Fortune or destiny? 7 stories of big-time winners

on June 24 | in All, Other | by | with No Comments

Casinos are associated with bright lights, glamour and of course, copious amounts of spending – which for some never stops. Check out the most ridiculous casino wins from individuals who bet all and won big as a result.

Don Johnson

Back in 2011, Don Johnson – corporate executive and Heritage Development founder decided use the drastic casino discounts caused by the recession to his advantage and negotiated numerous alterations to standard blackjack rules, such as: a 20% rebate where the casino would refund 20% of his losses (20 cents to every dollar) for losses exceeding $500,000 (approximately £340,000), six decks and making the dealers stay on soft 17. Clearly these changes made all the difference, for Johnson managed to walk away with an estimated £10.3 million – winnings which severely impacted casino profits. Johnson was banned from Caesars casino as a result.

Cynthia Jay Brennan

A story of tragedy. Soon-to-be married cocktail waitress Cynthia Jay Brennan traveled to Las Vegas in 2000 for her future mother-in-law’s birthday celebration when her life took a drastic turn. Unusually, Brennan decided to take a gamble and pulled the handle on a Mega-Bucks slot machine; managing to win an astonishing £23.9 million which allowed the happy couple to marry in style and plan to travel the world. However, disaster fell merely a few weeks later when Brennan and her sister Lela Jay were struck by a drunk driver at a red light. The accident killed Lela Jay and shattered Brennan’s spine – a misfortune that has left Brennan completely paralyzed from the upper chest down. Both Brennan and her husband claim they would give the money back instantly if it meant they could return to their previous lifestyle.

Johanna Huendl

Seventy-four year old Johanna Huendl was on her way to eat breakfast when she diverted her path towards a Megabucks slot machine. After inserting an estimated $170.00, Huendl managed to win $22.6 million (£15.4 million). Funnily enough, she misread the total as $2 million, although Huendl claims she that would’ve been enough.

Classic casino roulette

Classic casino roulette

Ashley Revell

Whilst down the local, Ashley Revell turned to his friends and said “wouldn’t it be great if we went to Las Vegas and bet everything on one spin”? – which is exactly what he did. Shortly afterwards Revell began selling his possessions, including a BMW, a Rolex watch and some golf clubs. Once all his possessions were sold Revell took the leap of faith and wired over £76,840 from the UK to the Plaza Casino and Hotel. Upon his arrival the chips were already waiting for him and after pondering his decision considerably, Revell placed his entire fortune on 7 Red, exactly where the ball landed. His winnings amounted to a remarkable £153,680.

Charles Wells

Gambling really hit a high point in the 19th century, for on a single night in 1891 Charles Wells managed to win one million francs at the Monte Carlo; where he later returned and won a further million francs for the second time. Sadly Wells’ continued gambling lead to his downfall – he was later arrested for business scams and sentenced to eight years imprisonment. Wells died in 1922.

Joseph Jagger

Known as the man who broke Monte Carlo, (or more locally Joseph Jagger – a former employee of the cotton mechanics industry), he randomly decided to visit Beaux-Arts casino; where he paid six clerks to note the results of several roulette wheel spins. The results uncovered a clear bias, with the numbers 7, 8, 9, 17, 18, 19, 22, 28 and 29 appearing too often considering the random nature of a spin. Using this to his advantage Jagger placed his bets accordingly and won a collective total of £260,000 – winnings that allowed Jagger to retire from cotton mechanics and invest the money into his own properties. Here’s hoping he stays away from online casino gaming.

The Anonymous Man

An unknown twenty-five year old male from Los Angeles won $39 million (£26 million) at Excalibur whilst he was waiting for a basketball game to begin. Despite his massive pay out he remained sensible and opted for yearly installments of $1.4 million for the next twenty-five years.

Sources: wikipedia.org / casinomontecarlo.com

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