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USA Today
2 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
Oilers, Connor McDavid are sportsbook liabilities in the Stanley Cup Final
Oilers, Connor McDavid are sportsbook liabilities in the Stanley Cup Final Welcome to Prince's Picks, a collection of betting news, analysis and opinions from BetFTW senior writer Prince J. Grimes. As the Stanley Cup Final gets set to begin tonight, it may feel like everyone outside of Florida is pulling for Connor McDavid to finally win his first cup and cement his legacy as one of the greatest players ever. However, don't count the sportsbook among those pulling for McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. It's not simply that Edmonton is a slim favorite to win the series, with 54% of tickets at BetMGM and 59% of money on an Oilers victory. It's also that an Oilers win would likely strengthen McDavid's case to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, which he's already a +100 favorite to win. Last week, McDavid was the second-biggest liability to win the award at BetMGM. With Mikko Rantanen now out of the race, the book is completely against McDavid -- though it doesn't want to see Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky (+250) win either. 'BetMGM is pulling for the Panthers in a Stanley Cup Finals rematch," BetMGM senior trader Matthew Rasp said in an email. "The Oilers have been a losing result for us all season, and we hope anyone besides Connor McDavid or Sergei Bobrovsky wins the Conn Smythe trophy.' As we saw last year, a Florida win doesn't necessarily mean McDavid won't still win the Conn Smythe, but it does give someone like Bobrovsky or Aleksander Barkov (+500) a better chance considering the roles they'd likely play in a potential Panthers triumph. After those three, Leon Draisaitl (+700) and Matthew Tkachuk (+2500) have the next best odds for the award. Edmonton is a -130 favorite on the moneyline for Game 1. McDavid to score a goal is the most popular prop at BetMGM. Did someone say Panthers? From the Florida Panthers to the Carolina Panthers. Only one of these teams has been a championship contender recently, but what if I told you that's about to change in 2025? What if I told you the Carolina cats are about to rise back to prominence -- and make it to the Super Bowl? Are you belly laughing yet? Yeah, I'll admit the thought of it was pretty funny to me too, but one eerie, totally not coincidental trend does make a convincing argument -- if you're prone to root for the Panthers -- that maybe just maybe Bryce Young has a chance to do something special this year. This is from OVIES and GIGLIO: Anyone who believes this trend means anything should go ahead and throw a couple bucks on Carolina's +6000 odds at BetMGM to win the NFC -- then immediately check yourself into a hospital to get examined. Sorry to bust bubbles, but as much as I believe Carolina is finally headed in the right direction, no way is this a team ready to push for a Super Bowl in 2025. The Panthers' odds to simply make the playoffs are +300. Show improve this season, and we can revisit this conversation a year from now. World Series of Poker The World Series of Poker got underway last week, and while I don't have much to report on that front until the main event gets started next month, here's a video of players giving themselves odds to get you warmed up:
New York Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
These Classic Dad Gifts Aren't Unique. And That's Exactly Why He'll Love Them.
Inspired by the architecture of the Windy City, this quartz-movement watch features a navy dial with gold-tone markers, a mineral-glass crystal, and a tan leather strap. It takes some work to break in these thick, high-quality gloves, which have the materials — and customer support — to ensure a long-lasting investment and great value in spite of the high up-front cost. From: The Best Gifts for Dads The official playing cards of the World Series of Poker are cut from a smooth, shatter- and warp-proof plastic that holds up to Hold 'Em–style peeking. A map of literally any location in the US can be etched into these beautiful crystal whiskey glasses from storied German glassmaker Riedel. From: The Best Gifts for Dads This bag stores tools vertically, keeping them organized, easy to find, and unlikely to shift around. You can carry it with either the shoulder strap or the handles. From: The Best Toolbox Despite being simple, small, and affordable, this soundbar outperforms many larger, more complicated competitors. But the package doesn't include surround speakers. From: The Best Soundbar Versatile enough to use on both saltwater and fresh, this fishing rod is as durable as a $100 rod can be, and it comes with a great warranty. It's available only as a one-piece rod, though, making it harder to store or travel with. From: The Best Fishing Rod for Most Anglers This new page-turning story of the Civil War's beginnings comes from the author of 'The Devil in the White City' and 'The Splendid and the Vile,' whose six popular history books have collectively sold more than 20 million copies. From: The Best Gifts for Dads What I Cover Hannah Morrill is an editor on Wirecutter's style team, spearheading the gifts and beauty sections. For the past decade, she has worked as a freelance writer and editor for publications such as Allure, Elle, and InStyle, among others. She lives in Portland, Maine, with her partner and their two children.
