DIE DIE MUST TRY PART 2

I have decided that the ultimate optimist has to be AGL. She thinks that she is capable of striking the three top 4D prizes with one single set of numbers! Dream, dream, dream.

One evening, we were working late. Which was quite a change for me. In my 23 years of service, the number of times I worked late can be counted on the fingers of one hand! And even then, found time to have fun at other's expense.

On that day (a Wednesday) I acted as AGL's Singaporepools runner and so I knew what number she had betted on. When the result was received on my mobile phone, I edited one of the starter prizes to match her set of 4D on which she had invested $3. I forwarded the results to her phone. I shouted excitedly "I think you strike, I think you strike! Quick check!" And she did, and the smile and happiness that came with an unexpected windfall of $750 of a first time winner was too much for me to bear. I didn't have the heart to tell her the truth, other than to make her promise me a good lunch.

Of course I didn't get that free lunch. When she realized I had tricked her, she glared at me with a pair of "Medusa" eyes. If looks could kill, I would have been dead long long ago.

Over each Chinese New Year  Singaporepools  would have two special draws for TOTO. A reunion dinner draw where the jackpot is estimated at $5 million and a Chap Goh Meh draw with an estimated jackpot of $10 million. I would be kept so busy that I don't think I did any work during that 15 days period. I had different pools with different people and lost count of the number of pools I managed to get myself into.

One Chap Goh Meh draw is forever etched in my memory. I think that was in 2006, some 7 years ago! It was the evening before the Chap Goh Meh draw and a group of us were invited to MT's place for dinner which she hosted with her better half. It was so fun. I was there with my better half. GN was there with her better half. DY aka Mama-san was there with her better half. AGL went one step further - she came with her better half and offspring. CS was there too, also with her better half. And WMH was there with her appetite.  ST was there too, I think. But conspicuously absent was LT - which meant we could gossip about her and laugh behind be back. What a wicked bunch we were!

After WMH has whetted her appetite, we went to the next and of course final item on the agenda   - Blackjack. And who was the banker? Yours truly, of course. I always attend such functions with a pack of playing cards ready. Someone left the TV on and it was showing "Gags For Laughs". This contained an episode where the LOTTO shop (akin to our TOTO) cooperated  with the Gags For Laughs crew to  falsify the results to match that of an innocent punter. I was so excited, I recall standing up on MT's sofa, almost jumping up and down, shouting "Someone take down those winning numbers. Quick!" And someone did, bless him or her for that. So that was 6 numbers. I immediately stopped our Blackjack to focus on the more important business at hand. Everyone had to contribute $10 per share to participate in this new pool. I recall collecting about $150 and was assigned to decide on what numbers to buy. GN opted for one share only and the woman with big appetite forked out another $10 so she now has two shares.

My attention was focused on the six "winning numbers" from the Gags For Laughs episode. I suggested a system 9 which cost $42 using the six numbers as a base. So we needed another three numbers to make it 9. Someone had the audacity to suggest "Maybe we can use LT's waistline as one of the numbers!" I glared at that someone (if I divulge her identity,  even now, 7 years later, she may not live to tell the story) and shouted "Cannot la. Biggest number to buy is only 45!"

I had to call the meeting to order as it has become quite unruly by then. I suggested that MT, being the host, contribute one number. With my Toto experience, and as leader of the pool, I gave myself the honor to contribute one number. And the last number was provided by Mama-san. We did not use LT's waistline as it would be wasted.

So it was left to me to plan on how and what to buy with the $102 after buying the agreed System 9.

To cut a long story short, the next day was a busy one for me. I had to run around to various Singaporepools outlets. AGL insisted that I must to go one of the "Lucky" outlets where every year, without fail, they would produce one of the big winners. My ears were itchy as if the boss was grumbling "Where is he? He is supposed to be here for the meeting, right?"  I ignored the itches. I know how to prioritize. This has to my chance for early retirement. And if he were to chide me for going  MIA, I would simply retort "But I have to buy TOTO for you what!" Right, because he was also part of one of the many pools!

