Octopus Paul receives the trophy and will enjoy retirement

The octopus Paul yesterday received a replica of the World Cup trophy with seafood as a reward for having guessed correctly the results of all eight games on which he was asked.

Octopus two years of age became a world celebrity for having correctly predicted the five wins and two defeats in the Cup of Germany, besides the grand final between Spain and Holland.

"There is no rational explanation of their successes," said a representative of Sea Life Aquarium in Oberhausen (GER). After the feat, Paul retired and the new function will return only to brighten their visitors.

Graham Sharpe of bookmaker William Hill, one of the largest in Britain, said bettors around the world have made small fortunes based on the choices of Paul.

"I've seen many things in life, but it is the first time I saw people making bets based on indications of an octopus," said the businessman.

Sharpe said that someone who has made an accumulative bet of 10 pounds over the choices of Paul from the start of the Cup won 3,000 pounds (almost U.S. $ 8,000) until the final game.

To make your predictions, Paul could choose between two foods contained in transparent containers placed in your tank, each with a flag. The container as he opened his first guess was considered for the match.

The Germans were shocked and distressed when Paul pointed to the victory of Spain for the German team in the semifinals, after Germany defeated Argentina, England, Ghana and Australia. And when the Spaniards defeated the Germans in fact, many in the country expressed a public desire to grill the octopus. The aquarium has installed extra security to protect the famous animal.


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