For most people, a trip to the casino is a form of entertainment where the dream of a life-changing win is part of the thrill. While most wins are modest, every now and casino then, someone defies the odds in spectacular fashion, walking away with a fortune that becomes the stuff of legend. Let's look at a few legendary tales of astonishing casino victories.
The Biggest Slot Win Ever
The largest slot machine jackpot in history was won in March 2003 at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The anonymous winner, a 25-year-old software engineer, was just passing time on the Megabucks slot. After feeding about $100 into the machine, he hit the jackpot of a lifetime. The total prize was a staggering $39.7 million, a sum so large that the casino agreed to pay it out in 25 annual installments of about $1.5 million. The winner chose to remain anonymous, and his story remains the ultimate testament to the incredible, albeit minuscule, chance of hitting it big on a slot machine.
Beating the House at its Own Game
Some of the most famous wins are a result of skill, strategy, and negotiation. Between 2010 and 2011, a man named Don Johnson went on an unprecedented winning streak, taking three Atlantic City casinos for a combined total of over $15 million playing blackjack.
He didn't use card counting to achieve this feat. As a known high roller, he was able to negotiate extremely favorable playing conditions for himself. These negotiated perks, including a generous loss rebate, effectively tilted the odds in his favor. By combining these advantageous rules with perfect basic strategy, he was able to shift the mathematical edge slightly in his favor. He won so much that he is no longer welcome to play at many of the world's top casinos.
Elmer Sherwin: The Man Who Struck Lightning Twice
Winning a massive jackpot once is a statistical miracle. Winning it twice is almost unbelievable. This is the incredible story of Elmer Sherwin. In 1989, at the age of 76, he won a $4.6 million Megabucks jackpot at The Mirage in Las Vegas, casino just 10 hours after the casino opened. He traveled extensively with his winnings but never gave up on his dream of winning again. Sixteen years later, at 92 years old, lightning struck again, casino and he won a second Megabucks jackpot, this time for $21.1 million. A true philanthropist, he gave a significant part of his second win to those in need.