Mention the number 13 to just about anyone in the world and the responses will be filled with references to Freddie Kruger (Friday the 13th), hotels not having a number 13 floor, not going to work on Friday 13 and The Last Supper (Judas was the 13th dinner guest).

In these uncertain times of economic recession, high fuel prices, global foot shortage and general doom and gloom – people are looking to ways to explain our current predicament and some have turned to numerology.

What is Triskaidekaphobia?

According to Wikipedia:

“Triskaidekaphobia (from Greek tris=three, kai=and, deka=ten) is a fear of the number 13. It is a superstition. A specific fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia.”

OK, so now we know what it is; How can it make us £793 billion richer?

The answer to this question lies in putting your faith in probability – well actually – an extremely long shot!

Your investment of £1 on 13 selections, each with odds of 13/1 would return a profit so enormous it would most likely wipe out the current gaming industry in trying to actually pay it out.

How can £1 return such a massive potential profit? Well this is down to the odds being accumulated – i.e. 13/1 x 13/1 x 13/1 x 13/1 — 13 times.

The potential return on this bet – £793,714,773,254,144 – would in fact return a profit so large that you would instantly become the richest person on the planet, perhaps getting Bill Gates to ask for a loan?

Triskaidekaphobia Trivia

• The Atlanta Braves have banned the number 13 throughout their Major and Minor League baseball systems.
• In Formula One and many other racing categories, no vehicle carries the number 13.
• Some airport terminals do not have gates numbered 13.
• On some passenger aircraft, such as those of Continental Airlines, Air NewZealand, Alitalia, and Meridiana, there is no seating row numbered 13.
• Apollo 13 was launched at 7:13 p.m. (19:13) UTC. The spacecraft was crippled by an explosion two days into its flight, on April 13, 1970.
• The arrest and murder of the Knights Templar occurred on Friday October 13, 1307.
• A bakers dozen consists of 13 instead of the usual 12; thus 13 is thought of as unlucky, due to its link to the great fire of London.

So, in these uncertain times – why not spoil yourself and head over to your local UK bookmaker – choose 13 selections each with a price of 13/1 and stake £1 accumulator. If in the extremely unlikely event that all the selections come in – you will have a recession proof income for life!! What have you got to loose – £1?

Tags: fear of the number 13, friday the 13th, gambling guru, gambling-guru.com, go, lucky 13, probability, the last supper and friday the 13th, triskaidekaphobia, uk bookmaker