The notion of 'busting the casino' has become almost romanticised at times.
While the Hollywood legends may portray debonair men and women using a clever system, or just sheer luck, to win millions on a seemingly regular basis, the truth is that the very big wins at the casino are rare and often, even more unusual than a Hollywood story.
With that in mind, here is a list of ten gamblers who made casino bosses wish that they had not stepped through the door on that particular night.
1. Kerry Packer - won $33 million at the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas.
One of the biggest whales in history Kerry Packer was also incredibly generous tipping dealers and waitresses $100,000 each and giving fellow gamblers loans which he didn't accept back. Only a few casinos would accept his high-stakes bets despite losing millions. Once in a London casino he lost £15 million on four roulette tables in less than an hour!
2. Archie Karas - Turned $50 into $40m with a twist in the tail.
Arguably one of the most famous gamblers of all time, Archie Karas arrived in Las Vegas in December 1992 with $50 in his pocket and in just over two years, had turned that sum into a $40m fortune. This winning streak is known simply as "The Run" and is now part of casino-busting legend. Karas claims to have wagered more money than any other person in history. The twist in the tail? Less than 12 months after amassing a $40m fortune, Karas had lost it all. But Archie has gone from broke to millionaire and back several times.
3. Akio Kashiwagi - World's biggest gambler wins $19m and $6m, both from single sessions in one year.
Kashiwagi was a Japanese property developer who played in the casino's of Atlantic City and Las Vegas, betting $100,000 to $200,000 on a single hand of baccarat. In 1990 however, he travelled to Australia with remarkable results, winning $19m from a casino in Darwin before winning a further $6m when he returned to the US at the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City. In January 2013 Kashiwagi was fatally stabbed at his home. He left at least $9 million in debt to casinos in Nevada and Atlantic City.
4. Cynthia Jay-Brennan - Progressive slot winner lands record $35m jackpot.
A former cocktail waitress, Cynthia Jay-Brennan entered the Desert Inn casino in Las Vegas to celebrate the birthday of her mother. Playing the Megabucks progressive slot, she inserted her cash and on the ninth pull landed the jackpot, winning just short of $35m, the largest slot machine win in history. In an awful twist of fate she was paralysed in a car accident just weeks after her gi win.
5. Peter - World's biggest online jackpot winner never realised how much he'd won.
The largest online slot winner was a Norwegian man known only as Peter. When Peter's reels hit the jackpot, the Norwegian knew he had won but thought he had perhaps won just a few thousand of his native Norwegian Crowns. He called casino support to ask how much he had won and was told that €11.7m converted into over 38m Norwegian krones! Other recent big online winners includes John Orchard who won £5.5 on MegaMoolah.com in December 2012.
6. Sir Philip Green - One evening of Blackjack cost Les Ambassadeurs £2m.
Retail billionaire Sir Philip Green is a member of the prestigious Les Ambassadeurs Casino in London and in December 2004, earned himself a huge payday when winning a total of £2m playing roulette at the club in a single evening.
7. Mike Ashley - Lucky number 17 earns a £1.3m win on a single roulette bet.
Owner of the Sports Direct chain and of Newcastle United Football Club, Mike Ashley is another billionaire who hit it big at the Fifty London casino in Mayfair. Ashley made a complex roulette bet called a "complete", which simply backs every possible combination of bet that includes the number 17. When the ball landed in the 17 slot on the wheel, Ashley remained calm and stated "That'll do me, thanks very much" and walked off with his £1.3m in winnings after just 15 minutes of play.
8. Ashley Revell - Literally bet everything he possessed and won!
Although not technically a casino-wrecker, Ashley Revell did take the ultimate gamble in betting everything he owed, on a single spin of the roulette wheel. In 2004, he sold all his possessions he owned and amassed $135,300 to gamble on a single spin on the roulette wheel at the Plaza Hotel and Casino. Revell picked red, and the ball landed in red slot seven. Revell picked up his $270,600, left a $600 tip for the dealer and left the casino.
9. Gonzalo Garcia-Pelayo - Used casino wheel bias to win over $1m!
Some gamblers may chance their fortune to luck, but others prefer to take a more scientific approach. Gonzalo Garcia-Pelayo was one such man when he realised that roulette wheel bias could give the player a distinct edge in the game. Upon finding a wheel that he believed displayed bias at a casino in Madrid, Garcia-Pelayo won over $1m at the casino before he was banned. Although this ban was later overturned in court by a judge, who ruled that it is the casinos responsibility to ensure wheels are not biased.
10. Elmer Sherwin - The luckiest slot player in history?
The Megabucks slot has the largest progressive slot jackpot in the world. In 1989 Elmer Sherwin was one of the lucky ones, hitting a fabulous $6m jackpot at odds of 50 million to 1. In 2005, Sherwin then struck the jackpot for an incredible second time, winning a further $21m. The odds of this incredible feat are an astonishing 2,500,000,000,000,000/1!
While it may be difficult to get on the above list you can still try bust the casino using one of our freebie offers!
Next Post: Halloween casino bonus offers that are scarily good!
|
|||
|
|||
|
|||
|
