Bettor gives up shot at $1.7M, cashes out $100 parlay early

A DraftKings Sportsbook bettor who was one leg away from winning a $100 parlay that would have paid $1.7 million cashed out early, settling for a payout of $80,960.17.

The gambler, whose X handle is @Ascended85, placed the three-team futures parlay in May 2023 on the Texas Rangers to win the World Series (22-1), the Kansas City Chiefs to win the Super Bowl (6-1) and the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the NBA championship (70-1).

He took the cashout option Wednesday, the day after the Thunder erased a 14-point second-half deficit en route to a 100-96 win at Dallas that knotted their Western Conference semifinal playoff series at two games apiece.

“All right guys, this is it. Last time,” the gambler said in a video posted on Bleacher Report (@br_betting). “One hell of a ride. I got to go to a playoff game in OKC, and one hell of an up and down year with the cashout. Started at $11,000, got all the way up to $100,000, dropped all the way back down to $30,000 and right now we’re at 80. And I said last night, if we win this game and they offer at least ($80,000), I’m walking. They’re offering 80, and I don’t think I can take any more.

“I want to keep going, but I’m a single dad and the money will be wonderful.”

He then clicked on the cashout option on his DraftKings mobile app.

The Rangers won the World Series on Nov. 1, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games. The Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime in the Super Bowl on Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium.

The bettor needed the Thunder to win the NBA title to cash the 17,145-to-1 long shot and collect $1,714,500. The bet would have normally paid 11,430-1, but the bettor used a DraftKings promotion for a 50 percent parlay boost. DraftKings doesn’t operate in Nevada.

Oklahoma City won Game 1, but Dallas won Games 2 and 3 to put the parlay in a precarious position.

“It’s getting dicey down two games to one,” the bettor said in a video before Game 4. “I am beyond stressed out, but I have a $24,000 hedge on the Mavs to win the series and the cashout’s currently 47.”

The Thunder trailed 86-80 with 5:42 left before closing the game on a 20-10 run to tie the series and bail out the bettor.

Oklahoma City is a 4-point home favorite in Game 5 on Wednesday and a -155 series favorite. The Thunder entered Tuesday as the 9-1 fourth choice to win the NBA championship behind the Celtics (-125), Nuggets (+350) and Timberwolves (8-1).

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on X.