What It’s Like to Be a High Roller?

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Table games may bring you from rags to riches overnight. Big gambling tournaments and posh casinos just can’t exist without so-called “whales,” who play hard for the highest stakes possible! Wagering millions is not a problem for such players; however, there’s still the chance Lady Luck is going to sneer at them! But gambling wouldn’t be what it is without all those thrilling stories of high rollers snagging or dropping huge sums of money while playing poker games, blackjack or roulette. But why are these people all so special, and what has helped them to make history? You can find all the answers here.

Who is a High Roller?

The most common cliché is that high rollers are extremely rich, and this often does turn out to be true! However, the classic image of the business tycoon in a tux placing a million dollar bet is not so typical nowadays as you might think. Many young punters have progressed to the level of experienced high rollers after playing online first. Poker players like Fedor Holz, Victor Blom or Tom Dwan began with online casinos and then reached the top of both the online and real gambling worlds. Most of them started from small stakes and tiny bankrolls, then going on to grow these very quickly!

From a simple point of view, high rollers are wealthy businessmen. The “fattest” whales usually come from Asia. They get a $1,000,000 credit line, and their betting start point exceeds $10,000. To retain such clients, the casino bonus is not enough. There should be various types of compliments (“comps”) or discounts. A witty high roller always claims the cash back in case they should end up with a severe loss. On the other hand, involving a high roller in the game may level up the casino’s expenses; given the size of the pot and all the perks and comps given to the player if they win.

Pretty much everyone who bets it big can be considered a high roller. But is this really so? The reality is that the majority of whales spend a fortune to try to get a big gaming experience. But it takes time and passion to achieve this goal! High rollers are like kids on a Ferris wheel – they have constant ups and downs, which allow them to see the whole scenery of the game, and to carefully craft a unique strategy of their own.

Basically, there are two kinds of high rollers out there: wealthy people, who prefer to crowd into land-based real money casinos and who also have some huge bags of cash to help them feel secure even if they lose a lot of money; and professional players, whose bankrolls are formed by a set of constant wins, and who are always trying their luck at open or secluded tournaments, or who first became famous at the dawn of online poker.

The difference between these two categories lies within their attitude towards the game. The former category play it privately, and mostly for personal entertainment. So in addition to their bottomless reserves, such punters have keen financial management to help them operate their funds, which allows them not to lose it all. But it takes still nerves and brass cojones to handle the game properly!

High rollers, who treat the game like a sport, are slightly different from rich amateurs. For them the amount of win doesn’t matter much, the only thing they care about is the win itself. Contemplating about strategies, crushing tournaments all over the world and signing up for labels like Poker Stars is more enticing than private parties. Being top Texas Hold’em brass or winning another WSOP bracelet are the alluring goals every professional punter is trying to reach!

Famous High Rollers

The roster of outstanding gambling personalities is truly vast. Rumors about their success tend to spread at the speed of light. Both live and online casino games have found some exceptional talents, whose dazzling winnings motivate people to try their luck in games of chance. Some stories are hard to believe, but they really occurred in reality, giving a good plot for the Hollywood movie scripts.

Charles Caborn

The XIX century was full of swindlers who were lucky enough to trick casinos. This particular high roller with the bankroll of £400 made it up to astonishing 1 million Francs (more than $500,000) in one night, “breaking the bank” of the casino. When the table was covered with black, all the operations were stopped, and the guy cashed out to become the richest scammer of the century!

The Sultan of Brunei

When you possess a $5 billion fortune, making a $250,000 stake is not a problem, no matter whether you win or lose. The ardor of the game is what keeps the roulette wheel spinning. This person is known for his outrageous bets, but not much is known about his playing record.

Isildur1

And online poker is not so far behind! Viktor Blom, known under his nickname of Isildur1, always plays it big. In his historical appearance at No-Limit Omaha, he bet and crapped out more than $4,000,000. Do you think he burst into tears? Of course, he didn’t! The year before, he drained Tom Dwan’s bankroll for about $6,000,000 making this the highest stakes match in the history of online poker. Viktor is a passionate cardsharp, who likes to tickle his rivals’ nerves by raising extremely high blinds.

Ashley Revell

This is an extremely self-confident gambler from Britain, who sold his house for $135,000 and put it all on Red. The wheel stopped on Red 7, giving Ashley $270,000 in total. After this, he became a living legend of Las Vegas Casino. This event was even the basis of the plot of a series named Double or Nothing, shot by the British TV channel Sky One.

Ben Affleck

Being a celebrity may be boring, and gaming is a sweet escape from red carpet events. Ben’s “hit me” at the blackjack table still echoes throughout the years. His $800,000 win and $145,000 tips put him on the list of the best celeb high rollers of all times.

There are many stunning legends out there to capture your attention: from the $600,000 massive tips to the croupier made by Jimmy Charge to $19 million wins of a “Fat Man” at Mayfair. All of them show that being a high roller is not only about the money and the huge stakes. Everyone can reach this level, provided they only put the effort in! Just get a feel for the game, and always trust your guts. Nowadays, online gambling has opened so many opportunities for young dreamers, once they’ve finally decided to enter the big game. Starting with a small bankroll, you can finally get to the point where you’re making some great wins from huge pots; just try it, and never let a loss get you down. Keep going!