Whenever one thinks of the word “casino”, they think of gambling, roulette, or a mafia movie with the protagonist winning every bet—the typical protagonist halo. However, the world of casinos has intriguing (perhaps a bit crazy) stories. Each story has its own protagonist, in the character of a hero or villain or a tragic figure. Fiction and reality become one in the madness of casinos.
In today’s modern world, the casino has found a popular outlet through live games. Enjoy a very easy and fun way to entertain yourself.
Casino Stories from History
You win some and you lose some. Here are some of the top casino stories from the last few decades that you may want to read about.
1. The Tale of Kerry Packer
In 1999, an Australian Billionaire, Kerry Packer visited the Crockford’s Casino. His luck as he started playing blackjack, was bad. In a few hours, he somehow (how!?) managed to lose $28 million, considered at that time period, in the history of the UK, as the biggest single casino gambling loss. Talk about the whims of the rich! This didn’t stop Sir “too rich to bother” Packer from his tendencies to gamble.
2. Master of Roulette – Gonzalo Garcia-Pelayo
The master of roulette was once a dedicated student. Garcia-Pelayo, in the 1990s, observed roulette wheels. He deduced that some numbers would come up more often than others. He decided to find out a way to determine the numbers that would come up and he observed how often they would come up.
This casino genius studied roulette to master it. While analysing the spins on the roulette wheels, he detected the flaws and how that favoured some areas over others. He was the first man to win the game while using the elements of the game itself. His brilliance was recognized with a movie, which was released in 2012, called “Winning Streak”.
3. The Risk Taker – William Lee Bergstrom
He borrowed $777,000 (in cash) in 1980 and loaded all of it into a suitcase. He carried that suitcase along with an empty one to Ted Binion’s casino. What was the empty one for? His winnings. The man was confident, indeed.
Making the largest bet in the history of Las Vegas during that time, William Lee Bergstrom betted the whole $777,000 on a single roll (risky, indeed) of the dice. He won not just the bet but his will to live as well. Elaboration is needed to understand the true meaning of his “risk”.
Bergstrom was actually suicidal, and he had entered the casino with his life on the bet. He did not lose and thus, he did not put an end to anything. Paying off the debt he owed to people, he became a world traveller after his win. He was a true gambler, literally and metaphorically speaking.
Final Words
For some, a casino is a source of amusement, for some, it is a source of interest, and for some, it is a source of hope, in most cases, the last hopes of desperation. The stories of the world of casino is almost like a reflection of real life, with joy and grief, hope and disappointment, interest and pleasure, and so on.