We are familiar with the inspiring stories of political heroes like Lincoln, JF Kennedy, Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, etc. But how well are we aware of modern history’s great gamblers, who defied gambling odds to make a name for themselves? People whose achievement went beyond money to writing their names on the sand of gambling history?
This article will explore the fascinating stories of gambling trailblazers, their conquests, together with their risk-taking decisions. The goal is to inspire you to take audacious steps and, one day, make a name for yourself. The good news is that there are a lot of opportunities within the iGaming industry for you. The Sweet Bonanza game from 7Slots, for example, can pay you as much as 21,000x of your initial bet. Just imagine: you play this slot on your luckiest day, get a huge payout, and we feature you in our next article devoted to the most successful winners in the history of online casinos. So, why not give your luck a chance just after reading this post?
Defying Barriers
As we journey through gambling history, it’s essential to recognize the qualities that define the remarkable individuals who have paved the way for the modern-day gambler. These trailblazers possessed certain qualities, which include
- Resilience: They dared to keep moving to persevere through challenges;
- Innovative Thinking: A penchant for devising unique strategies is what set them apart from the crowd;
- Fearlessness: All the people whose stories you will find further were too concerned about winning to allow the fear of failure to stop them. Others deemed it too audacious;
- Adaptability: A willingness to evolve and adapt to changing circumstances helped them reach success.
Let’s now look at a few of these heroes and how, by exhibiting these four traits, they were able to carve a niche for themselves.
Archie Karas
Archie Karas is a Greek-American gambling legend, considered one of the greatest of all time. Karas’s rose to fame for having the longest documented winning streak in casino gambling history, also known as “The Run.” Within a span of three years, the gambler was able to turn $50 into $40 million in Las Vegas using a combination of poker, pool, and baccarat. Can you guess what was next? Whatever you say, you are unlikely to assume that Karas managed to lose everything within the same year. However, that is exactly what happened to him. Karas is a reminder that just anyone is capable of reaching the peak in any sphere, once they are determined to do so.
Stu Ungar
Stu Ungar was a professional poker, blackjack, and gin rummy player, regarded as the greatest gin player not just during his lifetime but of all time. Let’s travel back to the 1980s Las Vegas, where the icon Stu Ungar will make a name for himself as a true maverick “card sharp.”
Only four players in the history of poker have won consecutive titles in the WSOP Main Event, and Stu falls among them. The other three were:
- Johnny Moss
- Doyle Brunson
- Johnny Chan.
His 1997 WSOP win beating John Strzemp with A4 vs A8 for $1 million became his third win. Additionally, Stu was the only player to win Amarillo Slim’s Super Bowl (The Second most prestigious poker title) thrice.
Phil Ivey
With 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, one World Poker Tour title, and appearing at nine World Poker Tour final tables, Phillip Dennis Ivey Jr. can be easily called one of the greatest poker players in world history. However, it is incorrect to think that his whole career is limited to poker. Do you believe that a talented person is talented in everything? It’s time to change your mind if you don’t! Ivey’s success in gambling goes beyond the game of flushes and full houses. His record in baccarat cannot be forgotten as well, where his skills at the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City won over $20 million.
The estimation of this year shows that all gambling-related winnings Ivey managed to collect during 46 years of his life exceeded $38.3 million, with over $9.2 million coming from the World Series of Poker rewards. He is currently ranked 11th on the all-time money list. Despite recent controversies around edge-sorting cases, Ivey’s groundbreaking record is a reminder that success in the world of gambling is possible for anyone.
Edward Thorp
Since we are all authors of our own lives, Edward Thorp wrote his story about a mathematics professor, author, and hedge fund manager turning into a record-breaking gambler. Using his mathematical skills, he devised a way to apply modern probability theory to make a significant financial profit. He took a statement we introduced at the beginning of this paragraph very seriously and published his own book called “Beat the Dealer,” showing that players can beat the house advantage in blackjack using counting cards that were already played in the course of the round. This is known as the “Thorp’s theory.”
Thorp will later win by himself $11,000 in a single weekend at Lake Tahoe in Las Vegas, testing his own theory. Thorp’s story is a reminder that success in gambling is for anyone, irrespective of your field. If you put in the hard work, you, too, will succeed as Thorp did.
What’s Stopping You?
After reading these four life-changing stories, ask yourself what’s stopping you from making your mark on the sand of history. These guys were ordinary people. They grew up like you; some probably had a not-so-pleasant childhood. Yet, they chose to make their names known. You, too, can do it, so why not?
