Meet Brighton owner Tony Bloom – the ‘cleverest man to ever place a bet’ who stung bookies with epic horse racing gamble
HE is known as 'The Lizard' and is said to be worth more than a billion quid.
But for the owner of a Premier League team, little is actually known about Tony Bloom, the man who has been called the 'Godfather of Gambling'.
One thing is for sure, though.
Despite famously saying "I'm no Roman Abramovich" after taking charge of the Seagulls, Bloom has shown an equal ability to be good with money.
And he is very good with horses, stinging Paddy Power with one of the biggest gambles ever and being labelled "the cleverest man to ever place a bet".
Bloom's route to the top started with a fake ID he would use to bet as a teenager.
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The amusement arcades on Brighton seafront would fascinate a young Bloom, who went on to graduate with a degree in maths from the University of Manchester.
Many of the world's best punters have gone down the same route.
David Walsh, who teamed up with renowned punter Zeljko Ranogajec, worth £300m and known as 'The Joker', did maths at uni too.
"Playboy punter" Alan Woods was a pioneer of mathematical models in betting.
But it was as a city trader where Bloom, now 52, first made his money, before packing it all in to play poker.
He reportedly won £2m "playing for fun", winning six titles and a reputation as a cold-blooded killer on the table, hence the nickname "The Lizard".
Speaking to of his success on the table, Bloom said: "Poker gives you a good grounding in lots of things, including reading situations and reading people and making tough decisions.
That's £500,000 more than what Bloom has made - officially - from some of his horses over the past five years.
'One of the most successful punters on the planet'
Unofficially, who knows what this shrewd operator has made from bets, but it was enough for The Times to call him "one of the most successful punters on the planet".
Bloom rarely visits racecourses to see his horses run in the blue and white of Brighton.
But he landed another monster payday at Cheltenham Festival the same year Withhold rocked bookies.
Then it was 16-1 Penhill who won the Novices' Hurdles at Cheltenham Festival, and with it the £71,187 prize.
A year later he won the Stayers' Hurdle at 12-1, scooping another £192,707.
Jockey Paul Townend waved a Brighton flag as he celebrated victory, just like one of the club's supporters.
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In 2017, racing expert Barry Orr said Bloom was the "cleverest man ever to place a bet".
Who are we to argue with that?
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Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chases their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare –
- Gamble Aware –
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org
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Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chases their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare –
- Gamble Aware –