Gambling and gamblers are frowned upon mostly because it is an addictive vice that could ruin a person’s life, including everyone around him. However, not every casino player burns their money as most people expect. Some are extremely lucky, like these people who risked betting in Sin City. However, some are dumb enough to spend it all on gambling, thus losing everything they have won.
Archie Karas
A gambler at heart, Archie Karas has been gambling ever since he was a teenager in Greece. Back when he was still a measly kid, he would bet with his friends by shooting marbles to have money for food.
He found some luck when he left Greece and lived in Los Angeles. In the early 1990s, he was able to build a $2 million bankroll through poker and billiards.
But because he is a gambler, there came a time in his life when he found himself on the verge of becoming penniless. From being a millionaire, Karas only had $50 left. And because he is a casino player, he wanted to try his luck in Las Vegas.
Unfortunately, his cash is not enough to get him to his destination. So for him to make it to Sin City, he asked his poker friend to loan him $10,000.
But that was all he ever needed. Karas quickly became the most popular gambler at that time, dominating pool and poker games. Just by that, his loaned money became $17 million.
Because he was the best pool and poker gamer, nobody wanted to play against him. Hence, Karas tried his luck by playing house-based games.
His streak continued, and he won $23 million by playing craps at Binion’s Gambling Hall. Eventually, he could not contain himself, and instead of investing his new-found money, he spent it all again in gambling.
In the end, he again lost his money and could not recover from it ever again.
Shoeless Joe
Shoeless Joe, an 80-year-old gambler, was among the worst gamblers ever to enter the Treasure Island casino.
His appearance and his attitude are the same—ugly. Joe was extremely rude to dealers. However, he was very lucky.
With just $400 bankroll remaining in his account, Joe risked it and turned his hundreds into millions.
Because of his incredible story, Steve Wynn, the casino’s owner, offered him $10,000 to have his life story turned into a movie. However, it was a sham. There was no movie.
Treasure Island offered Joe lavish casino comps, which he could not resist. In the end, he lost everything. Some even said that the once-millionaire was spotted without a roof above his head.
Fred Smith
Because he risked it all, Fred Smith turned his dying company around and is now one of the biggest shipping companies in the world—FedEx.
It was in 1973, and FedEx was on the verge of getting shut down. Smith, in his last efforts to keep the company afloat, took the company’s remaining $5000 and flew to Las Vegas, and wagered all of it.
He played a house-banked game, and as if fate smiled upon him, he could turn the last of his money into $27,000. Smith was smart enough not to squander the money and used it to fuel the plane, enough to get investments for FedEx.
Apparently, it was all they needed. The shipping company was able to turn things in their favor. FedEx is now worth $42 billion.
Ashley Revell
Ashley Revell wanted to spice his life. He sold all his possessions and decided to bet everything on a single roulette spin.
Organizing a fire sale, he was able to accumulate $135,300. He then took his money to the Plaza Hotel and put all the amount in red. But instead of losing everything, the ball landed on red seven, giving him a quick $270,600.
After winning big, Revell invested his money in real money online poker, following the footsteps of popular casino platforms like OKBET.
Conclusion
Gamblers can be fortunate. However, they are bound to lose everything if they are not responsible enough and have no casinos to help them control their gambling urges. Invest the gambling winnings instead of betting them again and losing all your earnings and bankroll.