In the high-stakes casino of Scottish football, the Celtic board are chasing their losses.
Each time they've bet the house on black, it's come up red. Beetroot-red for embarrassment. Every time they've gone all-in, they've quickly wished they hadn't. Amazing to think then that they could yet break even.
Their biggest gamble was the £40m one: betting that the squad stumbling into the new season would have enough to get past the champions of Kazakhstan.
Kairat Almaty laughed all the way to the Champions League. It set the tone for a season that lurched from one crisis to the next.
The next big punt was arguably stranger still. When Brendan Rodgers resigned and the club sounded the horn for Martin O'Neill's remarkable return, Celtic then beat a path to the door of someone who had never managed in Europe.
At a time when, lest we forget, the legendary interim manager was already doing a spectacular job of saving the season. The Wilfried Nancy gamble haunts the club still.
Yet again O'Neill had to don the overalls and dig his old club out of another hole. His spadework ain't done yet.
Which brings us to the final bit of boardroom poker. In the face of an injury-hit, tiring, threadbare squad, what to do in January? Splash the cash to try to deliver the title? Or bet the house on loans, and O'Neill's managerial nous, to get the job done?
It must be the first time the Celtic powerbrokers actually like the look of their hand. No big cheques written to acquire Joel Mvuka and Junior Adamu. Phew. Tomas Cvancara has made a few telling contributions, with a big assist at Tynecastle and big penalties against Rangers and Motherwell.
Julian Araujo would be welcomed back with open arms were Celtic able to afford Bournemouth's price. Brentford probably have bigger plans for Benjamin Arthur but if he returned to Celtic, even on loan again, there is a player there for sure.
Derided by sections of the fanbase for their continuing parsimony, it would appear the Celtic board may have the last laugh.
The veteran boss they've twice turned to has the club one win from the Scottish Cup final with managerless St Mirren standing in their way. O'Neill has also hunted Hearts down to within a couple of points, restoring Celtic's title destiny to their own hands.
Win eight games and the title stays at Parkhead. They may not even need to be perfect in the run-in.
What appeared a latest needless gamble could yet end up with Celtic hitting the jackpot: a 14th title in 15 years and a clean slate for the next manager to draw on.