Wales Online
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
The high stakes poker event that has been making millionaires for 20 years
The high stakes poker event that has been making millionaires for 20 years The PokerStars European Poker Tour has just celebrated its 20th anniversary, and the EPT Monte Carlo festival is still one of the most prestigious events on the calendar The view from Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort during EPT Monte Carlo (Image: Tom Victor ) The European Poker Tour is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and the Monte Carlo tournament is a standout event in the poker calendar. During the recent PokerStars European Poker Tour event at Sporting Monte Carlo, commentator Joe Stapleton named it a quintessential experience for those looking to try their hand against top players. "I think that as far as the way that poker is regarded, there's different ways of looking at it," Stapleton told the Mirror. "Some people look at it as the World Series of Poker and a Vegas thing, some people look at it as a home game thing. "Some people look at it as a smoky room kind of thing. But some people look at it like the James Bond, tuxedos, Ferraris type of thing, and you get a little bit of that here. "And I think that's the sort of thing that is always going to be appealing - especially to people who haven't ever experienced it for themselves. I think Monte Carlo specifically is a great first experience for an EPT event." Even seasoned players like Noah Boeken, who attended the inaugural tournament in 2005, remain captivated by the event's atmosphere at the age of 44. Boeken, clearly still enamoured with the setting, shared his appreciation: "I love this room. I just sent my girlfriend a video of when the roof goes open at the start of the day and the end of the day when the curtains come up. It's beautiful. I love big spaces and this room is amazing." Article continues below Noah Boeken during EPT Monte Carl (Image: Danny Maxwell/Rational Intellectual Holdings Ltd 2025 ) Having clinched a title in Copenhagen during the tour's first season and pocketing €147,679 twenty years ago, Boeken is among the few from that time still participating. Reflecting on the early days, he said, "You'll always remember season one. "Rob Hollink won the first one here, a Dutch guy, a friend of mine. I won season one Copenhagen and that was on TV. "I remember they built a stage the same as they do now but there were 200 people watching. You can't imagine it now but back then it was like 'oh my god, the final's going on'." Boeken expressed his amazement at the longevity of the tour and his own journey within it, adding: "It's just amazing that this tour is still going on for 20 years and I'm happy to still be there. I used to be the youngest and now... I'm not the oldest but I'm not the youngest any more. As the tournament progresses, the stakes rise on day two, with players having invested €5,300 to compete, though some qualify for less through satellite events. The top 175 out of 1,195 will secure at least €8,500, while the champion stands to win a staggering million euros. Boeken managed to navigate a tense hour of gameplay, as the player count dwindled from 178 to 175. He clinched 129th place, pocketing just under $10,000 - marking his largest live cash win in 2025 so far, but a modest sum compared to larger earnings from earlier in his career. Joe Stapleton speaking at EPT Monte Carlo 2025 (Image: Danny Maxwell/Rational Intellectual Holdings Ltd 2025 ) Stapleton is set to join the live broadcast team alongside seasoned host James Hartigan. Hartigan started covering EPT Monte Carlo for PokerStars back in 2008 and describes his commentary role as akin to that of a commentator on Test Match Special, with the aim of enhancing the natural excitement of the players and gameplay while keeping viewers engaged. The poker tables often attract celebrated figures from various realms. Chris Eubank Jr has arrived for an exclusively organised cash game, and celebrities from sports and film circles have made appearances in previous years. "I remember Kevin Hart being here in 2017," Hartigan recounts. "Obviously we've had a lot of sports stars here over the years, Boris Becker, Rafa Nadal... we've had charity events here which people have come in specifically for, Neymar of course has played here for a few years. That's a huge part of poker, the fact that you never know who you're going to be sat down with, it's the only game in the world where you can be playing with elite professionals and celebrities and some bloke who lives three streets from you." A handful of poker professionals from the early days are still returning to the game. "I would say very few, but ironically what happened... you see people come and go, you see a few consistent faces, but post-pandemic you suddenly saw a lot of the faces you hadn't seen for maybe 10 or 15 years came back," Hartigan explained. "Because they had rediscovered poker online and then wanted to get back on the live circuit," he explains. "But there's one name who I'd always say is a consistent thread is Patrik Antonius. He lives