Some Levity

From a very funny blog called “Lowering the Bar,” we learn that nothing good comes of trying to put a fool and his money back together:

Please note: All values in this post have been converted (very roughly) to U.S. dollars from the original South Korean currency, the won, to spare you any confusion over how much won he won or, more accurately, did not win. (There is no additional charge for this service.) Currently, a U.S. dollar will get you about 1,269 won, or one item at your local “Everything’s 1,269 Won” store.

The man, identified only as “Chung,” claimed that the Kangwon Land casino knew he was betting more than the casino limit, but let him do so. Mr. Chung contends it is therefore responsible for the $23 million he lost. This was not, however, a simple case of betting more than the limit, which was about $8,000. It appears that the casino enforced this. But, feeling constrained, Chung ingeniously hired other people to act as “subordinate bettors” so he could bet more, indirectly. He apparently employed as many as five subordinate bettors at once, allowing him to bet up to $48,000 at a time, and thereby lose much faster. Over a span of about four years, Chung claims he lost a total of $23.5 million, as a result of the casino turning a blind eye to the activities of his six-member wagering team.

Again, Chung won in the trial court (that’s the English word “won,” emphasized to suggest surprise) in the trial court, which awarded him over $2 million. And so, of course, he is appealing, hoping to force the casino to pay him the full amount. (I assume the damage claim includes whatever he was paying his subordinate bettors, but the report didn’t say.) []

I can’t say that the Kangwon Land Casino is a socially and economically ideal repository for Chung’s money, but I’m certain that Allah must will that Chung should be parted from it as soon as possible. I wonder what Chung spent on legal fees. Read the whole thing — you’ll be glad you did.