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Famous Gamblers There have been many casino players throughout history who became famous as a result of gambling. Although the following persons did not necessarily achieve fame through gambling, they did nevertheless attract a significant degree public attention as a result of their gambling activities. One of the first famous gamblers in the world was John Montagu, the Earl of Sandwich. He led a scandalous private life and was addicted to gambling. In 1762, he sat for over 24 hours at a gaming table in his home, refusing to attend meals. In desperation, a servant offered the Earl a piece of salted beef as food; the Earl suggested that the beef be encased between two slices of bread so that he could eat it in his hand at the table. This is where the sandwich got its name. One of the West’s most famous gamblers was “Doc” Holliday, who maintained a fierce reputation as a hard drinker, tough fighter and ruthless killer. He is chiefly remembered for fighting alongside Wyatt Earp at the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral. “Wild Bill” Hickok was another American legend, renowned throughout the world for the tall tales surrounding his violent life. He’s chiefly remembered for taming two of the most lawless towns in Kansas. Unfortunately, Hickok made many enemies and his day of judgment came at a poker table. He was shot in the back of the head by an assassin and died clutching a pair of aces and a pair of eights; ever since, this particular hand has been known as the ‘Dead Man’s’ hand for obvious reasons! Benny Binion was born in 1904 and lived his life as a bootlegger and conman. At the age of 43, he gave up his life of crime and moved to Las Vegas, where he later opened his own casino. Binion was the gambler’s gambler, and in the 1970s he bought and marketed the World Series of Poker tournament, which has grown over time to be the biggest in the world. Magazine owner Kerry Packer made his name through his family’s media empire, which owns 60% of all magazines in Australia. Packer became known as a high-stakes gambler when he won $26 million playing blackjack at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. However, Packer has not always been successful; he lost $16.5 million at the Crockfords casino in London, although this barely dented his $8 billion fortune. Charles Wells (1841-1926), gambler and confidence trickster, is one of the men who broke the bank at Monte Carlo, made famous by the song. Joseph Jagger was the first famous gambler to get publicity in 1873 but the song was not written until 1892 and so it seems that Wells is a more likely inspiration for the song. François Blanc, the owner of Monte Carlo's casino, wanted the publicity from stories of big winnings. In the French language, if a gambler wins more than the chips on the table, he is said to have "faire sauter la banque", which was translated as "breaking the bank" (lit. to blow up the bank or the safe). A black shroud was placed over the table until replacement chips were brought in. However, no gambler has come close to winning the whole reserves of the casino. In July 1891 Wells went to Monte Carlo with £4,000 that he had defrauded from investors in a bogus invention, a "musical jump rope." In an eleven-hour session Wells 'broke the bank' twelve times, winning a million francs. At one stage he won 23 times out of 30 successive spins of the wheel. Wells returned to Monte Carlo in November of that year and won again. During this session he made another million francs in three days, including successful bets on the number five for five consecutive turns. Despite hiring private detectives the Casino never discovered Wells's system; Wells later admitted it was just a lucky streak. His system was the high-risk martingale, doubling the stake to make up losses. In April 1892, Fred Gilbert wrote a popular song, The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo The song was popularised by the music hall star, Charles Coborn. The song helped Wells to become a celebrity. He explained that his success was because he was a brilliant engineer, who had also invented a fuel-saving device for steam-ships. He persuaded many wealthy people to invest in his invention. He made another trip to Monte Carlo in a large yacht in the winter of 1892 with his mistress. Wells explained that the yacht was to test his device. Wells broke the bank six more times but then lost his money and that of his investors, some of whom had sent additional money that he said was needed for repairs to his device. Wells was arrested at Le Havre and extradited to England. He was found guilty of fraud at the Old Bailey and given eight years. Later Wells served another three-year sentence for fraud and emigrated to France, where a financial scam earned him another five year sentence. In 1926, Wells died poor in Paris.
The World Series of Poker tournament has created many famous gamblers of today. One such example is Johnny Chan, nicknamed “The Great Wall of China” after his amazing success winning the World Championships in 1987 and 1988 consecutively. He’s played in all the major games of the last two decades and is also known as a genuinely nice guy.
