The Best Bet () is a Singaporean comedy film written and directed by Jack Neo and distributed by MediaCorp Raintree Pictures. The film stars Richard Low, Mark Lee, Christopher Lee, Chen Liping and Joanne Peh.
Released in cinemas on 9 June 2004, The Best Bet earned over S$2.5 million. The film was nominated for Best Original Film Song at the 2004 Golden Horse Awards.
The film portrays the lives, struggles and adventures of three friends who are addicted to gambling. They place a joint 4D bet; when they win, one is tempted to keep all the winnings to himself. This satirical comedy touches on gambling addiction and the consequences of one's actions.
The success of the film spawned a television series of the same name which aired on MediaCorp Channel 8 in April 2005 and ran for 14 episodes. Four of the five lead actors except Joanne Peh continued to star in the television series. Several other new actors were added to the leading cast including Dai Qianyun as Mark Lee's idolizer, and Cheryl Chin as Mark Lee and Christopher Lee's love interest.
Plot
Tan Chun Huang met with his bookie friends 4D King and 4D Liang on purchasing 4-Digits lottery while leaving his Bak kut teh stall to his younger sister Huimin, who overheard a conversation on proposing ideas to promote sales for 4D while sharing his thoughts as a bookie, and began displeasing him over his gambling habits, his negligence for making a proper Bak kut soup and his attitude.
Meanwhile, Lee Yong Shun, a white-collar worker, loses his job, while his assistant Richard had his proposal rejected. While clearing his desk, their two co-workers, Coffee-Lady and Marcus, approaches them to asks to purchase Anita Mui's number, which exasperates Shun who tries to tell her about her addiction. While Shun was about to leave, Marcus told his story about the number of benefactors with different identities scattered across Singapore to seek for lucky four-digit numbers and how they ended up getting lucky, along with dire consequences. They quickly asked to purchase 0000 at $10 big/$10 small but Marcus stopped them before they could do so.
Lee is later caught in camera for beating a red light, after which a vexed Lee destroys the camera, at the same time it captures a van that also beat the red light. After they meet, Lee, Richard and Tan discuss on prayers and go to a nearby altar to pray for the benefactors for 4D. A fake monk later appears in front of them and ask if they want to purchase number, but Tan rejects it, thinking it's a scam. After seeing his tenant, Fatty giving a red packet to the monk and scolded him for felling prey to a possible scam, the monk rush up to the table and perform a dance attracting the nearby customers, and proceed on to rub a chair using his rear, revealing the pattern with the number 3791 before getting arrested by two policemen. Seeing from a scene, Fatty went to purchase the number and when he asked Tan to purchase his number, he skeptically refuses to collect such bets due to a swindle, not long wishing not to regret if the numbers appear in the upcoming draw, although praising Lee for his actions.
At home, Huang notices that a neighbour had bought a refrigerator after winning over $20,000 in a lottery, and his wife, which is strongly against 4D, reprimands him about the money that used for 4D that could have bought a new refrigerator and an upgrade for their computer. Meanwhile, Lee and Evita discuss Lee's new job and their finances. Evita notices Tan's luggage, which explains to her it was belong to his mother who would be moving in to his house, much to her annoyance. Evita also demands that he buy a watch, but Lee says that she should start learning to purchase only what she needs most and by the correct needs. Later, at a durian stall, Huang introduces to his two friends, both permanent residents and private tutors who recently moved from China and suggested Lee on renting a room from a condominium to them; when Huang ask for the digits, Lee told he should not depend on the 4D for money, before asking to propose on beginning a business.
The next evening, while a 4D drawing was announced, a complacent Tan then began teasing people to not trust the monk on the numbers. To Tan's chagrin, the number 3791 is selected as both a first and second number (the third prize missed by one digit, 3792) - leading to them missing out on a chance of winning $15,000.