Man who bet entire life savings on single roulette spin believes he'd have been better off losing
Twenty years is a long time, but the story of a 'plucky Brit' who went to Las Vegas to double his life savings keeps cropping back up.
Just ask Ashley Revell, who is the poker expert in question that made global headlines back in 2004 after appearing on a reality show that saw him gamble more than £70,000 in an instant.
Ashley, from Maidstone, made the huge punt on Sky One reality show called Double or Nothing, putting £76,840 ($135,300) all on red at the Plaza Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas.
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He'd sold everything to finance the bet, including his house, clothes and valuables.
Thankfully, he won and walked away with more than £150,000 in his pocket.
But speaking to LADbible, Ashley reckons he might have been even better off if he had lost.
He said he'd 'do it again' if he found himself in the same situation as he 'couldn't lose, really'.
Ashley explained: "It was a no brainer. I'd have got the publicity from it even if I had lost."
He said that because of the American obsession with Las Vegas and the gambling industry he'd 'still have made money off of the back of it all'.
Ashley added: "Americans like the concept of the plucky Brit coming over and taking over Vegas.
"The press I'd have got from the show if I had lost would have carried me.
"Of course, without the TV programme I would have said no chance [to making the bet]."
Ashley revealed that there was even meant to be another part to the show but because he won the bet, it wasn't really needed with the story complete.
After winning the bet, Ashley found himself walking around Vegas with more than £150,000 in his pocket; something he admitted was 'very dangerous'.
As a lover of poker, one of his first moves was to enter the World Series of Poker which had always been a dream of his.
The move saw him put '£10,000 down the swanny', he says, but he doesn't regret it one bit.
Ashley would go on to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and This Morning before using some of his winnings to go on the ‘trip of a lifetime’ travelling across Europe on a motorbike - where he ended up meeting the woman he would later marry.
Ashley spent five years after the show running an online poker room which he says was only possible due to the fame and conversation starter he had by appearing on the Sky reality show.
Now, he has gone all in once again on a new tech start up business called Four.me.
Ashley put all that he has into the business, which he says is on the cutting edge of where digital markets can go through bespoke URLs that include coloured lettering.
He said: "I've always been a lucky person and a positive guy, so I'm hoping this can turn into another win."
Topics: Gambling, Money, TV and Film
Tom Earnshaw