How many gamblers have made gains and losses over the course of history? Not just a few hundred or even a few thousand people, either. Many millions, if not billions, of people have wagered money in an effort to win.
Nearly all of these gamblers have lost their money. Making a list of the most successful gamblers in history may seem like an impossible task with so many to choose from.
Contrary to popular belief, there aren't as many winners at real money casinos. Here are my selections for the top 10 gamblers in history.
Edward Thorp, No. 1
Professor of mathematics Edward Thorp is considered to be the father of card counting. The first book to show mathematically that you could reduce the house edge in blackjack was Beat the Dealer. Simply keep track of the ratio of high to low cards still in the deck.
In Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas, and Reno, Thorp himself employed his card counting strategies. He began with a $10,000 bankroll that his friend Manny Kimmel gave him. They made $11,000 their first weekend at the tables. One of the first card counters to use disguises to stop casinos from backing off was Thorp. Remember that he created these card-counting strategies in 1966. Thorp was unable to rely on personal computers.
Additionally, he is known to have triumphed at roulette, backgammon, and baccarat. Thorp also employed a number of other unfair methods, some of which are now prohibited.
Billy Walters, No. 2
Most people consider Billy Walters to be the most successful sports bettor in the annals of well-known Las Vegas casinos. For more than 30 years, he has consistently won sports bets. That winning streak is undoubtedly long enough to disprove the existence of a "lucky streak."
Walters also has a real "rags to riches" tale. He was (more or less) left an orphan before he turned two years old, and he lived a poor upbringing in Kentucky. As his mother fled and his father passed away, it was up to his grandmother to raise him. Not everything about his story is rosy, though. He was also convicted of insider trading and sentenced to five years in prison.
Phil Ivey, No. 3
If you have 10 bracelets from the World Series of Poker, you are automatically considered one of the best poker players. For precisely this reason, Phil Ivey has been hailed as one of history's greatest gamblers by numerous sources.Even listing all of his victories in poker tournaments would take too much time. Simply put, there are too many of them.
Ivey also had a comparable encounter with the Borgata. Legal action followed. Edge sorting is considered cheating, and the courts decided in the casinos' favor.
Who can predict what Ivey will do next?
Chris Moneymaker, No. 4
You've got to love a person with the last name Moneymaker winning the World Series of Poker Main Event. In 2003, Chris Moneymaker carried it out. Because he won his entry into the WSOP online, it was a significant cultural event.
During the infamous "poker boom," this led to a massive influx of players to online poker rooms. Chris Moneymaker's autobiography -Moneymaker: How an Amateur Poker Player Turned $40 into $2.5 Million at the World Series of Poker
The title of his autobiography is intriguing, though. Moneymaker paid $86, not $40, to enter the satellite competition. He merely misremembered specifics. Moneymaker is still active in the game and has maintained his winning streak. His career winnings total over $3.5 million, which includes the $2.5 million from his WSOP victory.
Don Johnson, No. 5
Do not mistake this Don Johnson for the actor Don Johnson, who is not a gambler.
Businessman and gambler Don Johnson is the one I'm referring to here. He amassed over $15 million in winnings from blackjack games. Even without employing the blackjack card counting strategy, he managed to pull it off.
His campaign against the three casinos in Atlantic City in 2011 and 2012 is now legendary. Johnson was thinking like an advantage player even though he wasn't counting cards, it's important to note. He insisted on using blackjack rules that only gave the house a 0.26% advantage. It would be hard to duplicate Johnson’s success, as casinos are probably more sophisticated now, thanks to his large win.
