It worked perfectly. We initiated the bet, with $100 coming from one Matt, $250 from another Matt, and $500 on the table from me.
A couple of months later, Matt sent us all some details and sufficient info to support that he'd found a job and moved down. Of course, that'd all happened beforehand, but the other two Matt's didn't know, and we all admitted we had to follow through on the bet.
We met this week at the usual place to catch up. Matt raised the issue on paying off the bet, and one of the other's clarified that he'd paid Matt on a recent visit to Sacramento, which I'd heard about when it happened. I figured he'd just give it back when we met. So the remaining Matt kicks in his $250, which he'd picked up that day at the bank, handing over two $100's and one $50 at the table, to the recipient. I was told it was my time to pay up as well, and i just started at my co-conspirator. I could not figure it out. I didn't understand where he was taking it, so I just played along and said I'd send it via Paypal.
Gradually, the conversations migrated and about an hour or so later, the bet payoffs had become history and I was still wondering what the hell was going on. Certainly, he'd not really intended to keep the money. Even being out of work right now, I could not imagine he'd actually keep the funds from a bogus setup.
So, I raised the issue again, this time staring in earnest at Matt and stating "You know I'm not going to pay you.". The other Matt's jumped to his defense, making it clear that "A bet's a bet, they paid and I should pay as well.". Matt just started blankly at me. I could not believe this. He wasn't coming clean. "You're not really gonna keep their money... give it back to them" I said. He just stood his ground on the fact that he'd won the bet and the money. WTF was going on here? After a few back and forth exchanges, I said "Where are you gonna take this? It's done. There's nothing left to do here. Just give 'em back their money!". I was really getting irritated at this point, as there was no where else to go then to admit the joke to the guys, but he was doing something else, and I didn't get it.
"Why would I give 'em back the money I won. They bet it." he said.
"Because it was all a setup. You'd already moved down before the bet was even made!!" I blurted out in frustration.
And that was when they all busted up in unison. I'd been had.
Come to find out, Matt B. did sincerely bring the money, but Matt C revealed the scam and had done so previously to Matt P during his Sacramento visit. All that was left to do was to reel me in. And they did so quite well. It never occurred to me that I was being duped, but then living in a glass house means I can't throw stones, so I had to laugh along with them.
PS: Yes, i do know that "Desserts" and "Deserts" are different spellings and meanings. But I had to make the play on words anyway. And for reference, check out www.phrases.org.