to remember the BAD beats more vividly than the lucky wins :shrug: i do at least

another bad beat I will never forget is the ROBIN ( I don't run out grand slams) Ventura under over under fiasco I was MAD for an hour


one more bad :
Pac-10 game OREGON + 8.5 if I remember correct at Stanford in 1995 or 1996 ?

I got the ducks with under a minute to go they recieve the ball deep in their own 10 or so down SEVEN

I GOT a winner one problem they want to score again and do some OT first down incomplete pass if I remember correctly then it hits me

a safety and I am screwed sure enough the QB scrambles and WHAM safety one of my largest plays of the year a heartbreaker

one of the many bad money management moves I used to make

 

[elliot]

Great topic.

Great wins had KY -7' against Indiana. Dane Fife, when he was a Freshman hits a 3 at the buzzer to force overtime(it was his only 3 of the night). KY covers in OT.

NYG/MINN under 41' in the NFC championship. It hurt to breathe in the 4th quarter in that game. Doink.

My friend has a theory that for every great win comes 5 heartbreaking losses.


Tough losses

AZ St- USC (teams I don't exactly recall). Anyway I had the underdog +12' in OT. The favorite scores a TD on its first possesion. Then on the underdogs possesion, the QB throws a pass that is ruled a fumble that is run back for a TD by the favorite. I lose by a hook.

I had Washington Huskies the night that Ortiz Jenkins does the summersult into the endzone on the last play of the game. Washingtons clinching touchdown was called back by a phantom clip. I am tormented by Fox Sports showing that clip on their opening credits.

 

[TheShrimp]

The bad:
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Atlanta Falcons on Monday night a few years ago. Pittsburgh is up by 6 with little time remaining stuck deep in their own end. I have pittsburgh -4.5.

On 3rd and 1, Kordell completely misses his wide open tight end who is right in front of him. To boot, Kordell could easily have run for the first down.

On 4th down, they decide to take the safety to use time and get to free kick. If Pitt is up by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 7 they don't make that play (the reason why is left for the reader). 6 is the only margin they use it on.

I also had Minny vs. Baltimore on Monday night of Week 17 this year. Minny QB fumbles on his own 10 with a couple minutes left, Baltimore picks it up, runs it in and pushes the difference from 6 to 13 [maybe 7 to 14]. That was pretty bad. They played the Ravens very tight the whole game.

I had G-town this year +4.5 in that 4 overtime game they played where they lost by 5 in the 4th OT. I was about 1-6 or so in OT games this year. OT is the BANE of the dog bettor.

The good:
The superbowl this year, I parlayed the Pats and the under (posted both picks but not the parlay) and that field goal they hit at the end made my biggest payday ever. I also had a lot (for me) on Pats with the points.

I also had the Bills in the game against Tennessee.

 

[Hucklebuck]

Bad Loss

I was on the other side of that Miami/Jets MNF a few years back. Up by 21 or so at halftime I went out to celebrate and came back just in time to see the Offensive Lineman catch the TD to tie the game. Game goes to OT and Miami was driving when they threw an INT at the NYJ 35. I still get all fired up just thinking about this game.

Win
Was on Cleveland the night of that comeback. Now that was amazing.

 

[Phil Turcotte]

Great thread.

Hands down worst beat of the past few years.

Week 12 or so Indianapolis is at Baltimore. I am all over Indy getting 7, and Payton Manning looks like he is turning it around. Baltimore scores in the 4th but goes for two and fails, so they are up 32-27. Indy is covering and has the ball under two minutes to go. Its Payton and Marvin time, right?

WRONG!

My buddy who I will hereby refer to as MUSH says "Hey great nows the time for an INT."

Well sure enough, Payton floats one over the middle, Woodson picks it off and runs it back.

boo hoo hoo.

BUT

Hands down BEST WIN, possibly ever.

1999 Im in Las Vegas for the Red Sox - Cleveland Series. After game two, I take the Sox to win the series at some absurd price, I think it was +550 or more. For game 5 I'm hunkered down in the Bellagio sports book screaming my head off. NO NO YOU CANNOT pitch to Troy O Leary. BOMBS AWAY. Pedro comes in pitches 6 innings of no hit relief and I go hog wild. Good times my friends, good times.

OR BEST WIN:

Taking the Patriots all ways possible for the Super Bowl and watching them shock the world.

GOOD F*&%ING TIMES!!!