here and jokes about the fact that he can literally walk to the venue, but he's also one of those few players who has just consistently remained competitive and relevant for all of those years, playing the highest stakes, still playing the super high rollers here. He is probably the person I associate with Monaco more than any other, partly because it's his home town but also because he still comes here and still plays the events here." Patrik Antonius has been a fixture on the European Poker Tour for 20 years (Image: Danny Maxwell/Rational Intellectual Holdings Ltd 2025 ) Antonius, the Finnish pro who clinched his first EPT main event in Baden in 2005, is among the contenders aiming to join the exclusive club of two-time winners. Victoria Coren Mitchell was the pioneer, securing her first win in 2006 and her second eight years later, with only two others achieving the same feat, yet no one has managed to win twice at the same location. Despite the high stakes, there's no shortage of eager participants, with the first events split into two sessions across Sunday and Monday. There were several past Monte Carlo champions in attendance, including Nicolas Chouity (who pocketed €1.7m for his victory in 2010), Steve O'Dwyer (€1.2m in 2013) and Adrian Mateos (€1.1m in 2015 and an additional €1.4m in the Super High Roller in 2022). The 2025 iteration of the Super High Roller is taking place just a stone's throw away in The Americas Room at the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort, where the atmosphere is decidedly more laid-back. Entry alone costs a cool €100,000, with over €2m up for grabs for the winner and €1.3m for the runner-up. Yet one of the newly minted millionaires - sporting merchandise from three different poker companies - blends in so well that you could easily mistake him for any ordinary European chap in his twenties if you bumped into him on the street. Of course, not all those vying for the big bucks are quite so inconspicuous. "There was one guy - I don't remember his name - he showed up to play the €100k Super High Roller one year and I heard that his boat had docked, he had no plans to play, he heard about it, he drove his Ferrari off the boat up to the front door and entered the event," Stapleton recounts. "I think he was out in seven or eight minutes, back in his Ferrari, back on the boat an hour later. That's the kind of story you don't really hear that often, especially in places other than this." Action from the €100k Super High Roller at the 2025 EPT Monte Carlo (Image: Danny Maxwell/Rational Intellectual Holdings Ltd 2025 ) Hartigan and Stapleton jest that, armed with their current knowledge as keen amateurs, they could have held their own in the 2005 Monte Carlo poker scene. At that time, even the top players only knew a fraction of what is known about the game today. "If you look at how it was then, it was cowboys, it was crazy people, it was people with money but people that didn't know much about poker - including the pros," Boeken recalls. "We were pros, we were better than the rest, but if you put us [in games] now with our skill levels from back then, we would stand no chance." However, one constant remains: the enduring appeal that keeps many returning. The European Poker Tour used to operate like a football season, running from September to May, culminating in a grand final in Monte Carlo. Now, it's just another stop on the tour, but being there makes it feel more than 'just another stop'. "I think, having won or final-tabled this event, any time you go back in that room the memories would come flooding back," Hartigan reflects. "Even if you bust day 1, even if it doesn't work out for you this time, it's still going to have a very positive memory to play in that space. "I think if you look at all of the stops on the EPT they all have their strengths, they all have their plus points, and that's why i can't give an answer to 'which is your favourite EPT, but I say it and i mean it when i say this is the best poker room we play in. James Hartigan at the poker table (Image: Danny Maxwell/Rational Intellectual Holdings Ltd 2024 ) "I call it the most beautiful poker room in the world, and it is. The fact that you have, and I know that for reasons of tv we often have to have the curtains closed and the roof closed, but the fact that you can have that view over Monte Carlo Bay, the fact that you can have that roof open like Blofeld's volcano, it's just amazing, it's an incredible experience." The final table took place on Saturday, guaranteeing each of the top eight players a six-figure prize. The game was won by Aleksandr Shevliakov, who home the seven-figure grand prize. Following this events, some participants will compete in other European tournaments, while others may take a break before heading to Vegas in the summer. One certainty was that a new champion would be crowned, as all previous winners were eliminated before the final day. Article continues below Those seeking a second victory will get their next opportunity in Barcelona in August, with additional EPT events lined up in Malta and Prague later in the year. The desire to win remains strong for some, as Boeken states: "I'm still chasing that second win but I'm going to get there one day." If you think you've got what it takes to sit down with the pros at the virtual tables, check out the PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker from May 11:
