According to the traditional Irish proverb, ‘Good luck beats early rising’, and the saying has never been better exemplified than by the fortuity experienced by Honolulu postal worker John Tippin at the Las Vegas Hilton in January, 1996. Holidaying in Sin City during Super Bowl weekend, Tippin, 50, invested $9 for three spins on the ‘Megabucks’ progressive jackpot slot machine; on his third and final spin, he lined up four jackpot-winning ‘Megabucks’ symbols on the bottom pay line and won $11.97 million. In so doing, he beat the previous world record for a slot machine payout, $10.8 million, set on a similar machine elsewhere in Las Vegas the previous October.
Reflecting on his windfall, Tippin said, ‘I was getting ready to play another machine when it happened. I wasn’t even trying for it.’ He added, ‘It’s surreal. The first thing I realized is my life just changed as I know it. It has me thinking about sleeping in in the morning.’
Five years later, alongside biographer Lance Tominaga, also from Hawaii, Tippin co-authored the book, ‘I Did It! My Life After Megabucks’. The purpose of the book, according to Tippin, was to tell his story in, more or less, his own words and to provide a cautionary tale for anyone following, or likely to follow, in his footsteps. The narrative chronicles his life, and that of his wife, Stella, since he became a multimillionaire and does not shy away from the difficulties, emotional, financial and social, that he experienced as a result. Tippin died peacefully at home in Honolulu in August, 2020, aged 74.
Dominic LoRiggio is a famous “Master Craps Player” in the world of gambling. He is also called as “the man with the golden arm” and “the dominator”. He had mastered the art of controlling dice by spending hours, learning the technique on the craps table. This technique requires you to grab the dice and toss it in such a way that both the dices will fly to strike the back wall and will conclude with the roll as per your wish.
Early life and biography
Dominic is a famous and well-known personality in the gambling world but information about his personal and private life is still unknown. According to some resources, he was born in the USA during the middle of the twentieth century where he did his schooling and worked as a clerk for few years. Then he decided to stop his job and switch his profession to craps.
During the late 1980s, he started his gambling career as a card counter, and then afterwards, he focused on beating craps casino games.
Dominic LoRiggio achievements in gambling
During his initial gambling days, he realized that there should be a system of rolling dice of necessary combinations. He invented new tactics, rolling force, hand positions, and few innovative techniques to throw the dices. Slowly he figured out different ways to throw the dices to get the result as per his wish. He developed few controlled shooting techniques and instructed his partner, the same technique. Together they started ruling all the casinos of Las Vegas.
Dominic used to play control shooting technically which was not illegal yet casinos put a ban on it. Casinos will spot an eye on that shooter who eyes on their banks and force them to make their move differently. Despite not cheating unlike other casino players, he was banned from the gambling institution.
But this did not stop Dominic in any way. He managed to move to the largest casino in the US where he became a well-known member of North American continent casinos.
Afterward, Dominic stopped gambling and started playing Poker, Slots, Blackjack, And Pai Gow. He eventually mastered these games too. However, he received many awards for playing Pai Gow.
Conclusion
Till now, LoRiggio had not left the gambling world. This hero is now appearing on television and teaching new gamblers his theory and tactics of control shooting. He with his partner has also started his own business of training people in his leisure time.
The gambling fans must have heard the name of Virginia McDowell. Prior President and Chief Executive of Isle of Capri Casinos Inc, Virginia is a sparkle in the gaming industry. After gambling was legalised in New Jersey, mc Dowell vaunts 35 years of experience in the casino industry. She has received many exalted awards for her excellent flair for gambling.
Virginia, a leading lady in the gaming industry
Probably there are very few gamblers who have not heard of Virginia, a grand boss in the gambling industry. During her 35 years of profession in the gaming industry, she has shown her awesome innovations in gambling. Currently, she is an elected head of Global Gaming Women. This is a non-profit organization that aims to inspire and support the development of women in the gaming industry. Virginia serves Isle of Capri Casino Inc. as a president and CEO. She is the sole female president and directed a major gaming operating company.
Why did she choose gambling despite being a journalist?
Virginia aimed to work in broadcast journalism. She was very liable for booking guests and working with the producers. Later she has chosen gambling which never means she doesn’t like her work. The prospect of getting in on the ground floor of a dynamic new industry mystifies her. So, she started researching gaming and casinos. She saw the potential for professional growth and determined to apply for the position at Bally’s Park Place.
Virginia’s contribution to bringing women into the gaming industry
When Virginia was launching her gaming career in Atlantic City, she found a shortage of candidates for management positions and a huge opportunity for employees who were intensive to work hard in the gaming industry. But she found women were less accepted and faced a solid battle while applying for the management position. She tried hard for bringing women into the gaming industry. Nowadays, women show about 50% of the workforce of the gaming industry in the US. Today, women are greatly substantiating in the senior management ranks including the C-suit and so on.
Virginia’s perception about Donald Trump’s entertainment resorts
Virginia McDowell was an executive VP of Donald Trump. So she was asked about Trump’s entertainment resorts. She said that Donald Trump loves his family a lot. The sensation of him is as an entrepreneur and a high profile in the glitterati. According to Virginia’s speech, that’s absolute and he is a very discreet businessman. She also said that people might be surprised if they saw Donald Trump pastime with his little boy.
Oswald Jacoby, an American contract bridge players and recognized as one of the greatest bridge players worldwide. He was also a reformer of the game and an author. He had a bunch of knowledge about bridge game as well some other game like backgammon, gin rummy and poker.
Jacoby’s initial pace towards gaming
This Jewish descent prominent player has started playing bridge for the first time at the age of 10. During the first World War, he joined the army yet invested a lot of time there playing poker. Isn’t it very fascinating? He was also very good at mathematics and could multiply 3-4 digit numbers on his head without any assistance of paper. He was referred to as a human computer during World War –II. As he had processed an excessive talent, soon he became a very prominent gamer. His passion and lifelong concentration were games, especially bridge.
Jacoby’s Bridge Career
Jacoby had become very famous as a player of contract bridge and auction. So, Sidney Lenz chose him to be his co-partner in the Culbertson-Lenz match, he has gained international recognition. Jacoby was a quite different player than any other ordinary one. He dominated tournaments as he was a part of the ‘Four Horsemen’ and the ‘Four Aces’. Jacoby also introduced many bridging ideas, including the Jacoby 2NT and Jacoby transfer bids and won Bermuda Bowl by captaining North American and US teams. His son, wife and co-author, James Jacoby were his partner during his long playing career. In 1983, he attended his final tournament at North American Bridge Championships. He won the personality of the year in the same year.
Jacoby’s Bridge Accomplishments
Jacoby wins many championship and tournaments. He wins IBL World Championship, North American Bridge Championship; Vanderbilt, Asbury park trophy, Spingold etc. and so on. Jacoby receives the Charles H. Goren award which is one of the best achievement of his career life. He also got McKenny Trophy and Herman Trophy.
Jacoby as a famous writer
Throughout his career life, Jacoby worked as a prolific writer, writing more than 10,000 newspaper articles on poker, gin rummy, bridge, the mathematics of card games and gambling and canasta. The backgammon book, Jacoby on card games, The fireside book of cards, complete canasta, How to play winning bridge are some of his very famous publications.
Jacoby, a pioneer of bridge players, died in 1995.