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If you entered a survivor pool at the start of the NFL season, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve been eliminated by now. That’s the case with one man who could’ve cashed in but declined to do so only to miss out on a massive payday courtesy of the Broncos.
The rules of an NFL survivor pool are pretty straightforward: each week, you pick one team you think is going to win, and if you’re correct, you earn the right to continue to do so. However, you can only put your faith in a specific franchise one time each season, which requires some long-term planning and a fair amount of luck.
However, Sean Perry—a professional poker player and sports bettor—would probably tell you luck had nothing to do with his ability to outlast the vast majority of the 9,267 participants in the survivor pool that was organized by the Circia in Las Vegas this season.
According to The Las Vegas Review-Journal, Perry was one of the ten people who were still in contention for the $9,267,000 winner-take-all jackpot that was up for grabs heading into Week 16 of the ongoing campaign.
Before the action got underway, the casino gave all of the participants the chance to “chop” the pot, which meant they’d each take home $400,000 while having the chance to keep angling for another $4 million going forward.
However, Perry was the lone holdout, saying, “With all respect, I’m the best bettor in the world. There’s no way I’m ever chopping. I wish you guys all the best. I’ll see you at the finish line.”
In order to advance, Perry (along with five other players) needed the Broncos to take care of business against the Patriots, which seemed like a pretty solid choice when you consider Denver headed into the contest as 7-point favorites.
Unfortunately, “the best bettor in the world” ended up eliminated after New England walked away with the 26-23 upset, which means he’ll go home with a grand total of $0 as opposed to the guaranteed sum he could’ve secured by agreeing to the arrangement.
Week 16a #CircaSurvivor Results
❌ 6 eliminated (6 Broncos)✅ 4 of 9,267 total entries survive to Week 16b
🤑 Winner-Take-All Prize: $9,267,000
Avg Implied Value Per Entry: $2,316,750📄 Week 16b Availability: https://t.co/lcq16lpjq6 pic.twitter.com/pzaAnahbTy
— Circa Sports (@CircaSports) December 25, 2023
It’s safe to assume the four remaining participants—all of whom correctly predicted the Eagles would beat the Giants on Christmas—will agree to chop the pot heading into Week 17 now that they no longer have to deal with Perry getting in the way.