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Double or quits again?

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    Double or quits again?

    In 1986, after Liverpool narrowly pipped West Ham (and Everton) to the league title, I had a bet with a Hammers-supporting schoolfriend of mine, Ian, that Liverpool would finish above West Ham again the following season. We pushed the boat out, and made the bet for £1.

    Liverpool did, but when the season finished, Ian said "double or quits next year?", and we agreed on that. I went off to Uni, and the London, in 1989, and only occasionally bumped into Ian after that; but every time I did, ususally in summertime visiting my Mum in Devon, Liverpool had duly finished above West Ham again, we'd have a laugh working out what double or quits meant the following year.

    I think the last time I bumped into Ian was in 1996, ten years into our bet, by which time he 'owed' me £512. By the start of 1998-99, there was £2,048 riding on that season. Now unfortunately, West Ham did indeed finish above Liverpool in 1999, so we'd have gone back to quits at that point. But had it ridden all the way through to last year (when West Ham finished above Liverpool once again) Ian would have owed me, at the start of last season, £268,435,456. At which point I might have been tempted to cash out.

    I often think of that bet. It makes one realise, if you can find a fairly sure-fire even money wager and just keep backing it for thirty years, what can happen ...!

    #2
    Double or quits again?

    I keep meaning to spend an entire summer repeatedly backing the favourites in the All-Ireland gaelic football championship and see how much money I end up with. But I never quite get round to it.

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