If you’re betting $5000 middles they’re gonna add up weekly
Gold, even without pushing, you only have to win 1 in every 20 to break even.
Say we put up $5500 to win $5000. Each attempt is $11,000 risk and you get back $10,500 if you hit one side and lose the other. That's a loss of $500.
But if you hit the middle, you return $21,000. That's your original $11k plus $10,000 in profit.
You can miss 20 middles without ever pushing, and only need to hit 1 to break even.
Now, if you push one side, and hit the other, it gets even better. Now you've bet $11,000 and you get back $16,000. That's you're original $11,000 plus your win of $5000.
These guys must have really picked tight spots and possibly ignored significant numbers, seriously eroding their rolls, if they felt compelled to jump off of a building.