4 of history’s greatest roulette wins
Large jackpots are being won with increasing regularity on the Devil’s Wheel – but these are some of the most unforgettable over the years.
Roulette, which dates back to the 18th century, is one of the oldest and most famous casino games.
Over the years, roulette has spawned a number of online roulette games focused on thrilling variants from all over the world, originating from the French word for ‘little wheel’.
Yet gamblers around the world continue to risk life and limb on the turn of the wheel far from the online casino.
Here are four of the largest jackpots on the casino floor that have ever been taken down…
The businessman converts $35,000 into $3.5 million
- When: January of 2017
- Who: Bartelle Pedro Grendene
- Won amount: $3.5mm
- Where: Conrad’s Hotel, Punta del Este, Uruguay
- Game: French Roulette
Some players are blessed, while others make a fortune of their own.
When he traveled to Uruguay’s Punta del Este to try his luck at the French Roulette tables, Pedro Grendene Bartelle was already a prosperous businessman.
Bartelle covered most of the third dozen, forgoing the even-money red/black bets. Currently, on or near number 32, most of his $500 chips were stacked. The number came in duly, turning his $35,000 into $35m.
The action was oddly captured on tape, probably before the security guards popped up to confiscate the camera.
Experts in roulette strategy will know that French roulette is one of the best games for RTP to play (Return to Player percentage).
The game features an insurance bet for players that if the ball falls on zero, half a losing even-money bet is returned, bringing the edge of the house down to 1.35%.
Not that it was wanted by Senor Bartelle.
Ashley Revell places on the line his life savings
- When: 2004
- Who: Ashley Revell, who:
- Won amount: $272,000,000
- Where: 바카라사이트 in the Plaza, Las Vegas
- Game: Roulette American
Throw in $136,000 of life savings and a harmless prop bet, take one British businessman, and you’ve got Ashley Revell’s mad story.
The entrepreneur agreed in 2004 to place the destiny of his financial future at risk by spinning the wheel.
All was sold by Revell, including his collection of golf clubs and cherished BMW, and the proceeds were put on red at the Hard Rock in holdem site (홀덤사이트).
Can I kiss the ball?”Can I kiss the ball?”
It was definitely one of the most entertaining bits of gambling ever caught on tape, whether the whole thing was a set-up as a commercial for Revell’s latest online poker venture or not.
“That spin was the most amazing moment of my life,” said Revell later. “It is a cliché, but time did stand still.”
Shoots the football manager… he scores!
- When: in 2008
- Who: Mike Ashley, who:
- Won amount: £1.3 million
- Where: 50, London
- Game: Roulette of Europe
There is a certain bias in our list of top roulette wins in that all of the winners are established businessmen.
You could argue that knowing when to gamble and when to take risks is to be a good entrepreneur.
Mike Ashley is one man who has taken his fair share of the bankroll hits.
By selling off the proud club, the owner of English Premier League strugglers Newcastle United is looking to make the best offer he can, but he already has a reputation for taking big punts.
Ashley stepped into the swanky Fifty Casino in London in 2008 to have a few spins.
The bigger-than-life soccer manager had made excellent use of his lucky number 17 in 15 minutes, as the legend goes, to make £ 1.3m richer.
That was probably enough for the next 20 minutes to pay for one of his team’s strikers’ salaries.
The guy who almost broke the Ambassadeurs Les
- When: 2004 – 2004
- Who: The Green Sir Philip
- Won amount: £2mm
- Where: Les Ambassadeurs, London:
- Game: Roulette of Europe
Finally, let’s keep the theme of gambling tycoons going with a classic tale involving Sir Philip Green, the former head of British Home Stores.
The billionaire has been a regular visitor to the Les Ambassadeurs casino in London.
It is estimated that in the middle of 2004 and probably another million before the year was out, he won at least £ 2m playing high-stakes roulette at the club.
The wins that Les Ambassadeurs’ maker, London Clubs International (LCI), alerted investors to profit alerts were so magnificent.
But even the strongest roulette strategy body knows with a house edge of 2.7 percent that the house still wins… finally.