Daily Mirror
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Inside the multimillion-Euro poker tournament that sparks James Bond comparisons
The European Poker Tour has held events in Monte Carlo for 20 years and there are reasons why the billionaires' playground continues to attract big crowds year on year It's Tuesday morning in Monaco and a small crowd has gathered at the entrance to the Salle des Etoiles. The 'etoiles' in question, the stars embedded into the roof of the main poker room at Sporting Monte Carlo, are slowly fading out of view as the roof slides open, unveiling a beautiful view of Monte Carlo bay. It's the second day of the PokerStars European Poker Tour Monte Carlo, one of poker's most prestigious events, and one which poker commentator Joe Stapleton considers one of the best experiences for any poker player with a few thousand Euros to spare and a dream of playing the game with the world 's best. I'm due to interview him on the other side of the tournament venue at 10.45am, but we agree to wander down to reap the benefits of something that only happens once per day. 'I think that as far as the way that poker is regarded, there's different ways of looking at it,' Stapleton says. 'Some people look at it as the World Series of Poker and a Vegas thing, some people look at it as a home game thing. "Some people look at it as a smoky room kind of thing. But some people look at it like the James Bond, tuxedos, Ferraris type of thing, and you get a little bit of that here. 'And I think that's the sort of thing that is always going to be appealing - especially to people who haven't ever experienced it for themselves. I think Monte Carlo specifically is a great first experience for an EPT event.' It's not just the first-timers who find themselves standing and watching in awe. Noah Boeken was here for the first edition of the tournament back in 2005, and even now - aged 44 - he's excited to soak in the atmosphere. 'I love this room,' he says. 'I just sent my girlfriend a video of when the roof goes open at the start of the day and the end of the day when the curtains come up. It's beautiful. I love big spaces and this room is amazing.' Boeken was one of the young bucks who won a title during the first season of the tour, He earned €147,679 for a victory in Copenhagen a full 20 years ago, and he's one of only a handful still standing from that era. 'You'll always remember season one,' he says. 'Rob Hollink won the first one here, a Dutch guy, a friend of mine. I won season one Copenhagen and that was on TV. 'I remember they built a stage the same as they do now but there were 200 people watching. You can't imagine it now but back then it was like 'oh my god, the final's going on'. 'It's just amazing that this tour is still going on for 20 years and I'm happy to still be there. I used to be the youngest and now... I'm not the oldest but I'm not the youngest any more.' Day two is when players get into the money. It has cost them €5,300 to take part, though some have qualified for less than that via satellite events, and the top 175 finishers - from a field of 1,195 - will lock up a minimum of €8,500. The winner? They'll leave with a cool million. Boeken is one of those to survive a tense hour or so of play as we slowly get down from 178 to 175. He makes sure not to go home empty-handed, eventually finishing 129th and winning a shade under $10,000 - his biggest live cash of 2025 so far but a drop in the ocean compared to some of the six-figure scores from earlier in his career. Stapleton, meanwhile, will be part of the live coverage, along with long-time host James Hartigan. It was back in 2008 that Hartigan reported on EPT Monte Carlo for PokerStars for the first time, and he has likened his task to a Test Match Special commentator, complementing the entertainment provided naturally by the players and the action while keeping the viewers interested. Sometimes that can be easy, too, with some big names from other worlds often taking to the felt. Chris Eubank Jr is in town for a specially-arranged cash game, while athletes and film stars have stopped by in years past. "I remember kevin hart being here in 2017," Hartigan recalls. "Obviously we've had a lot of sports stars here over the years, Boris Becker, Rafa Nadal... we've had charity events here which people have come in specifically for, Neymar of course has played here for a few years. That's a huge part of poker, the fact that you never know who you're going to be sat down with, it's the only game in the world where you can be playing with elite professionals and celebrities and some bloke who lives three streets from you." There are still a few poker pros from those early years who keep coming back, too. 