Would YOU have cashed out? Punter misses £11,500, but still nets £2,184

I’ve always thought quitting gets a bad rep.

Yeah, sure, it’s not great to give up as soon as you hit a hurdle – especially if you’re running in 2.05 at Kempton and I’ve had a punt on you – but sometimes it’s best to get out while the getting is good.

I knew veganism wasn’t for me with the first bite of that meat-free sausage roll on January 1st, so why drag out a New Year’s resolution for a week or two when you know it’s ending in an omelette and leather-shoe-buying splurge?

One punter took the same view on the weekend – but they might just regret it now.

With 12 legs of their 14 bet acca on Over 2.5 Goals already up on Saturday, this savvy selector saw they had us sweating on a potentially huge payout of over £21,000.

But stubborn old Crawley and Bradford in League Two refused to get in on the goal glut. With Liverpool v Spurs at 5.30pm the final runner in this fearless fourteen-fold, the 2-0 lead Crawley held from the 40th minute threatened to trip the gargantuan gamble at the penultimate fence as the clock ticked towards 90 at the Broadfield Stadium.

Isn’t Google great for stadium names?

With seconds ticking by at the 12 winners mark, this plucky prognosticator said thank you very much and pocketed a far-tastier-than-those-tofu-burgers-I’ve-unwisely-stocked-up-on sum of £2,184.

Very nice for a tenner bet we’ll all agree.

Except Bradford scored in 84th minute, which would’ve brought in the 13th winner and the acca would’ve rolled on to the late Premier League game for a whopping potential £20k payout.

Oh, and it also would’ve sent the cash out option rocketing up to £11,500!

And when Bobby Firmino scored to put Liverpool 1-0 up against Tottenham, this bettor would’ve had a second chance to take a five-figure return by cashing out in-play.

Just thinking about it gives me a lump in my throat – or maybe that piece of boiled rubber that was supposed to be a vegetarian hotdog is still lodged there.

Here’s the full bet::

Crawley Town v Bradford – Over 2.5 Goals @ 19/20 
Man Utd v Norwich – Over 2.5 Goals @ 57/100
Ipswich v Accrington – Over 2.5 Goals @ 17/20 
Oxford Utd v Rotherham – Over 2.5 Goals @ 13/20
Portsmouth v AFC Wimbledon – Over 2.5 Goals @ 7/10
Leicester v Southampton – Over 2.5 Goals @ 57/100
Salford City v Northampton – Over 2.5 Goals @ 4/5
Barnsley v Huddersfield – Over 2.5 Goals @ 17/20
Tottenham v Liverpool – Over 2.5 Goals @ 3/5
Carlisle v Plymouth – Over 2.5 Goals @ 17/20
Middlesbrough v Derby – Over 2.5 Goals @ 19/20
Luton v Birmingham – Over 2.5 Goals @ 13/20
Chelsea v Burnley – Over 2.5 Goals @ 13/20
Brentford v QPR – Over 2.5 Goals @ 3/5

Either way, this punter might be wishing they hadn’t been so quick to call it quits on their audacious acca.

Maybe I’ll give those sausage rolls another go…