Someone help please, having problems with local bookie.

Look you're obviously new to this and when I was I had a shady bookie experience too but I was too dumb to know better. I would never in my life bet on credit with a local guy again. I don't have to though because I can bet on sports legally in my country.

Don't pay him. You said he's a respected businessman with a huge lawn business so he has a lot more to lose than you if this gets ugly and gets out. His business is all based on local people's opinions too.

He is definitely scamming you and waited to see if that bet won or lost before pretending he thought it was a typo. Stick to your story like was said earlier that he never discussed any limits. Tell him that as far as you're concerned you're up 5k and that the text saying 'Giants was 2k right?' is a complete joke since the game was over. Tell him he obviously would have been happy for it to be 20k if it had lost. Ask him how would he like it if you turned around and said all your losing bets on Saturday were for 200 not 2k? It's bull spit. Tell him you know that there's no hope of you getting your 5k since he only wanted to scam you the whole time so you're taking your business elswehere.

Only don't take your business elsewhere. You have no skills in either picking winners or managing money, the latter of which is the most important thing a bettor needs. You have a nice life, why do this now? Quit gambling immediately. It can be a thrill but it's not something you pick up overnight. 

I've been betting 15 years and went through some painful lessons before I started to get even semi good at it, and I still have losing days or weeks. But I can handle it because I learned not to chase losses and manage my bankroll and not get buried even if I have a bad streak. You don't want to have to learn those lessons the hard way. More importantly, you don't want to lose your wife and all the nice things you have.

Tell this scumbag to go eff himself. Strap up if you're worried. Don't meet him in person unless it's somewhere with cameras and witnesses in abundance.

YOU GOT THAT RIGHT 

The Mrs. and I recently tried to take out $9K and they acted like we were robbing the place ..

They started off by saying they were NOT sure they had it,  on Location .... The MRS said " it's ok WE WILL WAIT " 

You went from 2k to 20k and didn't go out of your way to make sure it was in. I'd never in a million years do that. So, pay up

You claim how well of you are and how at 22 you already have your house paid for. So, pay up.

End of story. You placed bets. You didn't make sure they bets were confirmed with someone you barely know as a book. So, pay up.

Have a sit down with him. No one here can tell you what to do. Only you and the book.

So what happened?  Keep us updated

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