Perfect at 8 for 8, oracle Paul wins his own Cup
Source: Agencies |
July 13, 2010, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
PAUL the oracle octopus was given a replica of the World Cup yesterday as a reward for his perfect eight-for-eight record in picking matches as worldwide collected their winnings based on his selections.
The 2-year-old octopus credited with psychic powers turned into a worldwide celebrity for accurately predicting the winner of Germany's five World Cup wins as well as their two defeats. Paul also picked Spain to beat the Netherlands in the final.
"We've had a lot of offers for Paul but he will definitely be staying with us and returning to his old job - making children smile," Sea Life spokeswoman Tanja Munzig in Oberhausen said after presenting Paul with the World Cup replica.
"There's no rational reason why he always got it right."
Bettors around the world made small fortunes based on Paul's uncanny picks, said Graham Sharpe, media relations director at William Hill in London, one of Britain's largest bookmakers.
"I've seen a lot of things in my lifetime but this is the first time I've ever seen people making their picks based on what an octopus tells them," Sharpe said.
"We had people coming in saying they didn't know how to place a bet but heard about this German octopus and wanted to bet with him. It's ludicrous. But he kept getting it right," said Sharpe. "It's one of the finest tipping feats ever."
1/300 odds
Sharpe said that anyone who had placed a 10-pound accumulator bet on Paul's picks from the start of the World Cup would have won 3,000 pounds (US$4,500) by the end of the tournament.
Paul's home at Sea Life Aquarium in Oberhausen has been inundated with visitors and media.
"Paul now wants to say good-bye to the whole world," Daniel Fey, a supervisor at Sea Life, said. "He really enjoyed all the media attention but now he's returning to his old job."
Yet interest in the octopus remained intense, especially after his last two picks on Friday were once again accurate. Germany won Saturday's match for third place and Spain won Sunday's final - as Paul had called it.
Probability experts were quoted in media reports saying the likelihood of getting eight consecutive picks right is 1/256.
Sharpe said the odds of getting eight straight right was over 1/300. Humbled professors were quoted saying Paul got lucky.
Sharpe said he had at first been skeptical about the oracle octopus. But he became a believer.
"I suspect that Paul's predictions could have made about a half million pounds," Sharpe said, adding he estimated William Hill paid out 100,000 pounds on his picks at its 2,300 outlets.
The 2-year-old octopus credited with psychic powers turned into a worldwide celebrity for accurately predicting the winner of Germany's five World Cup wins as well as their two defeats. Paul also picked Spain to beat the Netherlands in the final.
"We've had a lot of offers for Paul but he will definitely be staying with us and returning to his old job - making children smile," Sea Life spokeswoman Tanja Munzig in Oberhausen said after presenting Paul with the World Cup replica.
"There's no rational reason why he always got it right."
Bettors around the world made small fortunes based on Paul's uncanny picks, said Graham Sharpe, media relations director at William Hill in London, one of Britain's largest bookmakers.
"I've seen a lot of things in my lifetime but this is the first time I've ever seen people making their picks based on what an octopus tells them," Sharpe said.
"We had people coming in saying they didn't know how to place a bet but heard about this German octopus and wanted to bet with him. It's ludicrous. But he kept getting it right," said Sharpe. "It's one of the finest tipping feats ever."
1/300 odds
Sharpe said that anyone who had placed a 10-pound accumulator bet on Paul's picks from the start of the World Cup would have won 3,000 pounds (US$4,500) by the end of the tournament.
Paul's home at Sea Life Aquarium in Oberhausen has been inundated with visitors and media.
"Paul now wants to say good-bye to the whole world," Daniel Fey, a supervisor at Sea Life, said. "He really enjoyed all the media attention but now he's returning to his old job."
Yet interest in the octopus remained intense, especially after his last two picks on Friday were once again accurate. Germany won Saturday's match for third place and Spain won Sunday's final - as Paul had called it.
Probability experts were quoted in media reports saying the likelihood of getting eight consecutive picks right is 1/256.
Sharpe said the odds of getting eight straight right was over 1/300. Humbled professors were quoted saying Paul got lucky.
Sharpe said he had at first been skeptical about the oracle octopus. But he became a believer.
"I suspect that Paul's predictions could have made about a half million pounds," Sharpe said, adding he estimated William Hill paid out 100,000 pounds on his picks at its 2,300 outlets.
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