The Ashley Revell Story: The Man Who Bet it All on Red
In 2004, a man from Maidstone, Kent, made a life-changing decision. He decided to risk his life’s worth and all of his belongings in a single round of roulette. He would either double his net worth, or lose it all and have to start over from scratch. This is the story of Ashley Revell.
If this is your first time hearing about Ashley Revell, you’re in for a treat: this is a true story that has been embedded in casino lore. We’ll explain who he is and what motivated him to take such a dramatic risk in what is truly one of the craziest roulette bets. And of course, we’ll divulge what happened at the roulette table and how it permanently altered his life course.
Ashley Revell’s Story
A bachelor with no kids at age 32, Ashley Revell had very little reigning him in. Accustomed to pulling wild stunts in the past, he felt like perhaps the end was nearing for his unhinged lifestyle. Friends were getting married and raising families. Revell, however, was an avid gambler; he was a professional poker player who thrived on making bets all of the time, and on this occasion, he wanted to make what he considered to be the purest bet of all—and one that would have a lasting result. He determined to bet every penny he had in a single round at a roulette table in a casino in Las Vegas. While he wasn’t sure which colour he’d take early on in the venture, he knew he’d be taking one of the 50/50 Red/Black options for a more balanced approach to a wild bet.
With the new goal in mind, Revell went about selling everything he owned. He even sold all of his clothes and had to rent a tuxedo to enter the chosen casino in Las Vegas when he was ready to make the bet. Revell’s total bankroll was £76,840 (roughly $135,300 in USD) at that time, and he did later admit in an interview that he felt a little disappointed that his entire life’s worth was not more than that. On April 11, he entered the Plaza Hotel and Casino with this crew. He would later reveal that the support he received from his friends was a chief motivating factor for him to see his bet through. His father, on the other hand, did not approve of the venture.
As he approached the table, cameras for Sky One recorded all of the action. The croupier recited the legally-bound preamble, stating that the casino did not approve of a gambler betting their life’s worth in a round of roulette, but that they understood that this was an adventure that Revell had thought through. In that moment, Revell had the opportunity to pick a colour; he chose red as a reaction to the crowd. The croupier put the wheel in motion and launched the ball in the opposite direction; it rolled and rolled until it finally settled on No. 7: Red.
The crowd cheered and Revell looked bewildered. His crazy bet came through, and his net worth jumped to $270,600 USD. He was thrilled, but swore to never make such a crazy bet again. That was the final stunt in his series of risky ventures. Revell used the winnings to launch an online poker site called Poker UTD; however the venture was short lived, as the site went out of business in 2012 due to frozen US accounts. Years later, he launched a website called iGaming Recruitment that connected applicants to job offers advertised by online casino gaming companies.
Revell’s story has been the inspiration behind many productions. Sky One filmed the entire event from start to finish and turned it into the mini documentary series called Double or Nothing. He was also the focus of one episode of E! called “THS Investigates Vegas: Winners & Losers.” His stunt was also the muse for Simon Cowell’s Red or Black? game show that aired from 2011 to 2012. Lastly, an episode of the series Las Vegas called “One Nation, Under Surveillance” followed his story, which has gone down in history as the craziest roulette bet.
Play Roulette at Bodog Casino
While we don’t recommend following Revell’s path, we do recommend playing roulette and other table games recreationally right here at Bodog Casino. We have two versions of roulette on tap: American Roulette and European Roulette. The American version has both a zero (0) and double-zero (00) on the wheel, which results in a higher house edge than the European version. In addition to having just the single-zero on the wheel, the European version has French call bets that give you three alternative betting options in the Voisins du Zero, Tiers du Cylindre and Orphelins.
For both versions of roulette, you can play a classic rendition, or a more modern version that is well suited for smaller screens, like smartphones and tablets. The Classic games aim to recreate the setting of a real casino, with a table and chips on screen.
If live roulette is more your style, check out the Roulette page in our Live Dealer Casino. Again, you can choose between the American wheel and the European wheel when you play live. There are several croupiers to choose from for each variant, and the croupier will greet you when you join the table. There is even one version that doesn’t include a croupier at all: the AutoRoulette game. This is the same game you’d find in a bricks-and-mortar casino that operates independently of a dealer.
Each croupier has three different table limits, making it easy to find a game that will suit your bankroll. The lowest range is $1 to $300, the middle-range is $5 to $1,500, and the highest range is $10 to $3,000. For more information on the best way to play roulette online, check out our article: Online Roulette Strategy Tips. Enjoy the game and good luck on the outcome.