Massive Parlay Winner Shares What Left Him Speechless After Mavs’ Win

Patrick Everson Sports Betting Expert

2 minute read

There's certainly nothing quite like turning a spur-of-the-moment, $50 three-team parlay into a whopping $98,750 win. But it doesn't actually seem real until there are several bundles of hundred-dollar bills stacked in front of you.

Such was the case for a UCLA grad student on Sunday afternoon at Paris Las Vegas. Fresh off a flight from Los Angeles, he was almost speechless while waiting for sportsbook staffers to complete the paperwork required before processing all that money.

"It's crazy. I won't believe it until I see the cash," he said.

And even then, he still couldn't believe it, three days after the Dallas Mavericks clinched the Western Conference title to secure the final leg of his long-shot three-teamer.

Long Time Coming

It took five-plus months for the bet to finish its journey. The wager was made at a Caesars Sports kiosk on Dec. 29. The bettor dialed in his favorite player – Patrick Mahomes – on one leg and his favorite team – the Dallas Mavericks – on another, and led off the parlay with college football:

• Michigan-Washington College Football Playoff Championship Game Exacta +550
• Kansas City Chiefs-San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl Exacta +1800
• Dallas Mavericks to win the Western Conference +1500

Total odds for that three-teamer: +197500, or 1975/1, for a total potential profit of $98,750 on the $50 bet. The first two legs wrapped up relatively early, in the Jan. 8 CFP title game and the Feb. 11 Super Bowl.

"I never thought it would win. But things just kept happening," he said.

Still, it was a long wait to get that final leg to happen. But the Mavericks finished off the parlay in blowout fashion, taking Game 5 Thursday night at Minnesota 124-103 to win the Western Conference finals 4-1.

Midway through the the third quarter of that bet-clinching game, Dallas led by 36 points, 82-46. It was as no-sweat a win as a bettor will ever get in a situation like that.

"It couldn't have happened any better. I didn't even have to suffer. In the third quarter, we were already ordering shots," he said. "And it's not just winning the bet. It's also having my favorite teams winning."

Money Management

As the ticket writer diligently bundled several stacks of $100 bills – $10,000 in each bundle – the bettor realized he wasn't getting a check. That's something he wasn't prepared for, as all he brought to Vegas was a small backpack.

"Oh my gosh. I should've brought a bag," he said laughing.

After taxes, the bettor got $75,100. He'll graduate from UCLA with an MBA on June 14, wrapping up his two years in the program after moving from Costa Rica. So he's already got places for some of that money to go.

"It'll help pay for my savings going down. Living in L.A. is expensive," he said.

He wagers on sports regularly, but he's always been a low-dollar bettor and said the big win won't change that mindset at all.

"I'm not gonna make a $10,000 bet. I'm gonna place a couple $50 bets before I leave town. That's all I'm gonna do," he said. "I didn't think I was gonna get rich sports betting. I'm just trying to have fun.

"Now, I actually think I'm gonna bet less. I'm gonna be more careful. That's the way to do it."

You can't argue with his success, no question.

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Patrick Everson

Patrick Everson is a senior reporter for VegasInsider. Based in Las Vegas since 1994, he's worked in the sports betting journalism/content space for more than a decade. He's most known for his deep roster of contacts behind sportsbook counters, providing readers and viewers with the ins-and-outs of how events are being bet. He's also a thought leader in the sports betting space, often appearing on or moderating panels at national conferences. More from Patrick Everson