Does Bender know how to bet?!?

[on:]

Just watched "Why Must I be a Crustacien (probably spelt wrong) in Love" again the other day and I noticed something - Then Fry and Ziodberg were fighting at the end, Bender was trying to make Fry lose. However seen as he had acted as a bookie for people to make bets for Ziodberg to win, surely he would have wanted Fry to win so he could have run off with all the money...

Think about it... Ziodberg wins, people claim their bets, Bender loses out... makes no sense why Bender would want Fry to lose.

[Reply #1 on:]

Well it all really depends on how many people bet on Fry. If Fry one Bender would have had to pay out a lot more to those people who bet on Fry than to the people who bet on Zoidberg

[Reply #2 on:]

Yeah but I only saw people making bats that Zoidberg would win, and Bender only mentioned the odds for Ziodberg winning.

[Reply #3 on:]

Something tells me you're all being a bit overanalytical. No matter how the betting went, you could bet your frozen metal ass that Bender would've just pocketed and run off with the money anyway...!

Poonaniman

[Reply #4 on:]

Oh yeah, good point 

[Reply #5 on:]

*mega futurefreak bump*

If you notice Bender's exact wording:

Bender: Fry, I've never asked you for anything before but, if it's
not too much trouble, when it comes to the ninth round just let him win.

Notice how he said "ninth round", and earlier Zoidberg said, "Large bet on myself in Round One!" which makes me believe that Bender was taking bets on specific rounds that Fry was gonna lose in. The people who bet Zoidberg to win most likely all bet that it would be before the ninth round, say the last one being the eigth round. Or it could be that people placed bets on 10th and 11th rounds and so forth, and that it just so happened no one picked 9th. He wants him to take a dive because, as someone pointed out, if Fry happened to win it would have been a large pay out from Bender had someone placed that bet.

Wow, great analysis futurefreak. Totally redeems the bump  

[Reply #6 on:]

Wow, great analysis futurefreak. Totally redeems the bump

Actually, your first option is what was going on.  For Bender to maximize profit as a bookie, he want most everybody to lose.  Anybody placing a bet will probably bet for one of the lowest rounds, so if Fry can somehow make it to the 9th round and take a dive, then Bender makes glorious returns on everybody else's money.

However, to digress, this theory seems to suggest that Bender isn't very good on gambling.  If Bender honestly believes that Fry can even make it through 9 rounds, then he's a poor statistician and he's very bad at guessing the outcome whatsoever.  These are horrible qualities for bookies to have.  Everything seems to suggest that Zoidberg will win in the early rounds, because he has all the advantages.  Furthermore, this scene is taylored to boxing, which employs the usage of rounds.  It's highly debateable that Claw Plaque even has rounds (despite Zoidberg's comment)... it's a battle to the death...  Bender could be out to lose very big in this whole affair.

[Reply #7 on:]

Bender is into gambling.  So of course he'd know how to bet!  That's what is so cool about his character.  He's such a rebel! 

[Reply #8 on:]

Wtf does that even mean?  Are you just saying stuff to make me feel retarded?

[Reply #9 on:]

 No, that's just an incidental bonus.   

[Reply #10 on:]

*mega futurefreak bump* 

Wait, I spoke too soon...lol  THIS is the record!  11 years. 


But I agree with the whole round stuff.  However, when Bender shines light into Fry's eyes, it still appears to be Round 1 (no bell, stoppage in fighting, etc), so why would he do that?  Then Zoidberg would have won in Round 1 and hence, Bender would have to pay out a lot of money.

[Reply #11 on:]

Maybe there were a lot of scenes they hypothetically could have cut out for time, like those game shows that have that disclaimer at the end that say "scenes not affecting outcome of game have been edited out for time" or something.

[Reply #12 on:]

*posts not contributing to the conversation of this thread have been edited for clarity*

[Reply #13 on:]

The answer to this dilemma is very simple: Bender was playing dumb. He knew that the bet he was making would result in his loss, but winning was never his overall goal. He was thinking further ahead. Given the easy money he appeared to be offering, people would flock to him in order to take his bet, and then flock back again to claim their winnings afterwards. When this occurred, Bender would get a clear view of where every single one of them kept their wallet.

Bender and Fry are the only two characters who disguise their intelligence when dealing with others. The Professor and Amy simply don't care how other people see them, and Leela is oblivious to the dynamic entirely.

[Reply #14 on:]

Wow Xanfor. Nice analysis, I'm impressed.

* futurefreak applauds

*posts not contributing to the conversation of this thread have been edited for clarity*

I'm really lovin' the Fez adorin' SpaceMaN.