To coincide with the release of The Gambler starring Mark Wahlberg in cinemas this Friday, we have decided to take a look at some of the most memorable moments in sport that were achieved through risking everything for glory...
How much would you risk? Play your own Black Jack game here.
Manchester United won't settle for extra time against Bayern Munich in 1999.
Manchester United were contesting the Champions League final for the first time since 1968, and having already secured the Premier League title and the FA Cup, they were attempting to secure an unprecedented treble.
Bayern Munich, however, did not read the script, and over 90 minutes they were the better side, as Mario Basler's sixth minute goal was followed by many spurned chances to consolidate the lead, most notably the imposing figure of Carsten Janker ratting the cross-bar.
But United hung-in there. As the game edged closer to the final whistle, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham were sent on to try and make something happen, Peter Schmeichel was coming up for corners, the kitchen sink was well and truly thrown. At last United found a reply, as Schemichel's presence in the box cause confusion, Ryan Giggs stabbed a half-cleared header back towards goal for Sheringham to hook the ball into bottom corner of the goal. An injury time equaliser. 1-1.
Sir Alex Ferguson tells a story of how his assistant manager Steve McClaren grabbed him amidst the celebrations and said suggested the team revert to 4-4-2 in extra-time, but Ferguson replied "this isn't over yet." The United players on the pitch sensed it. Their opponents were defeated. Rather than play out the remaining minute of injury time and secure an additional 30 minutes, United pushed for the winner, and found themselves with another corner as time expired.
"Beckham.. Into Sheringham... And Solskjaer has won it!"
Shane Curran smashes home a goal from a penalty when his team-mate was instructed to take a point.
It was late in the 1989 Connacht minor football final. Galway lead Roscommon 2-8 to 0-13 going into injury-time. The Rossies manufactured a dramatic late penalty.
Usually players would always aim to burst the net from the penalty spot. But the circumstances of the game would have made the most buccaneering player find his conservative side.
The Roscommon manager, Jimmy Finnegan told the designated free-taker Peader Glennan to stroke the ball over the bar. They were settling for a replay.
Somewhat relieved, future All-Ireland winner, Galway’s Sean Og De Paor breathlessly informed his teammates that the ball was going over the bar.
Shane Curran, then a midfielder, was seething.
‘It’s not going over the fuckin’ bar. Watch this’, he told De Paor.
As Glennan deigned to commence his leisurely run-up, Curran hared past him and unleashed a bullet of a shot.
It crashed into the roof of the net. Curran celebrated the way an eight year old boy celebrates in his back garden, no Alan Shearer solitary hand in the air, no Dimitar Berbatov shrug, just Marco Tardelli-esque wide-eyed delight.
As far as everyone was concerned Roscommon were champions.
The Galway players remonstrated with the ref, who picked up the ball and scampered out of the ground.
The Rossies lifted the Cup and the crowd saluted. McHale had witnessed Roscommon winning the Connacht minor final and that was that.
At their post-match meal, two Connacht council officials showed up, informed them that the penalty was illegally taken, and that the goal hadn’t in fact stood. They whisked the Cup off the table and brought it away with them.
Galway were champions.
The story lead the Six One News that night. The public were firmly on Roscommon’s side. After much public pressure, Galway agreed to offer a replay.
Early in the replay, Roscommon were handed a penalty. In a significant alteration from the previous week, Shane Curran was now the designated penalty taker. He cracked the ball into the top corner.
Amazingly, Galway lead that one too until a late twist in injury time of extra time. In the final minute, the ball was lobbed into the square and Eddie Ennis flicked it to the net.
Roscommon were champs. Shane Curran has been famous ever since.
Dennis Hickey finishes off a try from the Leinster 22 to extend the lead against Toulouse.
With 20 minutes to go in the 2006 Heineken Cup quarter-final, Leinster held a five point lead over Toulouse, the most fearsome side in European rugby at the time. Having just scored to go in front, Leinster faced a team desperate for a quick reply, and soon found themselves under great pressure in their own 22 thanks to some typically brilliant running rugby from the men in red.
The defence managed to re-group after a dangerous line break, and a knock-on from Toulouse provided a much needed break and a chance to catch their breath. Or so you would think...
Rather than do the sensible thing and take the scrum, clear their lines and push Toulouse back down the pitch, Leinster attacked from deep within their own territory..
Dennis Hickey finished off a scintillating try, Leinster had stretched their lead and would hold on to record an historic victory.
Johnny Dooley goes for goal instead of a point to turn the 1999 All-Ireland hurling final on it's head.
With five minutes to go in the 1994 All-Ireland hurling final, Offaly trailed Limerick by five points.
A gifted but often excessively casual side, Offaly had put in the kind of limp, absent minded performance of which they were occasionally capable.
They had done nothing to suggest a revival was even possible, never mind imminent.
With the clock showing 65 minutes, Billy Dooley was hauled down for a free 21 metres out. The scoreboard showed Offaly on a paltry 1-11 to Limerick’s not exactly astonishingly 2-13. Dooley glanced back the bench, looking for direction. Conservatism reigned. The signal came. Put the ball over the bar, reduce the deficit to four points and we’ll go again.
Dooley turned around and proceeded to completely ignore this advice. Catching the Limerick defence unawares, he arrowed the ball low towards the goal, through the thicket of Limerick defenders.
Immediately afterwards - literally immediately - Pilkington lamped the ball into the danger area again, Pat O’Connor latched onto it, crashed it to the net and they were ahead by a point.
In the final few minutes of the game, Johnny’s brother Billy put on an almost bizarre exhibition of point scoring, lobbing over a bewildering succession of scores from all angles, like a guy taking a series of sweet pot-shots in a pre-training session puck around.
Offaly had turned a five point deficit into a six point win in five minutes - from a comprehensive defeat to a comprehensive victory.
The St.Louis Rams pull off a fake punt from their own red-zone while leading in the 4th quarter.
The Rams were huge underdogs going into their week 7 game against the defending Superbowl champion Seattle Seahawks earlier this season, but they were holding their own as they clung to a narrow two point lead in the 4th quarter.
The Rams drive stalled on their own 17 yard line, and the Seahawks forced a 4th down. The "done thing" here is to put the ball away and trust your defence to keep the Seahawks at bay, but as a field goal could win them the game and Russell Wilson had a shortened field to work with, the Rams offensive co-ordinator had something different in mind.
They set up for the punt, but instead pulled off a fake punt with punter Johnny Hekker passing to Benny Cunningham.
If the pass had been incomplete or Cunningham tackled before he crossed the first down marker then the ball would’ve been turned over the Seattle deep into St. Louis territory pretty much handing them the game. Instead, the gamble won them the game and the score finished 28-26 in favour of St.Louis.
Bubba Watson pulls off a miracle shot from the trees to propel himself towards a 2012 Masters win.
A mis-hit drive had landed Bubba Watson in the trees on the 10th at Augusta in the 2010 Masters. This was the second playoff hole between Watson and Oosthuizen for the championship.
The safe play was to punch the ball into a more favourable spot, a lay up, to hope that Oosthuizen didn't take advantage and maybe force another playoff hole. Instead, Watson went for it. An almost impossible hook with a gap wedge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLX6COFEhew
What happened next will stay in the memory of golf fans forever, as Watson absolutely nailed it, and the ball landed on the green, spinning around like something out of a video-game before settling ten feet from the hole. Not only did it leave Watson in a great position, but it rattled Oosthuizen, who scored a bogey, allowing Watson to win the Masters.
Forget laying-up, go for that pin.
How much would you risk? Play your own Black Jack game here.