Famous Celebrity GamblersNothing represents the best of the VIP world better than celebrity gamblers. They are rich, successful, and glamorous. They make the best out of the luxurious and pampering lifestyle that is offered to them by casinos, tournaments and basically anywhere they go, simply for their star-status appeal. There are more celebrity gamblers than you perhaps think there are. Most actors that were involved in gambling movies developed a keen interest, many celebs play at special tournaments that raise money for different causes and some stars just gamble for fun… But who are these celebrities? How well do they fare in a world of luck and chance? Here are some of the most prominent Celebs that have entered into the world of gambling. George ClooneyGeorge Clooney, former star of E.R. and numerous hit films such as Solaris, Intolerable Cruelty and Syriana, did not only star in gambling related movies such as Ocean's 11 and Ocean's 12, but has also taken an active role in the gambling business when he invested an unknown sum of money in a $3 billion resort in a Las Vegas. He is the co-owner of Las Ramblas, a casino-hotel-condominium complex, which is due for completion in 2007. "I wanted it to be like old Vegas and old Hollywood. It's going to be a classy joint," Said Clooney. While filming Ocean's 12 in Rome, Clooney, along with co-stars Brad Pitt and Matt Damon and their guest, Michael Douglas, husband of co-star Catherine Zeta-Jones, were engaged in late-night poker sessions, and some of them were as good as professional players. Ben AffleckBen Affleck, star of hit movies such as Pearl Harbor, Armageddon and Daredevil is said to be the most serious gambler in Hollywood. In June 2004, the 31-year-old actor bested a field of 90 poker players in the Commerce Casino's California State Poker Championship, including professional player Stan Goldstein, who finished 2nd and Chuck Pacheco, president and co-founder of Castle Rock Entertainment, who finished in 3rd place. Affleck won $356,400 in that event and a $25,000 seat in the 2005 World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship. Matthew PerryMatthew Perry, best known for his portrayal of Chandler Bing in the hit show Friends, is an avid poker player and regularly plays in tournaments and charity events, including the Celebrity Poker ShowdownTV show. Even though he is rumored to be a heavy online gambler, Perry spent a private VIP weekend at the Bellagio casino in Las Vegas, where a casino host arranged it so that everywhere he would go; he went through back entrances and was seated in private areas. Matt DamonMatt Damon, the star of Dogma, Saving Private Ryan and The Talented Mr. Ripley, is also the star of one of the best poker movies ever made, Rounders. During the filming of Rounders, Damon and co-star Edward Norton were coached by poker legend Johnny Chan. He is no stranger to the world of gambling. Much like his Ocean's 11 and 12 co-star, George Clooney, Damon is also very passionate about gambling. He is considered an excellent poker player and was rumored to have been offered a $1 million endorsement from online gaming giant Nine.com. A famous line that Damon had in the movie touches on the view that he admits he has on poker: "Why do you think the same six guys end up at the final table at the world series of poker every year? Are they the luckiest guys in Las Vegas? No, it's because they've got skills." Tobey MaguireTobey Maguire, Spiderman himself, was one of the players that were defeated by Ben Affleck at the Commerce Casino's California State Poker Championship but he soon made a strong comeback when in October 2004 he won $186,000 at a $2,000 buy-in tournament at the Hollywood Park Casino. He also won the $2,000 Phil Hellmuth Invitational for $95,480 and cashes at the WPT and WSOP. Poker legend Phil Hellmuth said this about Maguire: "He showed tremendous focus and determination. I predict that he will become one of the better poker stars." Maguire is known to hold regular poker games for high rollers at his Hollywood Hills home, with players such as Dennis Hopper, Matthew Perry, Sharon Stone and Robert Downey Jr. Jennifer TillyJennifer Tilly, is a veteran and semi-professional poker player. The star of The Fabulous Baker Boys, Bullets Over Broadway and Bound, is a regular at tournaments. Tilly became involved with poker like many other Hollywood celebrities have in the last few years: through playing on television celebrity poker programs. She began dating professional poker player Phil Laak, who gave her a couple of poker books to study and served as her personal tutor. She had a natural talent for the game and soon it became known. In 2005, Tilly won a World Series of Poker bracelet and $158,625 in the Ladies' No-Limit Texas Holdem event while outlasting 600 other players. She is the first non-poker celebrity to win a World Series of Poker event. She followed up this achievement and won the third World Poker Tour Ladies Invitational Tournament held at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles in September 2005. After her victory she appeared on The Tonight Show on NBC to talk about her experience at the WSOP, and garnered a cover article in CardPlayer magazine the following month.
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