'I would say very few, but ironically what happened... you see people come and go, you see a few consistent faces, but post-pandemic you suddenly saw a lot of the faces you hadn't seen for maybe 10 or 15 years came back. Because they had rediscovered poker online and then wanted to get back on the live circuit,' Hartigan adds. 'But there's one name who I'd always say is a consistent thread is Patrik Antonius. He lives here and jokes about the fact that he can literally walk to the venue, but he's also one of those few players who has just consistently remained competitive and relevant for all of those years, playing the highest stakes, still playing the super high rollers here. He is probably the person I associate with Monaco more than any other, partly because it's his home town but also because he still comes here and still plays the events here.' Antonius, a Finnish pro who won his first EPT main event in Baden, Austria in 2005, is among a bevy of players looking to join an elite group of two-time winners. Victoria Coren Mitchell was the first to do the double, winning her first in 2006 and her second some eight years later, with just two more players following suit, but no one has won twice at the same venue. That's not for lack of trying. Walking around the Salle des Etoiles during the opening days (there are so many entrants that day 1 is split over two flights on Sunday and Monday) I spot several former Monte Carlo champions including Nicolas Chouity (who won €1.7m for his first-place finish in 2010), Steve O'Dwyer (€1.2m in 2013) and Adrian Mateos (€1.1m in 2015 and another €1.4m in the Super High Roller in 2022). The 2025 edition of that Super High Roller is being played a short walk away in The Americas Room at Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, where the vibe feels a lot more relaxed. It costs €100,000 just to sit down, and there's more than €2m for the winner and €1.3m for second, but one of the new millionaires - clad in merch from three separate poker companies - is nondescript enough that you could comfortably dismiss him as just a random twentysomething European if you passed him in the street. Not that this is true of everyone playing for big money, of course. 'There was one guy - I don't remember his name - he showed up to play the €100k Super High Roller one year and I heard that his boat had docked, he had no plans to play, he heard about it, he drove his Ferrari off the boat up to the front door and entered the event,' Stapleton says. 'I think he was out in seven or eight minutes, back in his Ferrari, back on the boat an hour later. That's the kind of story you don't really hear that often, especially in places other than this.' Hartigan and Stapleton both joke that, with the knowledge they have now as enthusiastic amateurs, they could be more than competitive in a 2005 Monte Carlo field. Back then, even the best poker players knew just a fraction of what they do now 'If you look at how it was then, it was cowboys, it was crazy people, it was people with money but people that didn't know much about poker - including the pros,' Boeken says. 'We were pros, we were better than the rest, but if you put us [in games] now with our skill levels from back then, we would stand no chance.' One thing that's consistent, though, is the willingness of so many to keep coming back. The European Poker Tour used to run like a football season, from September to May, with Monte Carlo branded as the grand final. These days it's just another stop on the tour, except it isn't really 'just another stop' when you're there. 'I think, having won or final-tabled this event, any time you go back in that room the memories would come flooding back,' Hartigan says. 'Even if you bust day 1, even if it doesn't work out for you this time, it's still going to have a very positive memory to play in that space. 'I think if you look at all of the stops on the EPT they all have their strengths, they all have their plus points, and that's why i can't give an answer to 'which is your favourite EPT, but I say it and i mean it when i say this is the best poker room we play in. 'I call it the most beautiful poker room in the world, and it is. The fact that you have, and I know that for reasons of tv we often have to have the curtains closed and the roof closed, but the fact that you can have that view over Monte Carlo Bay, the fact that you can have that roof open like Blofeld's volcano, it's just amazing, it's an incredible experience.' When I land back in London, the tournament is still going. The final table is scheduled to take place on Saturday, with each of the top eight finishers locking up a six-figure payday. After that, some of the players will take part in other European tournaments, while others might take some time off before going to Vegas over the summer. One thing's already guaranteed, though - there will be a new name on the trophy, with all the previous winners falling by the wayside before the penultimate day. Those going after a second win will have their next chance in Barcelona in August, with further EPT events scheduled for Malta and Prague before the end of the year, and the appetite will always be there for some. As Boeken puts it: "I'm still chasing that second win but i'm going to get there one day."
