He got odds of 9-2 for that double to happen and Arsenal duly obliged in May by winning the Premier League. Not Fitzpatrick stands to collect $908,500 if Brazil wins at the Stade de France on Sunday.

It's happened to him before. Fitzpatrick won $660,000 when Brazil won the World Cup that year and Manchester United won the English league. I'm a saver as well as a speculator,'' he said. ``I am not a compulsive gambler. I am someone who sits down and looks at the form of the teams over the last four years.''

Vietnamese punters have shown great ingenuity since the start of the World Cup, even placing bets on which team would get the first yellow card or what the colour of the players' jerseyswould be. "Several forms of betting have emerged," Courrier du Vietnam daily said, adding: "Many people have had to sell their houses, motorcycles or take to theft and crime because of the betting craze."

Vietnamese punters, who have displayed great passion for both football and betting, have not been confined to mere match results. Keen bets are placed on which team gets to take the kick off, which would score first, get the first yellow or red card or get the first penalty corner.

The colour of players' jerseys, socks and the nationality of the referee are all grist to their mill.At home, among friends, in cafes or in offices, the Vietnamese stay up late to devour the televised action and bet anything from a glass of beer or a bowl of pho - - the traditional soup -- to huge sums, stretching to thousands of dollars at one go.