Paul, the all-seeing World Cup oracle octopus.
Source: AP
IN the end, Paul the octopus really did know it all. The aquatic tipster ended World Cup 2010 with a flawless record of eight correct predictions.
Paul - who lives in an aquarium in Germany - became a worldwide celebrity thanks to his uncanny prognostications.
He correctly predicted Germany's wins over Argentina, England, Australia and Ghana and the country's losses to Spain and Serbia.
He also predicted Germany's win over Urugua yin the third-place playoff - and maintained his perfect record by tipping Spain in the final.
The octopus makes his tips by choosing between two boxes marked with the flags of competing teams. Each box contains a tasty treat.
Paul also put Mani the parakeet back in its place, after facing late competition in the animal tipster stakes.
Proving he was just a flash in the pan, Mani choked and tipped the Netherlands in the final.
Millions of punters were waiting for Paul to make us choice. And why wouldn't they? The slithery sea creature, on show at a German zoo, hasn't got a selection wrong since the 2008 European final.
British bookmaker William Hill took "so many" bets on the sea creature tipping the World Cup winner that they have cut their odds on Paul's predictions from even money to 10/11.
Graham Sharpe, Hill's spokesman, told the BBC: "This is the first time we've genuinely had punters coming into betting shops and asking staff about the predictions made by an octopus."
No comments:
Post a Comment