Daily Mail
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I bet my entire life savings on red at the roulette and it changed my life
Even for the reckless noughties, it was an act that almost defied belief: a young man from Kent sold everything he owned to fund a trip to Las Vegas where he gambled the lot on red rather than black coming up in roulette. The audacious all-or-nothing bet at the Plaza Casino made that young man briefly famous - or infamous - around the world and even inspired a Simon Cowell-backed TV game show. Now, 21 years on from that crazy but ultimately triumphant moment - which saw him double his £76,840 assets in one turn of the wheel - Ashley Revell has spoken about what it was like to risk everything and how it changed his life to win. And recalling that extraordinary moment when he walked away with £153,680 rather than nothing, he told MailOnline: 'Things have always just worked out for me.'I've just always been very lucky.' Ashley, now a married 53 year old businessman and father, had flogged all his earthly possessions, making a symbolic point of selling even almost worthless items like his old school cricket jumper to raise funds to make the all-or-nothing bet. He was a junior media worker who had pitched the idea to Sky TV and they followed him to Nevada to record what happened next. In fact he was so junior that one of his jobs had been to play the part of the 'news bunny', a gimmick on short-lived L!VE TV in which role he would stand behind news readers during bulletins dressed as a giant rabbit. Ashley had initially suggested using a friend as the gambler with his role being that of producer but when that friend pulled out at the last minute, Ashley felt he had to do it himself or see the idea cancelled. He explained 'I literally sold everything, even to the point where I did a boot sale to get rid of the small stuff. 'I even sold my name - the gambling company Blue Square paid me £10,000 to change my name to Ashley Blue Square Revell. 'Some of the things I now wish I had not sold, the sentimental stuff like my school cricket jumper, a football tie that I got playing for the county. 'I had literally nothing left. 'It felt quite liberating. I had no responsibilities – all I had was a black or red question. 'I wasn't fully sure which I was going to bet on. I was hoping for some divine inspiration, but it never happened. In the end it was just instinct.' Recalling what it felt like to settle on red and load all his chips - representing his lost possessions - he went on 'It was such a crazy moment - watching the ball spinning. Recalling what it felt like to settle on red and load all his chips - representing his lost possessions - he went on 'It was such a crazy moment - watching the ball spinning' 'When it landed on red it was the biggest adrenaline rush of my life and I was jumping around pumping my fist in the air! 'It was a mixture of relief - as I had been telling everyone I was going to win - and euphoria. 'I tipped the croupier $600 and went straight to register to play in World Series of Poker main event.' After his astonishing win, Ashley briefly achieved enormous media attention on both sides of the Atlantic, appearing on huge shows like Jimmy Kimmel and Good Morning America. He stayed on in Sin City for six more months, getting to live out his long held dream of playing in the World Series of Poker which had been his first thought once rich. Ashley didn't win the tournament but believes he did well enough and only narrowly missed out on a high finish: 'I made it though to the third day and just missed out on the money. I went all in with around $40K with a pair of aces and got called by a player with a pair of queens. A queen came on the flop and I was busted out. He said: 'Signing up was $10k well spent.' When he returned to England, still with no possessions to his name, it was at the airport that he now insists he really got lucky, thanks to an encounter with the woman who would become his wife. He was so junior before he did the show that one of his jobs had been to play the part of the 'news bunny', a gimmick on short-lived L!VE TV in which role he would stand behind news readers during bulletins dressed as a giant rabbit. Pictured: Ashley as a News Bunny He had met Tamara months earlier, just before heading to Vegas, at a bar in Fulham – what he calls the 'meat market' of the Pitcher and Piano - and then bumped into her by chance at arrivals at Heathrow and this time got her number. He then used his winnings to buy a motorbike, a Triumph Tiger and an outfit to ride it in, before setting off biking across Europe. And it was then that he visited Tamara in Holland and they fell in love. He and former headmistress Tamara, 51, now have two children together – Flint, 17, and Scarlett, 15. He said: 'The first time we met we both went to this bar and she said, what do you do? I was like, 'Well, this sounds a bit odd but I'm just about to sell everything and gamble it all.' 