Lester Ben Binion (November 20, 1904 - December 25, 1989) was an American gambling legend, career criminal, and convicted assassin who set up illegal gambling operations in the Texas city of Dallas-Fort Worth. He would later move to Nevada, where gambling was legal, and in downtown Las Vegas open the...
Frank Lawrence "Lefty" Rosenthal was a sports handicapper, Chicago Outfit partner, and a former Las Vegas casino executive (June 12, 1929-October 13, 2008). He had received the mocking nickname "Lefty" because at a hearing on gambling and organized crime, he had cited the Fifth Amendment thirty-seven times, even invoking his...
Stan Tomchin claims to be "the most powerful gambler in the world," and he may have been. Stan was a chess master, a bridge master, and possibly the best backgammon player in the world. He then progressed to blackjack, horse racing, and, finally, sports betting. Stan, who grew up on Long...
Las Vegas, the glittering oasis in the middle of the Nevada desert, is famous worldwide for its flashy casinos, luxurious resorts, and vibrant nightlife. However, the history of Las Vegas is also intertwined with the shadowy world of organized crime, particularly the Italian-American Mafia. In the early years of Las...
Las Vegas was halfway through a recession. It was April 1957, and two years earlier the town had still come to terms with the opening of five major resorts. The Dunes, the Riviera, New Frontier, Royal Nevada and Moulin Rouge had all fought through changes of ownership, some falling into...
"Nick the Greek" is a very famous nickname that has become quite common, but Nikos Dandolas, a famous Greek gambler and known high-roller, was the very first "Nick the Greek". Nick's story, like most true high-rollers, was filled with massive wins, untold wealth, and then basically poverty. That just makes...
There is one guy actually being thought of as having the greatest gaming run in history. He turned $50 to $40000000 during his run which lasted three years. He is the legendary Archie Karas of course. Archie Karas was born 1951 in Antipata, Kefalonia, Greece. Karas had lived an early life...
Roulette as we know it today seems to have first appeared in Paris in 1796. It was enshrined in Monte Carlo in the nineteenth century and celebrated in story and song as the preferred high-stakes game of the rich and royal. It was a target for those with systems attempting...
Alan Woods, a huge winner with a massive bankroll, bets millions the way the rest of us gamble dollars. In 1987, he made his first million dollars by shorting the Hong Kong stock exchange. He lost it the next year by shorting the Japanese market. In 1994, he won $8...
Arnold Rothstein was an infamous gambler known for his exceptional skills and cunning tactics. He was an American businessman and gambler who became prominent during the early 20th century. Rothstein was considered a mastermind in the gambling world and was often referred to as "The Brain." He had a fascinating...
Gambling has been around for thousands of years and games of chance are just one of the evolutionary tendencies that we can't shake off. In the 21st century, people are just as divided about gambling as they were in the past. Gambling was against the law in Egypt and gamblers were...
Archie Karas, a gambler who started with $50 in 1995 and made it into $40 million in three years, only to lose it all in three weeks. Man with one of the most outstanding streaks in gambling history tells his life story. See more: Archie Karas: $40 million streak
The world of gambling is one that has always been shrouded in mystery, with many people believing that winning at games of chance is purely a matter of luck. However, there are some individuals who have managed to consistently beat the odds and walk away with big wins. One of...
The city of Chicago has always been notorious for its association with organized crime. The Chicago Outfit, also known as the Chicago Mafia, has been a part of the city's criminal underworld since the early 1900s. The outfit has been involved in various illegal activities, including gambling. In this article,...
Johnny Moss was one of the most influential and respected figures in the history of poker. Born in 1907 in Marshall, Texas, Moss's life was filled with ups and downs. He went from a life of poverty to becoming a legendary poker player who changed the face of the game....
In 1996, Card Player magazine published an article naming the top 7-card stud players in the world. The only woman on the list was Cathy “Cat” Hulbert. The article said, “It must be emphasized that there is zero tokenism in the selection of Cat. She is that good.” And since...
