When it comes to gambling stories, you may be familiar with the name of Ashley Revell, not least because his derring-do was chronicled by the reality television series ‘Double or Nothing’, which was broadcast live on Sky One in 2004. As per CasinoGambler.co.uk, Revell, who hails from Maidstone, Kent, was 32 at the time, single and childless. In fact, he described his Las Vegas escapade, which involved placing his entire life savings on a single spin of a roulette wheel as ‘almost like my last chance to go mad’.
‘Mad’ was the operative word in his plan – hatched during a drinking session with friends – but Revell eventually received approval from his parents for his one-off, do-or-die bet. He left his job and sold everything he owned, including his BMW car, Rolex watch and other treasured possessions to build his bankroll. On his arrival in Las Vegas, Revell attempted, unsuccessfully, to increase his stake by gambling with a small proportion of his kitty.
Revell said at the time, ‘I thought I was worth at least £100,000’, but ultimately had to settle for the not insubstantial sum of £76,840, which he placed on red in a red/black bet at 1:1. A hundred or so spectators had gathered at the Plaza Hotel & Casino to discover his fate and, as television cameras focused on the final throes of the roulette ball, erupted in riotous celebration. The end result; seven red, which netted Revell £153,680.
More recently, in 2019, Revell returned to the scene of what he described as ‘the most amazing moment of my life’ to place a ceremonial bet on what was, at the time, the only single-zero roulette table in downtown Las Vegas. Jonathan Jossel, CEO of the Plaza Hotel & Casino, said, ‘Ashley is an exciting part of the Plaza’s history.’
