Australian Open Brings Lucky Punter $196,000

A player who bet that Li Na and Stanislas Wawrinka would both win the Australian Open pocketed $196,000.

Every year, thousands of gamblers who like to bet on sports in Australia place their wagers on the outcome of the major tennis tournament and hope for the best. One local player figured he shouldn’t take any big risks, so he put money on both Li Na and Stanislas Wawrinka winning.

As far as sports betting goes, placing money on both tennis players was a really weird choice. Na had made two of the last three finals at the Australian Open, but most punters wouldn’t have thought Wawrinka has what it takes to win. But this turned out to be a very good move in the end.

451 to 1 equals $196,000 win

According to local gambling news, the anonymous punter put down $435 in cash at one of the Tab stores in Australia, at a time when the betting odds came in at 451 to 1. The Australian bookmaker Tab Corp. had to pay the winner $196,000.

Tab is Australia’s biggest bookmaker. The company used to have monopoly over all sports betting activities and still has around 2,900 shops set up across the country, even in pubs and clubs. However, sports fans have several other wagering options now, including big brands like Bet365 and Betfair.