Betting can give someone a huge rush of adrenaline, especially when there is a lot on the line. These individuals pushed their wagers to the extreme for the ultimate win-or-go-home scenario.

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Accumulator Record

An accumulator is a bet that involves four or more different selections for one wager that only earns a return when all parts win. The largest recorded accumulator occurred in 2011 when plumbing engineer Steve Whiteley won a whopping £1.45 million on a £2 horse racing bet.

Harry Wilson Goes Pro

Professional soccer player Harry Wilson’s grandfather banked big when his grandson made his debut for the Wales football club. His grandfather put down a bet when Wilson was a toddler that he would make it to the professional scene. Wilson’s grandfather turned 50 pounds into 125,000 after his 2,500-to-1 odds paid off.

Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland. He was world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking for 95 weeks and has also racked up two PGA championships. 10 years before Rory won his first PGA championship, Rory’s father Gerry McIlroy placed a 200 British pound bet at 500-1 odds that his son would go on to win a PGA championship in the next ten years, and he did just that.

Harry Wilson Goes Pro

Professional soccer player Harry Wilson’s grandfather banked big when his grandson made his debut for the Wales football club. His grandfather put down a bet when Wilson was a toddler that he would make it to the professional scene. Wilson’s grandfather turned 50 pounds into 125,000 after his 2,500-to-1 odds paid off.

15-Leg Parlay

After originally thinking she had lost the bet, Taylia Polia turned $5 into $100,005 after winning a 15-leg parlay (15-part accumulator bet) at 20,000-to-1 odds. This was her second sports bet ever. Polia wagered her $5 on 15 different teams on NFL Sunday and accurately predicted the spread of each game to a T.

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Mattress Mack

James Franklin McIngvale, a business man from Houston commonly known as Mattress Mack, was feeling lucky that his hometown team would take home the World Series. He placed a cool $13 million bet on the Astros over the Nationals. Unfortunately for him, his luck ran out when the Astros lost in seven games.

Vegas Dave

David Nakama Oancea, also known as Vegas Dave, is known for numerous high roller bets. One of his quickest losses came at UFC 200 when he placed a $1 million bet on the champion, Miesha Tate, to beat Amanda Nunes. Nunes won in just over three minutes to take the belt and in the process lost Dave $1 million.

Birdman vs. 50 Cent

In 2012, rap star, Birdman bet a casual $1 million on the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl XVLI. Unfortunately for Birdman, the Giants ended up clinching the game 21-17 and Birdman had to cough up the cash to a fellow renowned rapper, 50 Cent.

Bet On His Own Life

Matthew Webb, most famously known as the first man to swim across the English channel, created the highest stake bet known to man, life or death. In an attempt for a 12,000-pound prize, Webb wagered his life against the whirlpool rapids, most commonly known as the base of Niagara Falls. When attempting this challenging feat, Webb lost the bet and drowned.