Gambling has been enjoyed by people of different ages and nationalities all over the world for many years. Additionally, throughout history, many of them have become incredibly famous due to this chance-based entertainment. Each of these players, regardless of the fact whether they played in the Bellagio or at 7slots, has a unique story to tell. Today we are proud to present the list of four of them – modest guys who belong to the number of the best gamblers in history.
1. Archie Karas
Familiarize yourself with the profile of Archie Karas – undoubtedly the best casino player of all time:
- Name: Archie Karas or even Anargyros Nicholas Karabourniotis;
- Nickname: The Greek;
- Date of birth: Nov 01, 1950;
- Nationality: Greek;
- Game type: Poker, Baccarat, Bingo.
He debuted his career in famous casinos like the Bellagio, Wynn Las Vegas and many others. He is famous for the longest winning streak in the casino world, with the name of the Run. He moved to Las Vegas in December 1992, following a runaway at the age of 15, with just $50 in his pocket. He had earned over $40 million in 3 years but ended up losing it all the following year.
It was in Las Vegas that the Greek-American player enjoyed the greatest winning streak in the history of casino gambling, making history with his prowess.
2. Nick Dandolos
Another Greek to feature on our list of history’s most famous players is Nick Dandalos.
- Name: Nick Dandolos or even Nikolaos Andreas Dandolos;
- Nickname: King of Gamblers;
- Date of birth: Apr 27, 1883;
- Nationality: Greek;
- Game type: Poker, Roulette, Horse racing betting.
Born into a wealthy family, Nick decided to quit his hometown. He moved to the United States at the age of 18, where he lived on his own, getting, however, money from his grandpa. His places of residence were Chicago and then Montreal, where he began to make a name for himself by means of his successful horse race betting.
After winning over $500,000 betting on horse races, Nick returned to Chicago, where he lost all his money playing dice and cards. Despite losing thousands of dollars, he continued playing and made his own name in this field.
His fame would come not only from his skills but from the fact that he repeatedly rose from poverty to wealth.
3. Phil Ivey
Take a look at who is the third in our top! That is Phil Ivey – one of the most famous and talented poker players of all time:
- Name: Phillip Dennis Ivey Jr;
- Nickname: No Home Jerome;
- Date of birth: Feb 01, 1977;
- Nationality: American;
- Type of game:
He has built his reputation as one of the best casino players in the world. Ivy started playing professionally when he was under 20. You can ask what helped him to enter the gambling scene at this age successfully; and our answer will be: he was already familiar with the game, having played against his grandfather from an early age. During his teenage years, he used fake IDs to play at the casino in Atlantic City; this earned him the nickname of No Home His Jerome.
The year 2000 was rather significant for Phil Ivey since it was the time he won his first WSOP bracelet. He became the youngest poker player to win ten WSOP awards at 38 years of age just. In addition to his WSOP successes, Ivey has also reached the World Poker Tour final table on nine occasions.
Phil Ivey also owes his fame to cheating scandals. One of the affairs ended in court, costing the player almost £7.7 million in baccarat winnings at Crockfords Casino in London.
4. Doyle Brunson
Doyle Brunson rounds up our list of top players. Who is he?
- Name: Doyle Brunson F;
- Nickname: Texas Dolly;
- Date of birth: Aug 10, 1993;
- Nationality: American;
- Type of game:
His career lasted 50 years before he retired in 2018. He was the first player to win more than $1 million in casino tournaments and snatched the title of the most successful poker player.
Doyle has won a total of 10 WSOP bracelets, putting him in second place together with Phil Ivey and Johnny Chan. Having won the WSOP Main Event from 1976 to 1977, Doyle became one of only 4 players to have won the event multiple times.
In addition to his reputation as a professional poker player, Texas Dolly has also written books on the subject. His 2 main pieces are Super/System, published in 1978, written on poker and Poker Wisdom of a Champion, published in 1984 and reissued in 2003.
Will You Join the Ranks of Legendary Gamblers?
The world of gambling has produced many legendary players over the years. Some of them have inspiring success stories, while others offer cautionary lessons. All are so different, but there is one common denominator that unites them: success. Will you become the next one whose story we describe in our list?