Big winnings in baccarat
Baccarat has traditionally been the game of the rich and powerful. In earlier times this game was preferred by the nobility, nowadays it’s in vogue amongst oil tycoons, directors of international enterprises and investment bankers. Although regular folk do play baccarat too, games played by the powerful stir the imagination more. Baccarat is frequently played by politicians, actors and musicians. Some of the famous baccarat players are Michael Jordan, Sean Connery and Jackie Chan. Baccarat was also James Bond’s favourite game, but there are some other baccarat players who deserve to be mentioned among the greatest.
First is Akio Kashiwagi, a Japanese real estate investor who was famous for regularly playing baccarat for large sums of money. He would bet up to $200,000 a hand, once winning over $6 million in Atlantic City in 1990. After winning this huge amount in February, he was back at the same baccarat table in later that year, however, this time he was less lucky and lost over $10 million in one day. Although he was a successful businessman and owned a huge enterprise, baccarat was Akio Kashiwagi’s true passion. He never wagered less than $100,000 and won quite regularly, although not quite as often as he lost. His $10 million loss became one of the biggest losses in the baccarat history.
Frank Scoblete is another great baccarat player who dedicated his life to study of this game. He also wrote several books on the subject, including ‘Baccarat Battle Book’ which became a best-seller. Scoblete has become something of a legend and his name is known to every gambler. He became interested in gambling after doing some research for the role of a gambler for a play his theatre company was producing. Time spent in Atlantic City made him realise that he liked gambling more than acting. Afterwards he sold his share of the theatre company and in the following years spent the majority of his time in casinos. Although in his books he gives advice on how to avoid losing in baccarat, his own losses on occasion amounted to tens of thousands of dollars. Not as astonishing as Akio Kashiwagi’s loss, but quite nonetheless. Scoblete also has won over $100,000 several times, but it’s not known for how long he managed to hang on to this money.
Last but not least is Kerry Packer. An avid gambler, playing both baccarat and blackjack, he is famous for his gigantic wins and losses. In 1997 he won over $20 million at MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas. Afterwards he switched to blackjack and lost $28 million.