Poker Columns
Thursday, November 30, 2023
open/closeDan Ippolito

As Casino City's associate editor, Dan produces and edits all of our weekly newsletters, and he writes about the gaming industry for our websites and the GPWA Times Magazine. Dan graduated from Marist College in 2017 with a degree in Communications and a concentration in Sports.

> More about Dan Ippolito
> More articles by Dan Ippolito


open/closeFeatured Authors

Top 10 land-based jackpot wins of summer 2022
 
19 September 2022
By Dan Ippolito

Every time I step into a casino, a thought that always pops into my head is “maybe today I’ll get lucky and hit a crazy jackpot.”

Obviously knowing how rare that can be, I don’t get my hopes up, but as a gambler, you always have those “what if” moments come to mind. That said, there are players who do experience that incredible fortune and walk away with life-changing amounts of money.

With the first official day of fall here in the U.S. coming on Thursday, let’s take a look back at some of the massive payouts that took place at land-based casinos this summer.

10. $361,706
Last month, a lucky player had a massive day at Border Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma, hitting a $uper Hit$ Jackpot$ progressive jackpot for $361,706 on the Star Spangled 7s Super Hits slot game.

$uper Hit$ Jackpot$ is a three-reel mechanical wide area progressive with a starting jackpot of $250,000. Games featuring $uper Hit$ Jackpot$ include Bourbon Street, Ca$h Barn, Crazy Cherry, Gems & Jewels, Hot Red Ruby, The King of Coin, Lucky Ducky, Mr. Money Bags, Reel Fever, Smooth as Silk, and Star Spangled Sevens.

9. $391,172
Lisa Ferber hit a Mega Progressive Jackpot of $391,172 playing Three Card Poker at The Cromwell on Wednesday, 31 August.

Lisa, who frequently visits the Las Vegas Strip from New York, planned to use her winnings to pay for her son’s college.

8. $490,708
After months of anticipation, the $1,226,765 poker bad beat jackpot hit on 26 August at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh.

One player had four aces and was beaten by another player with a royal flush, yet the "loser of the hand" earned $490,708, the largest share of the jackpot.

This win happened in a $1-$3 game of No-Limit Texas Hold’em and the winner of the hand earned the second-highest payout of $368,029, while the remaining six players at the table each won $61,338.

7. $543,619
A Las Vegas resident had a memorable visit to California Hotel & Casino when she hit a Face Up Pai Gow Poker progressive jackpot of more than $543,000 on Friday, 17 June.

The lucky winner, who requested to remain anonymous, hit a seven-card straight flush in hearts, capturing a Pai Gow Poker progressive jackpot of $543,619.

To win the jackpot, she placed a $25 bet with an additional $1 bet to be eligible for a chance to win the progressive jackpot. She also placed a fortune bonus side bet of $5 that won her an additional $25,000.

6. $878,682
Alan Davila hit a mega jackpot while playing Ultimate Texas Hold'em at The Cromwell in Las Vegas on Thursday, 28 July. Alan played the game for two hands before winning $878,682. Not many people can say they have come away with that kind of profit from just two hands of a gambling session.

Alan and his parents were visiting Las Vegas on vacation from Mexico. He planned to save his winnings to pay for his university tuition.

5. $1,040,235
On 21 July, a player at The Venetian Las Vegas was dealt a million-dollar hand.

The guest, who wished to remain anonymous, was playing Three Card Poker and was dealt a spade royal flush. He made the $5 side bet making him eligible to win the mega tier of the resort’s Millionaire Progressive for $1,040,235.

The progressive is available on several table games: Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Three Card Poker, Let it Ride, Crazy 4 Poker and Mississippi Stud in both The Venetian and The Palazzo casinos.

4. $1,099,858
One lucky winner hit a grand jackpot of over $1 million with a $25 bet at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek in Florida.

The guest was playing the Aristocrat Dragon Link Golden Century slot machine on Wednesday, 24 August and left with $1,099,858.

The progressive was reset to $1 million. The Dragon Link progressive jackpot can be found at Seminole Coconut Creek Casino, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood and Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa.

3. $1,200,000
On 25 July, Jamul Casino in California awarded $1.2 million to Phuc Nguyen from San Diego.

Phuc, who plays several times a month, bet $5 to win the jackpot while playing Super 4 Blackjack Progressive. The winning hand occurred when the royal flush in diamonds was dealt.

With the winnings, Phuc planned to spend time with his family and go on vacation.

2. $1,242,234
Seminole Coconut Creek Casino wasn’t the only location to have a player hit that jackpot in the last few months.

On 30 August, a guest was playing Aristocrat Gaming's Dragon Link Golden Century slot machine at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa when the massive $1,242,234 progressive jackpot cashed.

1. $1,668,961
A slots player at 4 Bears Casino & Lodge, located in New Town, North Dakota, hit a jackpot totaling more than $1.6 million in late June.

Elton Spotted Horse from Mandaree, North Dakota won $1,668,961 while playing Dancing Drums Explosion.

Mr. Spotted Horse won the million-dollar jackpot by matching three Explosion symbols in the Fu Babies bonus on a $5.88 bet.

Back to Columns

open/closeExpert Poker Strategy
More Strategy Articles >>
open/closeLatest Poker News
More Poker News >>

PokerZone is owned by Casino City, an independent directory and information service not affiliated with any casino. Warning: You must ensure you meet all age and other regulatory requirements before entering a casino or placing a wager. There are hundreds of jurisdictions in the world with Internet access and hundreds of different games and gambling opportunities available on the Internet. Do not assume that Internet gaming sites are in compliance with the rules and regulations of every jurisdiction from which they accept players. YOU are responsible for determining if it is legal for YOU to play any particular game or place any particular wager under the laws of the jurisdiction where you are located.