Before the advent of internet gambling, most casual players wouldn’t even think of going close to a Baccarat table. The game was a special reserve for the wealthy high rollers and no wonder some legends of the game have won fortunes. Which begs the question; what are the biggest wins in the colorful history of Baccarat? This article has the answers!
Akio Kashiwagi was a real estate businessperson born in 1937 in Japan. Kashiwagi was a successful real estate developer known for his extravagant lifestyle, including high-stakes gambling at several regulated casinos in Australia and the United States. In fact, he was involved in several gambling feuds with Donald Trump, a fellow businessman and former US president.
Kashiwagi started gambling in the 80s, betting up to $100,000 on Baccarat tables. Most casinos called him a “whale” due to his massive stakes and wins. In January 1990, Kashiwagi won $22 million at an Australian casino, a victory that made him famous worldwide. Unfortunately, some unknown people murdered Kashiwagi in January 1992.
Kerry Francis Packer was born in 1937 in Sydney, Australia, and died in December 2005. Before his death, he was a media tycoon and one of Australia’s most influential personalities in the 20th century. His family owned Publishing and Broadcasting Limited, which went defunct in December 2007.
Like Kashiwagi, Kerry Packer was also an avid philanthropist and gambler, playing for significant wins and losses alike. He currently has the record for the biggest gambling loss in the United Kingdom after a 3-day losing streak at casinos in London in 1999. But he was also a winner, once walking away with an AUD 33 million win at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Casino.
It’s correct to say Phil Ivey is more popular in poker than in baccarat. The 46-year-old has 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, winning his first career bracelet in 2000. Ivey also has 31 WSOP final tables and 59 money finishes while dominating other competitions like the World Poker Tour and European Poker Tour.
But he is also extremely good (lucky) at other gambling forms, including baccarat. He is currently a member of the Baccarat Hall of Fame after showing a dominant display in 2012. Ivey and his assistant, Kelly Sun, made a fortune playing casino games in Atlantic City and London.
They would normally deposit $1 million for a private baccarat table with special requests to make things easier. For example, one of their conditions was to play with live dealers who exclusively communicate in Mandarin, allowing Sun to ask for “favors” without the management noticing anything. This led to multiple edge sorting scandals, with casinos accusing Ivey of cheating.
Besides the famous Baccarat players above, others who have won big at this table game include:
