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 then, someone defies the odds in spectacular fashion, walking away with a fortune that becomes the stuff of legend. These are the stories of ordinary people and high rollers who experienced a once-in-a-lifetime win.
The Excalibur Jackpot
The record for the biggest-ever slot win was set in Las Vegas in 2003 at the Excalibur. A young programmer from L.A. put some money into a Megabucks machine to kill time before a game. He wagered just $100 before the machine's reels aligned perfectly, triggering the progressive jackpot. The total prize was a staggering $39.7 million, a sum so large that the casino - visit the following site, 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.
Don Johnson: The Man Who "Broke" Atlantic City's Blackjack Tables
Some of the most famous wins are a result of skill, strategy, and negotiation. Don Johnson, a corporate executive, famously won over $15 million from a trio of Atlantic City casinos in just six months.
He didn't use card counting to achieve this feat. His strategy was to leverage his status as a whale to get better rules. He secured a 20% discount on his losses, casino a very high maximum bet, and other rule changes that significantly reduced the house edge. By combining these advantageous rules with perfect basic strategy, he was able to shift the mathematical edge slightly in his favor. After his epic winning streak, casinos became much more cautious about the deals they offered high rollers.
Winning the Jackpot... Again
To hit a huge jackpot once is a miracle; to do it twice on the same machine type is beyond belief. But that's exactly what happened to World War II veteran Elmer Sherwin. He first won $4.6 million on a Megabucks machine in 1989 at the grand opening of The Mirage. 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; just click the up coming internet site, and he won a second Megabucks jackpot, this time for $21.1 million. He was incredibly generous with his second windfall, donating a large portion to charity.
