Archie the Greek--The Worlds Greatest Gambler

[Roadie]

Maybe high rollers like Archie Karas do end up broke. But there is no doubt that they are living and enjoying the ride right now. How many people at the end of their life say they wish they had taken that chance, done the risky thing, and lived rather than settling for mediocrity?

It can certainly be argued that gambling is a vice that destroys more people that do it than produces success stories. It is a rush like any other though.

Personally I feel quite alive when I am in a pool game for money and I have to hold it steady to have any chance to win. I feel quite exhilarated when I take down big pots or bluff a tough opponent. Luckily though I realize my own limitations and do not gamble for a living. Over the years I have been in this game though I have seen quite a lot of broke pool players who would otherwise live a comfortable life if they could stay out of the casinos and the card games.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Mr. Karas' feats. I had heard about them many times. Toby Flaherty and I spoke about the game in which he won many hundreds of thousands from Archie Karas, which he used to purchase a stake in the Cue Club as I understand it. Toby said that they used the $25,000 chips from Binion's to bet with if I remember it accurately.

 

[jay helfert]

Maybe high rollers like Archie Karas do end up broke. But there is no doubt that they are living and enjoying the ride right now. How many people at the end of their life say they wish they had taken that chance, done the risky thing, and lived rather than settling for mediocrity?

It can certainly be argued that gambling is a vice that destroys more people that do it than produces success stories. It is a rush like any other though.

Personally I feel quite alive when I am in a pool game for money and I have to hold it steady to have any chance to win. I feel quite exhilarated when I take down big pots or bluff a tough opponent. Luckily though I realize my own limitations and do not gamble for a living. Over the years I have been in this game though I have seen quite a lot of broke pool players who would otherwise live a comfortable life if they could stay out of the casinos and the card games.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Mr. Karas' feats. I had heard about them many times. Toby Flaherty and I spoke about the game in which he won many hundreds of thousands from Archie Karas, which he used to purchase a stake in the Cue Club as I understand it. Toby said that they used the $25,000 chips from Binion's to bet with if I remember it accurately.

Archie is one of a kind! He was using the $5,000 chips from the Horseshoe when he was playing Toby. I think they played 20K a game and may have jacked it up to 40K. Archie had ALL of the Horseshoe's 5K chips, about ten million worth. Yes I said $10,000,000! 2,000 chips, each worth $5,000! Archie had 'em all, and Jack Binion had to start buying them back from Archie, a million at a time.

Archie had a big box in the vault at Binion's Horseshoe full of all their chips. He would walk around town with fifteen or twenty in his pockets, for gambling money. :wink:

 

[RonsTheOne]

I sure agree about that......I watch those high stakes poker games on TV, and those young guys are throwing hundreds of thousands of dollars around like it's nothing....I can't help but think more than a few of them will end up broke after having a few million dollars they could've done something with and set up a good life....I watched some episode where Phil Ivey was making a "prop" bet on the hold 'em flop.....if 2 out of 3 were red or black, and betting another guy $50,000 every hand on it.....crazy.....I think they just gotta gamble every day until it's all gone.....

I heard Phil Ivey won a reported 3-12 million on prop bets at this years WSOP and they have not even finished the final table yet........Ron

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

i have friends who are-bigger than Archie ever dreamed of being.

Really, who gives a crap, fatman.
Archie is Archie and he probably never wasted his time trying to be bigger than your friends.
Don't you ever get tired of pounding your chest like a little monkey?
Sure gets tiring on this end, Eric.

 

[houmatroy]

Really, who gives a crap, fatman.
Archie is Archie and he probably never wasted his time trying to be bigger than your friends.
Don't you ever get tired of pounding your chest like a little monkey?
Sure gets tiring on this end, Eric.

Another hater !!!!:bash:

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

Hate is a pretty harsh word. I like everyone and a person can always find good in anyone if they look hard enuff.

 

[Fatboy]

Really, who gives a crap, fatman.
Archie is Archie and he probably never wasted his time trying to be bigger than your friends.
Don't you ever get tired of pounding your chest like a little monkey?
Sure gets tiring on this end, Eric.

i do thats who.

come see me and say that to me....

 

[wahcheck]

is that right?

I heard Phil Ivey won a reported 3-12 million on prop bets at this years WSOP and they have not even finished the final table yet........Ron

3-12 million is a pretty wide range........my own observations and opinion about gambling in this manner is that it really doesn't matter how much you win; it somehow always finds its way back to the table anyway....it might take some time, but the money always finds its way back to the table....and if you're one of those young guys with many thousands or millions in action all the time, all you'd end up with at the end might be just the memories of the money....

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

come see me and say that to me

I offered to have a beer with you the last time I was in Vegas but that wasn't good enuff. If thats what it takes to have a beer with you then I guess I will. I'll call you before I come next May.

