that had picked both squads . Their $ 20,000 bet on the 28-to-1 Ravens yielded a cool $ 560,000 , and they hit again with $ 20K on the 38-to-1 Diamondbacks . And to think people used to say Mickelson could n't get a big win . 3 . Getting into the White House is tougher than free throws Last July , NBA star Shaquille O'Neal and a member of his entourage had a fiery debate about whether or not Shaq could just drop by the White House unannounced and be welcomed with open arms . After much back-and-forth , Shaq decided he 'd give it a try . If he could n't get past the gate , he would do 1,000 pushups . If he made it inside , his buddy would have to do the pushups . Unfortunately for Shaq , even the Big Aristotle needs an appointment to see the President . When O'Neal walked up to the gate , the Secret Service politely but firmly turned him away . He later told the Washington Post 's Dan Steinberg that he was working off his debt in increments of 20 to 30 pushups . Mental Floss :
-LRB- Mental Floss -RRB- -- Most people limit their gambling to March Madness pools or the occasional trip to Vegas . Celebrities , of course , tend to do everything on a grander scale . Let 's take a look at some famous people and the high-profile bets on which they cashed in or lost big . 1 . Truman defeats Dewey , Jimmy the Greek defeats Vegas Everyone remembers the `` Dewey Defeats Truman '' headline from the 1948 presidential election , but Harry Truman was n't the only big winner that night . Legendary gambler Jimmy the Greek had bet $ 10,000 on Truman at steep 17:1 odds . His logic ? His research showed that female voters were n't too keen on candidates with facial hair , which did n't bode well for the mustachioed Dewey . 2 . Phil Mickelson has a nice 2001 PGA golfer Phil Mickelson had a hot hand during 2001 . Fans might remember that two longshots won titles that year : the Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl , and the Arizona Diamondbacks knocked off the New York Yankees in a classic World Series . Mickelson was part of betting groups