Do You Know a Bookie?

Our back-shop office guy didn't really like it that I'd play a 10-game parlay card for $1. I had no money back then, but I didn't mind forking over a buck on 100-1 odds since I probably wasn't going to win anyway. I hit 9 one time and pushed (i.e. lost) on the 10th game. I think I earned a $10 consolation prize for that, hitting 9 of 10.
What was also kinda fun was the 33-point club. It wasn't really betting, just an office pool. There were 32 players, each assigned an NFL team by random draw. They shuffled the teams every week. I forget the pay-in, something like $5 a week. If your team scored exactly 33 points, you won all the money (except 5 percent or something for the organizer). If none did, it carried over to the next week. I think it was back before the NFL put in the two-point conversion option.
Thirty-three was an odd point total since it typically required a bunch of field goals, a couple of missed extra points or a safety.
I also remember those square boards where if your score hits each quarter you win some money. So you're watching the game and you're thinking, if we can just get 2 safeties in the next five minutes, I'll win $20.

 

We do a 22-point pool, pick the teams out of a hat you get that team for the season. I'd rather re-pick after a team hits 22, but we don't. We started as a 19-point pool about 10 years ago and it hit quite a few times. But this year think it's been 4 times on 22, couple weeks ago was two teams on same day.

 

One Friday during my first football season as a writer, which was long enough ago that cell phones weren't ubiquitous, I found myself needing to make a phone call at halftime of a game. One of the teachers, who had formerly strung for the paper and remained on good terms, escorted me back to a small office not far from the field. We went inside and my jaw flew open as I saw the game officials looking over their parlay cards for the next day's college action. Never wrote anything about it, mostly because I didn't know where to begin.

 

It's is a big deal that hs refs bet on college football?

 

Don't know why I just now saw this thread.
There are several around here.
Big or small. College or pro. You name the sport.

 

It would take you roughly 8 seconds to figure it out if you ever tried, though. Anyone with a 4th grade education should be able to comprehend it.

 

Years ago, I was going to Las Vegas and a friend gave me money to bet a game for him. I thought he would lose, so I booked the bet myself and when he won I had to pay him $50 or something that was a lot of money at the time.

Lesson learned and last time I did that.

 

Wouldn't know anyone around here.

There were a couple kids in high school who regularly pushed the cards. I went to school in a neighborhood that was ... connected, so it was no surprise.

 

I bet through a bookie for a while in my 20s. Never dealt directly with him, though. Used a mutual friend for all transactions. Then, the bookie hit the lottery and moved to the beach. I've been using offshore books ever since.

 

Last time I placed a bet was probably 30 years ago. It's a mug's game. I worked in gambling for a while (legal), and quickly figured out the house never really loses. Plus, I hate giving my money to criminals (IRS excepted... you guys are great!).

 

Basically, you are trying to predict the outcome of a sporting event, and you are either financially rewarded or financially penalized based whether your prediction is correct or incorrect.