Would You Bet It All on a Spin of the Roulette Wheel?

_{Ashley Revell placed his life savings on red at a Plaza Las Vegas roulette table. (Image: Panoramic Images / Alamy)}

When it comes to money, it is safe to say that it is not easy to come but it can be easy to go. We all understand the struggle to earn money and the journey we take in life to balance our spending with possibly saving for our futures. 

Anyone willing to sell absolutely everything they own and bet the proceeds on the spin of a roulette wheel would in most of our minds fall into the'must be crazy’ category. There are not many instances when this has happened, which backs that theory. 

There was, however, one man who quite rationally and calmly decided he would do just that, no roulette strategy involved.

Ashley Revell was 32 years old when all around his friends were getting married and settling into a ‘normal’ life in the UK. Ashley tells the story on a YouTube video and says he was ‘at a loose end’ and that he always looked upon gambling to be an easy way of making money. 

Ashley Gets Crazy Thought of Betting it all in Las Vegas 

Ashley used to frequent casinos with a friend, and they would win modest sums on poker and lose money playing blackjack. It was a bit of a spiral of won some lose some and it wasn’t good. 

_{Ashley gambled it all, his $136,000 bet came after selling everything he owned. (Image: Courtesy of Plaza Hotel and Casino)}

Ashely then had what he called a ‘crazy thought’. He suggested to his friend that they stop frittering away their money and just sell everything and use it on one bet. His friend agreed but when it came to the time for action, his friend pulled out. Ashley decided to go ahead without him.  

TV Company Jumps at Chance to Follow Ashley’s Gamble 

One of Ashley’s friends was working for a production company and suggested that it would be a brilliant idea for a TV programme. Very soon, Sky TV were involved and decided to commission a documentary following Ashley’s incredible and risky venture.  

Sky decided to make a three-part programme. The first followed Ashley selling everything, including his BMW and a Rolex watch. Asheley even sold his name for £10,000. The second would follow Ashley at the casino, where he would place his bet. The third would film the aftermath, win or lose.  

Ashely was only interested in making as much money as he could in order to maximise his winnings IF he won.

Ashley recalls, "I sold absolutely everything. I own nothing. I had one outfit of clothes that I was wearing. I hired a tuxedo, which was for the betting, and then I had my life savings as well. That was about $30,000. The total amount that I managed to raise was $136,000.” 

Ashley was consumed by the project and the next step was to fly to Las Vegas and find a casino to make his bet. He said, "When the plane was coming into land and you see all the casinos all lit up, it was almost like I've died and gone to heaven.”  

Casino Pulls Out of Bet

Everything was going to plan when suddenly the Hard Rock Casino, who had agreed to take his bet, decided to pull out. Ashely said that the reason was because of concerns over scammers operating at the casino at the time. He was devastated and it looked like it was all off. 

_{Revell went back to Plaza for its new roulette table in 2019, where he places it all on red again...(Image: Courtesy of Plaza Hotel and Casino)}

Ashley said: “At the time in the news there was a group, they were European, and they were going around scamming roulette tables. So, they were using some electronic device. I think they had it in their shoes: when the ball went past a certain point, they would click their left shoe and when the ball went past a certain number, they clicked their right shoe and eventually it would give an indication of a segment it would land on. 

"It wouldn't be specific to a number, but they then bet on that. Perhaps they thought that I was doing that, but I had no reason to cheat. I didn't have the knowledge to do it, and I didn't want to cheat.”

Ashely questioned his idea when Hard Rock pulled out, "I was thinking it was a silly drunken idea, and it escalated.” 

Plaza Casino Steps in to Take Bet 

After months of work, it looked like it was not going to happen for Ashley. The company decided to try other casinos, and it was the Plaza Casino that eventually said yes to the bet. It was a huge relief for Ashley, who went to meet with the casino owners.  

Ashley was surprised when a man wearing a big Stetson hat came forward to greet him. He said: It was a guy wearing a big Stetson and he had a big emerald ring on his finger. He said, ‘Hey, I didn't get where I am today without gambling.’

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

With cameras rolling, Ashley went to the casino cage and withdrew the money in chips. His thoughts? ‘This is my life.’   

He adds, "It doesn't look a lot when it's in chips. I think I had everything I owned in my hands and they were casino chips. The only decision I had to make was to pick red or black. I was thinking black, but to be honest, I'm going to decide when I'm at the table. So I was, as I was walking along, hoping for some divine inspiration, and I wasn't getting that.”  

Ashley left the decision right up until the last seconds. All around family and friends who had been flown out to Las Vegas by the TV company were cheering and crying.  The atmosphere was electric, and, in that moment, Ashley had to decide.   

"I looked around and thought well. Red or black. I had nothing else to think about. It was the biggest decision of my life. It was going to be red. I had to say red or black within two spins of the roulette wheel. 

"So, when they throw the white ball around, it does a few circuits but I had to make my decision within two of those circuits so it would be no better. For some reason I asked to kiss the ball, and I immediately said read and pushed all my chips on red.” 

Atmosphere in Casino Was Electric

Suddenly the casino fell silent as the crowd waited in anticipation for the wheel to stop and the future for Ashley to be determined. Was he going to walk away penniless or having doubled his money?

_{...and won. (Image: Courtesy of Plaza Hotel and Casino)}

Speaking about his feelings at that time, Ashley recalled, “It was like being in a vacuum of silence. That moment in time, I realised that I had nothing. It is almost like when you're a baby, you come out with nothing; you're naked and I was, apart from the higher tuxedo I was wearing. The reality of it was if it went on black, I'd be without anything in Las Vegas, pretty much destitute. I could lose everything.” 

Shouldn’t Have Done it in the First Place 

We won’t keep you in suspense for much longer. The wheel did stop and as Ashley looked down, he also heard euphoria in the background. It was red. 

As Ashley was congratulated by friends and family, he realised he had had a lucky escape. “In that moment I had doubled my money and turned it into $272,000. I didn't lose you; just thank God. Don't do that again. 

"That was a silly thing to do. I didn't really consider going again. It's a question that's been asked to me a few times since. People say, ‘You should have done it again’. I shouldn't have done it again. I shouldn't have done it in the first place.   

“When I look back at the TV programme, I just see just this real arrogant twit. Actually, I still hope that he loses when I watch it. That was me and I think you've got to have that sort of arrogance to even consider doing it. It changed me a lot. 

"You know I'm not the same person. I wasn't the same person 5 minutes after doing the bet than I was before, and it was such an adrenaline rush. It was just crazy, and I would never ever do anything that insane ever again.”