Gambling's Big Winners

Part of the fun in gambling is no doubt reading accounts of those who have succeeded and defied the odds. So the next time that you are feeling quite down and wondering when you'll hit the jackpot, take comfort in the fact that if these people made it, you can too.

Jo Jaggers

During the early 1800s, a man named Joseph Jaggers gained fame (or notoriety) in the casino world. A frequent visitor to the casinos in Monte Carlo, he noticed that most of the Roulette wheels were ragged, and as such caused the ball to drop in certain slots more frequently than others.

Armed with this bit of info, Jaggers put this "gambling strategy" to the test, and it paid out in staggering fashion. In his very first attempt Jaggers won a total of $70,000. It is a large amount today, but mind boggling in the 1800s. In a matter of weeks, he increased his total earning to over $300,000, driving some casinos to the brink of bankruptcy.

Eventually, the casinos realized what was going on, and did away with the old Roulette wheels. As the technology improved, Jaggers, and others like him, eventually lost their edge and had to play the game fair again.

Chris Moneymaker

For the longest time the belief was that only the pros could win the World Series of Poker Main Event, and that allowing the inclusion of "amateurs" and online players were nothing more than gimmicks. In 2003, Chris Moneymaker shattered that myth.

Moneymaker was hardly what you would call a pro; prior to competing in the WSOP, he had spent a total of little more than four years gambling and playing Poker. In fact, he rarely went to the casino at all. But he ended up qualifying for the WSOP through an online satellite tourney, and would go on to win the whole thing, taking home over $2 million.

Moneymaker's victory, more than anything else, revolutionized the gambling industry, proving to everyone that it is possible for people to qualify via the Net and win it all.

The Biggest Slot Winner of All Time

Throughout the history of gambling, some of its biggest winners have come from slot machines. There have been several million dollar winners, and also plenty of multi million dollar success stories.

But the biggest one of them all took place on March 21, 2003. A 25 year old software developer had come to Las Vegas to visit his friends, when on a lark, decided to go gambling tried out one of the slot machines in the Excalibur Hotel. According to the story, he had popped in a $100 bucks. He then looked away from the screen for a moment to talk to someone.

When he looked back, he was informed by the machine that he had won nearly $40 million.

These are just some of the people who have hit the home run in gambling and casino. You could be next, so keep playing.