While most people may head to Vegas to blow as much money as their spouses will allow them, a few pro gamblers — and lucky tourists — managed to live the Las Vegas dream, walking away with thousands — if not millions — of dollars during their Sin City stint.
From a golf wager gone so spectacularly right to a professional gambler who quite literally bet it all on red, here are the 10 biggest jackpots and bets in Las Vegas history.
1
Winning Bets
“[In] 1977, Stu Ungar was bet $100,000 by Bob Stupak, an owner and designer of casinos, that he could not count down a six-deck shoe and determine what the final card in the shoe was. Ungar won the bet.”
2
Slot Success
Though most slot machine runs may end in sadness and chain-smoking, one 25-year-old visiting the Excalibur Hotel and Casino hit it big, walking away with $39.7 million.
3
Express Winnings
“The creator of FedEx was so strapped for cash in the company at one point that he went to Vegas to play blackjack and won $27,000 to help the company.”
4
Bet It All On Red
“In 2004, a man named Ashley Revell sold all his possessions and put his entire net worth of $135,300 on red at the Plaza Hotel in Vegas. The ball landed on Red 7 and he walked out with $270,600.”
5
You Win Some, You Lose Some
“Archie Karas [was] known for the longest and biggest recorded winning streak in Las Vegas history. Between 1992 and 1995, he turned a loan of 10 000 dollars into 40 million before losing it all.”
6
The Six-Figure Wager
“In 1980, William Bergstrom arrived at Binion's Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada with two suitcases: one containing $777,000 in cash, the other empty. He placed the full amount on a single bet of dice, which he won, and packed the winnings in the empty suitcase.”
7
Pennies to Millions
Though an anonymous gambler may have only spent pennies on spins of the lower-priced slot machines at the Aria Resort and Casino, they walked away with $12.8 million.
8
Total Knockout
“The odds against Buster Douglas were 42:1, on the night in February 1990 that he KO’ed Mike Tyson.”
9
Des Moines Isn’t THAT Bad
“John Hennigan, [a] professional poker player, made a six-figure prop bet that he could live for six weeks in Des Moines, Iowa. He lost, returning to Vegas in just 2 days.”
10
If You Can’t Take The Heat …
Several pro poker players once bet Erick Lindgren $340,000 that he wouldn’t be able to complete four back-to-back rounds of golf at the "Bear's Best" course in Las Vegas, scoring under 100 each time. Despite temperatures soaring to 106 degrees, Lindgren walked away a winner.
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