'When she went back to Holland she saw it on the news. She said: 'Even if you lose, I'll still be interested.' But I never got to put that to the test! We've been together ever since. The roulette money from his spin helped him set up a series of businesses, buy his home in the rural commuter town and take five years out of work to watch his children grow up. Ashley now says that his lovely family are 'the most important piece of luck' in his life – but he still yearns to again feel the rush of putting it all on the line. He continued: 'I'm healthy, I've got a lovely family, I feel extremely lucky. I think my biggest piece of luck was meeting my wife. 'I've thought about doing it again. When the kids are 18, so in a few years' time, I think yeah – but it'd be a much bigger bet than last time! 'But I guess, eventually, luck has got to catch up with you, right? I'd only do it if I felt really confident that I was that I was going to win. But yeah, it has crossed my mind quite a few times. I wouldn't rule it out! 'Once the kids have grown up, I can start taking a few more risks because that's where the excitement is. You've constantly got to measure risk versus reward versus your responsibilities. 'The passionate thing is it's got to be everything. All or nothing – and at the moment it's nothing. I'm in a good place and I'm happy so there's no reason to do it.' Despite his new-found fortune, Ashley never managed to get any of his things back. His father tried to rescue a prized Dunhill lighter, but his auction bid was unsuccessful. When they settled down together in London in 2005 Ashley used his winnings to set up his own company - an online poker room. He said his bet had allowed him 'scratch the itch', and for the next five years he was 'enjoying the ride' as he and Tamara built their life together. But his company suddenly plunged overnight in 2010, after America passed a bill regulating online poker – wiping out 95 percent of his customer base. Selling off what was left of the company's assets, he still made enough to be able to take the next five years off as a 'housewife', relishing the opportunity to be a stay at home father to his toddler children. He said: 'It was almost overnight, from having a business which I loved and which was starting to make really good money - overnight, it was pretty much over. 'I looked after the kids full time from zero to five and it's given me a really good relationship with the children. 'It's really important, I think, to have that bond with them. That really carries through. It's been a real blessing. 'That's been the most important piece of luck. It stops you then needing to go and find ways of getting your kicks!' In 2014 he returned to the 9-5 commute for the first time in a decade, working for a cyber security firm to support his family. And he ventured into the unknown again in 2022, setting up his own company. He is currently taking some time off as he is looking towards creating another startup. But even as he lived a quiet, suburban life, Ashley's luck had different plans for him. He again hit the headlines in 2017, after a miraculous discovery while metal detecting – a hobby he has loved since childhood. Digging up a hunk of metal, he initially threw it into a bin of 'scraps' where he and fellow detectorists were putting valueless rubbish they had dug up across the permission, before heading off for a cup of tea. It was not until the Medway History Finders' club chairman reacted in shock that he realised it was something special – a Bronze Age ingot. The inconspicuous lump of metal was often melted down to make axe heads, the Holy Grail for many enthusiasts. Ashley explained: 'I love detecting. It's got a big correlation with gambling – you're trying to find valuable things, and it's a feeling of finding something that has been lost. 'I headed back like the pied piper with a trail of metal detectorists behind me and people dug up about seven axe heads – it was the find of a lifetime and I chucked it in the bin! 'It was a nice story because it meant more to the other guys than just me finding it on my own.' The 2,800-year-old axe heads were donated by the club to the Dover Museum – alongside 23 ingot fragments including a rare two kilo complete 'bun' ingot. Now, 20 years on from his roulette miracle, Ashley says people still remind him of the moment as they recognise him in the street. He said: 'I don't talk about it as such, but a lot of people have heard about it. They have this sort of warped idea, it's like Chinese whispers about what actually happened. 'Occasionally it does the rounds and I get a few messages from people saying it just popped up on their feed. 'My daughter said she got a message from one of her friends saying: 'Is this your dad?' They had used it in one of their maths classes to talk about probability.' He added: 'Everything always falls in place…..'I've never tried to worry too much about what will happen in the future because it always seems to work out.'
