HEARD the one about Popeye, an AFL champ and a $100 bet?

Port Douglas tradesman Glen ‘Popeye’ Dwyer says his mate thought he was full of it when he called last week to tell him he’d won ‘a nice bit of coin’.

Melbourne punter Tim Collis was catching up with Dwyer at The Courthouse Hotel when he placed a $100 quadrella bet.

After watching the first leg get up the pair ventured down to the Central Hotel where they bumped into former Collingwood rover Ron Wearmouth.

“Ronny loves a punt so Tim’s asked him if his second leg had got up and I think Ronny’s told him it hadn’t,” Dwyer said.

“So he’s just left the ticket on the table and hasn’t thought much of it.”

Little did he know he’d just thrown away twenty thousand dollars. His quaddie - which requires selecting the winning horse in four designated races – had actually won. And it paid handsomely.

“What has happened is someone has found the ticket and decided to check if it was a winner or not at the TAB,” Dwyer explained.

“I think they told the bloke behind the jump they’d found it, so after it has paid $20,000 they’ve tried to find out who placed it.

“If it had only been twenty bucks then they probably wouldn’t have worried about it.”

A review of security footage at the pub led to Collis being identified as the lucky winner.

“They’ve seen us having a few beers together on the CCTV and got in contact with me and filled me in,” Dwyer laughed.

“When I called Tim he thought it was all bullshit. He thought someone was having a lend of him and wasn’t even going to call but I’ve told him ‘mate, it’s not a joke’ and to get in touch with the guys at the pub.

“It’s a good story and something you don’t hear about everyday. He’s a bloke that deserved a bit of luck.”

Collis, who was holidaying in Port Douglas from Garfield in Victoria, is expected to receive a cheque from TAB this week. It might be his shout next time he’s in town.

Ever had a lucky break like this? Let us know in the comments below!

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