Everybody loves an underdog, right?

This story doesn’t just celebrate rooting for the underdog, but what happens when that faith pays off… literally.

How I Schooled the Office Esports ‘Expert”

Never really got into esports until my coworker, Alex, made it his mission to show everyone he was the undisputed king of esports knowledge in our office.

We all know “that guy” in the office. Alex sounds like he’s a ton of fun at the water cooler.

He’d talk down to anyone who wasn’t as into it as he was, and when the office betting pool for a major esports tournament came up (it’s a real thing, we bet on Stake), he laughed off my interest.

“Glad to see you’re here to make my win easier,” he smirked when I signed up.

I wasn’t just going to hand over my money. I dove into research, learning everything about the teams, especially the underdogs Alex scoffed at.

My picks were based on solid performance trends and gut feelings about teams peaking at the right time.

The author sounds like they took this pretty seriously, putting in the time to come up with potential winners. Certainly could be some schadenfreude at play.

As the tournament progressed, my underdog picks started upsetting the favorites. Alex’s confidence wavered with every unexpected result, while I climbed the office pool rankings.

By the end of the tournament, thanks to a few strategic bets on overlooked teams and players, I won the entire pool. The payoff was sweet, not just for the money, but for the chance to wipe that smug look off Alex’s face.

The author didn’t just trust their instincts, they did their research – and it paid off in a big way. I wonder how Alex took the loss?

I donated a chunk of the winnings to the office coffee fund, announcing it as a thanks to everyone for participating and a special shoutout to Alex for the “motivation.”

The look on his face was priceless—part shock, part begrudging respect. From then on, Alex toned down the condescension, and I earned some unexpected respect in the office.

That’s one way to win the water cooler conversation!

Moral of the story?

Never underestimate the underdog, especially in esports.

Let’s check the comments to see how people responded to Alex’s comeuppance.

One poster can relate to being underestimated in office pools.

Another enjoyed the author’s process and the loser’s downfall.

Some commenters felt that the author should be more humble in victory.

And lastly, some commenters just wanted their slice of revenge.

I think there’s always room to celebrate taking an over-confident coworker down a notch!

If you liked that story, check out this post about a group of employees who got together and why working from home was a good financial decision.