 

[u12armresl]

Neither of the two people you call haters are hating. It gets old whe he keeps popping off about this or that and then won't back it up. What happened to his friends who bet bigger than Archie. Why even say that and then not offer names. Oh I know why because he needs to pound his chest again

have a beer with him Troy and you'll get an hour of look at me stories. It would be easy to just sau Archie is a great gambler but fatboy knows more friends

 

[Fatboy]

I offered to have a beer with you the last time I was in Vegas but that wasn't good enuff. If thats what it takes to have a beer with you then I guess I will. I'll call you before I come next May.

sure it was good enough, i was super busy with biz, i aint made $$$ in 17 months, i'd like to meet up with you 702-241-8000

 

[houmatroy]

Neither of the two people you call haters are hating. It gets old whe he keeps popping off about this or that and then won't back it up. What happened to his friends who bet bigger than Archie. Why even say that and then not offer names. Oh I know why because he needs to pound his chest again

have a beer with him Troy and you'll get an hour of look at me stories. It would be easy to just sau Archie is a great gambler but fatboy knows more friends

I just think ur assessment of him is just a lil harsh...It's genetically embedded in our nature as men to be proud of what our accomplishments...Same thing at the gym...That's why it's wall to wall with mirrors..It's for all the guys to..for 1 to make sure you using proper technique..but also so we can flex and see the dividends of the hard work that we have beeb putting in...My last Harley I had i put alot of work & money in it to trick it out & I was proud of the finished product...I see him trying to be humble even tho he has accomplished alot in his life...and if traces of self worth & pride creep out in the process so be it...He deserves it...He earned it...I've been around alot of people with huge fortunes...alot if not most of them are so much into themselves that anybody else in the same room..the rooms way too crowded...I just don't sense the same with Eric...that's just my take...i might be wrong but usually i'm a pretty good judge of character.

 

[Fatboy]

I just think ur assessment of him is just a lil harsh...It's genetically embedded in our nature as men to be proud of what our accomplishments...Same thing at the gym...That's why it's wall to wall with mirrors..It's for all the guys to..for 1 to make sure you using proper technique..but also so we can flex and see the dividends of the hard work that we have beeb putting in...My last Harley I had i put alot of work & money in it to trick it out & I was proud of the finished product...I see him trying to be humble even tho he has accomplished alot in his life...and if traces of self worth & pride creep out in the process so be it...He deserves it...He earned it...I've been around alot of people with huge fortunes...alot if not most of them are so much into themselves that anybody else in the same room..the rooms way too crowded...I just don't sense the same with Eric...that's just my take...i might be wrong but usually i'm a pretty good judge of character.

im proud of what i have accomplished, it dosent make me a better person. I dont look down at anyone one. I put my pants on one leg at a time like anyone else. Nothing I have in my life didnt come with a stuggle or easy.

For example I have been working on a big tattoo on my back, I did post a pic of it here, but I havent taken my shirt off to show it to more than 3 or 4 people, I did it for me, like my cars-I got them cause I enjoyed them. When the car guys got to gether back in the day the cars were the thing, when the cars started to define the people driving them-I dropped out of the scene and I was one of the guys with a Enzo so I was getting respect for what I owned not for the content of my charicter, I didnt like that. I want to be respected for who I am not what I own. When I talk about what I have I'm not trying to get respect-I like to share and let people enjoy things.

 

[houmatroy]

im proud of what i have accomplished, it dosent make me a better person. I dont look down at anyone one. I put my pants on one leg at a time like anyone else. Nothing I have in my life didnt come with a stuggle or easy.

For example I have been working on a big tattoo on my back, I did post a pic of it here, but I havent taken my shirt off to show it to more than 3 or 4 people, I did it for me, like my cars-I got them cause I enjoyed them. When the car guys got to gether back in the day the cars were the thing, when the cars started to define the people driving them-I dropped out of the scene and I was one of the guys with a Enzo so I was getting respect for what I owned not for the content of my charicter, I didnt like that. I want to be respected for who I am not what I own. When I talk about what I have I'm not trying to get respect-I like to share and let people enjoy things.

I sense that about you Eric...The old saying that you can't please all the people all the time sure is true...All the stories of a persons life is either the places they have been & stuff they have done or the things they have or have seen...I can't imagine taking all them elements out the Equation and anybody being able to hold a conversation...lol....Just be yourself & keep it real & don't worry bout the ones that don't know u...Like i've said before..A persons true friends will say the same things in front ya as they will behind ya..good or bad....If i hear something a lil negative from 1 of my true friends then I might ahve to take a 2nd look at it..whatever the it is...but the ones that don't know me i take it at face value.

 

[mark8950]

Whos the greatest gambler?

Well u guys left out the greatest gambler. "action jackson" larry tillery oh have u forgot the boy from beaumont texas! Sparky! Guess u forgot jay?