The pinpoint punter and his legion

By Leroy Dzenga and Emmanuel Kafe

A quick view from outside a betting shop along Robert Mugabe Avenue in Harare, paints a picture of a hive of activity as hordes of people of all ages briskly walk in and out of the teeming building.

Over the years, sports betting has gained popularity in Zimbabwe with soccer punting being the most prominent. Bars are now playing second fiddle to betting halls when it comes to drawing capacity crowds during weekends as many chase the prospect of earning an extra buck through gambling.

Betting spots dotted around the city are filled to the rafters with gamblers watching matches with remarkable anxiety dreading any piece of action which may void their ticket at any point of the match.

Despite the rich pickings a number of people enjoy at undefined intervals, the uncertainty related with betting has deterred many from following it beyond hobby level.

For many there is no foolproof method to guaranteeing success prompting them to part ways with small change. But there is a man of stubborn faith and who has become so addicted to punting. Mclleon David, a popular Harare punter says he has not played a losing ticket in close to 24 months.

“I started betting by coincidence, in early 2016 after I had accompanied my friend to a betting hall. The early days were not too rewarding as I lost almost at every turn winning margins which were too thin to inspire any confidence,” he says.

After sometime, he has polished his winning ways. He has taken up football betting.

“I kept losing as I realised that placing bets on whole matches is tricky as there is room for match fixing. This means that result can be altered when people bet for a certain result, my suspicion is that betting syndicates have deals with football clubs to this effect. I then decided to try and bank on factors that cannot be controlled within a football match,” says David.

He ventured into uncharted terrain, trying to predict the number of corner kicks which will be played during a match.

“I always saw a lot of people who frequented betting halls but always left empty handed,” he says.

Perfecting his skill over time, David found a way of using past statistics to deduce a possible outcome of a match on corner kicks. A trick that has won him many countless times.

“Having always been a mathematical enthusiast, I realised that whenever a team plays, there are trends which are almost constant. So I use head to head statistics, current form, the venue to try and predict the number of corners which will be played in a single match,” David says.

His self-invented calculation system is called the 3D Radar which he uses to foretell the number of corner kicks a football match will have. It is a numerical assortment of rows and columns which resembles a multiplication table.

“My first ticket which I won 100 percent, I won $11 000 at Superbets. From there I have not looked back,” claims David.

He has since opened two groups where keen followers can follow his lead in trying their luck. In the group which operates as a club they have a standing presidium consisting of leader Mclleon David and his deputy Lackson Dzivakwe.

These are the two who communicate teams to bet on in groups on a weekly basis since they understand how the 3D Radar prediction table operates.

“After winning my $11 000 ticket, I decided to empower people through giving them odds which have proven to be accurate. We have strict rules in our groups, I am the only person as the 3D President who reserves the right to send teams. I also do not make less than a thousand any month, from betting,” he says.

This writer spent two weeks in both the 3D Whatsapp groups observing how they operate and on numerous occasions members have given testimonials on their wins. Although they do not win all the time, their success rate is considerably high.

“One local betting shop had to ban corner kick betting after most members from my group won money from them at the same time and they decided to discontinue the bets,” David said.

Some of the members are based outside the country but still consult David on where to pin their hopes on a weekly basis.

“We are working on taking our betting club beyond Whatsapp and establish proper structures where people will be engaging exchanging ideas,” says David.

The club, which consist of five executive members is also involved in charity work, they help the underprivileged by buying foodstuffs for orphans and widows in the streets. David said they saw it fit to channel some of the proceeds to the less privileged of the society.

“We have been giving out foodstuffs and clothing to homeless people in the streets and if goes well we seek to open a foundation that will see half the proceeds channelled to it,” he says.

What started as an alternative plan from a man frustrated with losing money in foiled bets, has grown into a community of punters who collude to empower each other through exchanging notes.

How long their run of luck remains to be seen but as things stand 3D Betting Club has been delivering victories for its members and is slowly impacting lives.

Feedback: [email protected]

The Herald