By: “Vegas Vic” – Victor H Royer
Las Vegas is famous for many great gamblers, and equally many great gambles. Here are just a few of the amazing stories and tall tales from the felt, tables, and casinos of Las Vegas:
Rolling the Dice
In the 1950s, a sailor at the Desert Inn in Las Vegas had 27 consecutive passes (wins) at craps. The probability of this is 1 in 12,467,890. Had this sailor bet the house limit on each roll, he would have won $268 million! As it was, he won $750. The dice from that roll remained enshrined in the casino, under glass, until Steve Wynn blew it up in the 1990s. The Wynn casino now stands there instead. No one knows what happened to those dice.
Don’t Bite the Dealer!
It is illegal in Las Vegas to Pawn your Dentures. Do the guys from Pawn Stars know that? Back in the “old Vegas” days, at the Dunes – where the Bellagio now stands – there was a Craps table near the front entrance, where there was always lots of action, especially early in the morning, as the “old codgers” used to wake up early, and head over to shoot dice.
One day, one of the old timers was about to make a bet, when he sneezed, and his dentures fell out of his mouth and landed squarely on the Pass Line. Without missing a beat, the Pit Boss took out his own teeth, placed them beside the player’s dentures, and said: “You’re faded!”
For those of you who don’t know what that means – it means he “backed the bet”. So, they rolled the dice for the teeth!
The Greatest Gambler of the Modern Era
The greatest gambler of the latter half of the 20th Century was Archie Karas. He won more than $40 million playing Poker and Craps in Las Vegas casinos in the 1990’s. At one point, he is said to have won ALL of the $5,000 chips at Binion’s casino in Downtown Las Vegas. He was a popular figure about town, and made the cover of many magazines. Sadly, today he’s banned from the casinos, having been placed in the infamous “Black Book”, due to his conviction for cheating.
There is a moral to this story – serious gambling is a young man’s game. As we get older, the spirit may still move us, but the skills aren’t the same. And neither is the stamina. Even the greatest Poker Player of all time – Johnny Moss – was left broke, and running the $1-$5 Stud games at the Flamingo in Las Vegas in his older years.
Did You Know?
· Bingo started in Italy in 1530.
· Roulette is the oldest casino game.
· The Great Wall of China was largely financed by cash derived from Keno.
· Bingo comes from an older game, Beano, and was created by accident by a player who is anonymous.
· 70% of players who gamble a lot of money on baccarat are Asian.
· Keno was invented in China about 3,000 years ago.
· The potential for Royal Flush in poker is 1 in 649,740.
· More than 70 million cards are sold each year around the world.
· People who make $20,000 or less bet the most. They play mostly Lotteries, Bingo, and Online slots.
· People who make $50,000 or more play mostly cards, dice, and slots, but in land-based casinos. Not online.
· People who make $250,000 or more gamble the least. But when they do, they play BIG. Often $1 million or more.
For more such stories and tall tales, check out my book: “Great Gamblers: True Stories and Amazing Tales.”
For more information you can always check back with us right here at www.AccessVegas.com , or you can subscribe directly to our Insider Advantage Newsletter at this link:
http://www.accessvegas.com/membershipvr
One thing we don’t recommend you gamble with is choosing your Las Vegas lawyer if you have been in a car accident. The insurance company is not on your side. Your lawyer is, and will take the gamble out of helping you recover your physical and material losses.
So, until next time, this is Vegas Vic saying – See you in the Casino, and Best of Luck!