Ask any sports bettor, sharp or square, and they’d tell you putting $500 on a 10-team parlay is the same as taking that money and setting it on fire. But for
Covers.com user and betED.com sportsbook client, IronPicks (did not want his real name used), the only thing on fire is him. He turned a ballsy bet into a cool $150,000 payout this past weekend, hitting the biggest score the sportsbook has ever returned.
“I'm really excited and, actually, I can't stop thinking about it when I wake up, while driving to work, while I'm working, on my way back. All the time,” IronPicks told
Covers. "The last 48 hours have been somewhat surreal and exciting.”
His 10-play parlay consisted of two plays on the Brazil-Ivory Coast World Cup match and MLB moneylines and totals Sunday. The biggest underdogs on IronPicks’ ticket were the Seattle Mariners, who paid out at +115 against the Cincinnati Reds.
betED.com has a $150,000 limit on parlay payouts. They have settled some $100,000 wins but have never had a client win the maximum purse.
“We're thrilled about the win,” betED.com spokesperson Max Harvey said in a statement. “Not only are we excited for the player, but this also gives us the opportunity to remind those players, who are not yet members at betED, of the things we stand for, not the least of which being prompt and easy payouts regardless of the size of the win."
IronPicks has been a sports bettor for about four years, making his first wager on a boxing match between Miguel Cotto and Carlos Quintana back in December 2006. He’s an avid parlay bettor, winning some $2,000 parlay payouts, but says there was no real science behind the 10 plays he strung together for his big win, chalking it up to being “very, very lucky”.
“Betting $500 was still a huge risk, but I had a gut feeling that it was worth it,” he said in an email interview with
Covers.com Thursday.
While he felt good about his wager, he didn’t have much faith it would pay out after the Texas Rangers, one of the team’s on his parlay, fell down 4-2 to the Houston Astros in the third inning Sunday. However, the Rangers battled back with runs in the sixth and the ninth to force extra innings, eventually winning the game 5-4 thanks to an RBI single from outfielder Josh Hamilton.
“I think that was the toughest moment for the whole parlay bet. When they won, I started believing I might actually pull this one off,” he recalls.
As for IronPicks’ plans for his $150,000, he would like to start planning for his future with a house or condo.
"Hopefully this opportunity is the end of throwing my money away in rent and finally owning my own place," he said.
He would also like to get something nice for his father, who, as of this writing, has no idea his son won that much money. And while riding his hot streak is tempting, IronPicks has no plans to wager the winnings or make another unbelievable parlay.
“This money is no longer gambling money. This money has a purpose and it is not for playing,” he said. “I'm not going to throw it away or give it back with foolish bets. I can easily end up giving it all back. I got lucky once, I don't believe in lucky streaks. There will be no Round 2 or double-up attempts.”
“This time, I win.”
To send well wishes and advice to IronPicks, find his forum thread on Covers.com.