Casino gambling or online gambling has produced many wealthy men. Gamblers become famous not just for the money they make, but their strange personalities and habits that led them to gamble. If you are a gambling enthusiast, you must have heard of some of the stories. Some of these individuals became famous for losing their money, some gained a ton, some did wrong, and some taught others. These men became famous for various reasons. Listing the top famous gamblers through history is a herculean task. Popularity is subjective, and many made their name in this business for different reasons. Here are some of the famous gamblers in history.
Brian Molony
Molony was known for the wrong reasons. A Canadian compulsive gambler who stole to gamble. He lost millions at Caesar’s by misappropriating his company funds. An ex-banker, his gambling problems and a profile as a high-roller was unknown to his family. Molony’s case made frequent headlines, and he got arrested in 1982 for stealing ten million from the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and got jailed for two and a half years.
Kerry Packer
An Australian media influencer and proprietor, Kerry Packer was an influential businessman. His gambling habits are well-known. He is also known for establishing the World Series Cricket. Packer’s big wins and losses are famous fables. Once he won over thirty-three million dollars at MGM Grand Casino, and another time he lost the biggest bet at twenty-eight million Australian dollars.
Edward O. Thorp
‘Beat the Dealer’ by Edward Thorp is a book about winning strategies in blackjack. A mathematics professor and blackjack researcher, some of his techniques are illegal in America. He even won an eleven thousand dollars by researching his blackjack game theory in Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas and Reno.
Chris Moneymaker
Isn’t it the best name ‘Moneymaker’ for someone who won the Main Event in the World Series of Poker? He became famous for winning the event after qualifying at the online poker website. He won 2.5 million at the WSOP and still continuous to win at poker tournaments.
The MIT Blackjack Team
The MIT Blackjack team became famous for taking the casinos around the world with their card counting schemes. Initially formed by a group of students from MIT and Harvard, the group started recruiting new members through rigorous selection methods. They got trained in hole carding, shuffling and counting to improve their odds.
Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon played poker in Navy as a pass time. Although hailing from a Quaker family, he truly loved his game of chance. Nixon was the American President who won the campaign which was funded by his poker tournament winnings. Nixon lived up to be a successful gambler, and among all the other American Presidents, he doubtlessly won the most.
