Gambling’s Biggest Betting Wins

Sitting down at a poker table or slot machine is exhilarating. Adrenaline is rushing and the hopes of hitting the big win are high. Some will walk away with an experience and no more than that. Others will not only have their experience, but through luck and skill, will have some new money in the bank.

The house does not always win, and that’s what these gamblers found out. The following is a showcase of some of the biggest casino payouts. These are the ones that turned simple men into millionaires in less than 24 hours.

From Deep Sea Fisherman to Millionaire

An anonymous deep sea fisherman from Aberdeenshire, UK, began his betting with a 20 pence spin at the Hall of Gods on the BetVictor online site. In one lucky spin, he managed to hit the jackpot. It was a staggering win of £5.4 million pounds or $9 million dollars. This big win came 6 months after another member won a £4.5 million pound jackpot at the Mega Fortune slots. The married father of one was thrilled about his winnings and the fact that he no longer has to worry about the future, but he says he’ll keep his day job to prevent boredom.

A Double Win

Elmer Sherwin enjoys a nice run on the Megabucks slot machines. In 1989, Elmer won $5 million dollars in one go, the highest payout at the time. He used his winnings to travel the world and donate to a variety of charities, but since had another goal in mind. He wanted to win the top award for the second time in a row. In 2005, at 92 years old, Elmer felt “lucky” and headed to his favorite slot machine at the Cannery Casino & Hotel in North Las Vegas. Shortly after, the lights were going crazy because Elmer had hit the $21 million dollar jackpot. This too, was the biggest payout and one that had 1 in 50 million odds. Since becoming a mega millionaire, he says he has another goal in mind, can you guess what it is?

The Biggest Online Casino Win So Far

Imagine, sitting at home in your comfiest robe, sipping on a hot coffee and playing online slots. In this day and age, it’s possible. A Norwegian man named Peter began playing the progressive jackpot slot, Arabian Nights. The casino operator did not take his local Norwegian currency, so he exchanged it for Euros and began playing without taking notice of the exchange rate. Upon his completion of play, he contacted the help desk to find out how much 11.7 million Euros was worth in his Norwegian currency. They replied that it was worth 38 million Crones. Needless to say Peter had become a millionaire without ever having to leave his house. Anything is really possible.

Luck or Skill? You Decide

Don Johnson (no, not that Don Johnson) claims he had an “incredible streak of good luck at the Atlantic City blackjack tables”. Others think he possesses mad skill and then there are some who believe he is part of an elite gambling ring. Most likely, this guy just knows what he’s doing. Don isn’t like a lot of the big guys. He prefers casual clothing to designer suits and has never considered himself a pro gambler. In December 2010, Don won $4.23 million at Caesars Atlantic City at the blackjack table. That same month, he visited the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, winning about $998,000. The following March, he won $1.8 million and another $2.5 million in April. By now, people knew about this mystery millionaire and casinos were on the lookout for him, but no one knew for certain who he was. Finally, Don went on a 12 hour spree at the Tropicana Casino and Resort. There he walked away with $5.8 million, a record loss for the establishments. Within six months, he won $15.1 million.

From Rags to Riches

The next story is one that you may be familiar with. Archie Karas had $50 to his name. With this, he left on a road trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to try out his luck. On the way, he visited several different casinos and backroom poker clubs. Through this, he turned his $50 into $10,000. Now he was ready to play big.

Hitting the Vegas Strip, he played Baccarat, Poker and several dice games. Between all his play and winnings, he managed to take more than $40 million dollars. It doesn’t end here. While Archie had just become the man with the biggest win in casino history, his luck quickly ran out. He continued to gamble and 6 months later, he had lost it all. Take a moment for the lesson at hand. You must know when to walk away.

Play to Win and Have Fun Doing It

Whether you’re playing at the Bellagio or sitting at home and playing online, or relaxing at the park with your mobile in hand, you place your bets and watch where the dice lands. Taking a chance is what all these players did, and it paid off for them. So, wherever you choose to play, make sure you go in it with the attitude of “playing to win”.

On a final note, understanding casino games will benefit your overall winning strategy. Of course, just knowing that you could end up on this list is a plus. Remember, history repeats itself.