I decided to placate AGL and took a cab to her preferred outlet. When I reached the place, the queue was as long as two SBS buses joined together. And I am talking about the buses with twin coaches. So I rushed to my preferred outlet which usually has shorter queue. And I was right. This outlet did not have a queue as long as two SBS buses. Because on that fateful day, the queue was as long as one MRT train. Yes, the entire train. But I am a patient man especially when it comes to retirement planning. The two hours queue should pay off.

I returned to the office at 4.30 pm only and decided to put in an honest day's work. That way, I could leave the office by 6.30 pm without feeling guilty. I spent the next two hours sending out numerous emails to my partners in the different pools, taking precautions, checking and double checking, to make sure there were no mistake which could cost me my retirement. And I was out of the office promptly at 6.30pm.

The draw results were due on teletext at 10 pm. So I bathed, meditate and sat patiently in front of the TV, waiting for that ominous moment. And when it came I was floored. I recognized the winning numbers. I knew we had hit a biggie.

Double checked with the myriads of betting slips in my possession and indeed, we had a big hit. Not 6 out of 6, unfortunately. But 5 out of 6. My mind was so muddled that I became unsure as to who were my partners in the winning tickets. So I called AGL and said "Eh, one of the betting slip with me hit 5 out of 6. Not sure who are the partners leh." And she replied, enthusiastically "I  la, must be me la.Why only 5 numbers? Why not 6? Did we also strike other numbers or not. " Sigh.

And it turned out she was right. We hit about$5.5k that day. It would have been one share of the 10 million jackpot if we hit 6 out of 6. I dare not tell my partners that it was me who contributed the "non" winning number. I had contributed "19" as my elder son's birthday is on Feb 19. The number which we didn't have out of the 6 winning combination was 16. Sigh. That was my daughter's birthdate. But nobody cared. They were just excited to have won $550 per share.

I then messaged all the winners. I recall distinctly that GN called me and said "So we won't $1225 right." She is so naïve. When you buy a system bet (i.e. 7 numbers and above) you get more than one share of that particular group prize. We hit Group 3 which was worth $1225 per share but we had 4 shares since we bought a System 9. With the subsidiary prizes, we won a total of $5,500.

I wanted to abscond with the winning ticket. It so happened that I was travelling to Venice that evening with PK from Bangkok on a business trip. Friendships ruled, and I turned the winning ticket over to MT and her better half. I had suggested they meet me at the airport and take the ticket to claim the prize on Monday.

And they did. 4 of them went together. Or was it five. Will one of you please set the record right by commenting on this blog? I am sure the staff at Singaporepools, upon seeing them, would have  thought they were one of the big jackpot winners!

So that was a fun experience. Let me end this posting with a short story.

One day, WMH and AGL partnered me to buy two system 7. We struck 3 numbers. Which means no prize. You need a minimum of 4 winning numbers to win a prize.But he next day, I planned with AGL to trick WMH into believing had won. We went out to lunch and then I kept pestering WMH to claim our winning at the Cheers shop which had a Singaporepool outlet. Told her collecting winnings for the first time will bring her good luck. AGL was a coward. She insisted on remaining outside. I  escorted WMH inside the store and when it was her turned, I ran out laughing, only to find that AGL was laughing uncontrollably. I looked inside and there was our WMH proudly handing over the winning ticket to earn her prize. The lady at the counter took her ticket, ran it through the machine and returned the  ticket, shaking her head sadly. WMH,  cool, calm and collected, walked out with her head held high, but probably not with her dignity intact. As soon as she saw the two of us laughing outside, she pointed at me and shouted "I WILL NEVER, NEVER TRUST YOU AGAIN! NEVER, NEVER!"

And she stuck to her words. Until the next Toto pools is set up by yours truly!