[Penny]

LAS VEGAS: A British man who sold all his possessions, including his clothes, stood in a rented tuxedo with family and friends and bet everything on a single spin of the roulette wheel.


Ashley Revell, a 32-year-old Londoner, sold all his possessions in March, took $US135,300 to the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas, did some low stakes gambling and then placed everything he had left on Red.

The wheel was spun, a crowd of supporters including his Mum and Dad from London went wild, the ball bobbled over the slots and landed on Red '7'.

Revell walked away with $US270,600.

"It all happened so quickly, it was spinning before I knew it," Revell said, adding he did not intend to try to double it again.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,...0a4560,00.html

[kall]

Madness!

Lucky man tho.

No way I would do it...with my luck it would land on red and then jump out to 00.

"House Wins!"

No, the rules are structured so that the house wins in the long run. Gambling is a tax on the innumerate and those who don't understand statistics.
Also as the interview makes clear, the daring gambler's fallback position was to return to the bosom of his family, and bludge on them for the indefinite future. Very adult.

[Penny]

I would never do it, I have worked far too hard for what I have, to loose it all.. and I think he was just lucky, I think also most people wouldn't be able to walk away after that win, pretty good willpower for that, it would be so tempting to put it all on the line again.

I find gambling boring anyway. I once decided I should try one of those machines you put your money in and press the buttons (geeze i can't even think of what they are called!) anyway I put my $2 in and pressed the button so many times, and walked away. I don't understand how people get addicted to it, cos it was hardly exciting.

[Sparklechick]

I would never do it, I'm not really into gambling in a big way. I've been to the Auckland Casino twice (one time just to use the bathroom). The first time was when it just opened and we all got dressed up and had a cocktail party before heading to the Casino. I got $20 in 20c pieces and ended up leaving with $40. Just used the one armed bandit machines. The second time I went was to use the bathroom and the place looked revolting - most people were wearing scabby clothes and they certainly didn't look like they could afford to be spending their money on the pokies.

I think it's sad seeing all the people playing on the pokies at all times of the day; I think it's sad that every pub you go to now has pokie machines in it (not to mention the irritating noise they make).

[kall]

Hehehe..

South Park - Red Man's Greed

The town is bought out by Indians, whose Great Spirit has foretold that if they do not connect their casino with Boulder, Colorado with a massive, 12-lane superhighway, thier profits will fall like buffalo droppings.

After a fundraising effort fails to raise more than 10% of the money required to buy back the town, Kyle realises that if they all take the money that they have to the casino and put it on a single number on the Roulette wheel, they will win $350,000 , more than enough to buy back the land.

They do so, the wheel spins, suspense builds, and...THEY WIN! YAY!

Amidst the cheering, Kyle's Dad, a problem gambler, points out 'Yeah! But wait. Three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. That means if we won again, it will be twelve and a quarter million!'

And they lose.

But they decide not to allow the filty bastard Indians (sorry, Native Americans) take their town, so the indians get some chinese people and rub them on blankets, which they give to the townsfolk, who then contract SARS.