It's every gambler's dream - to find a way to beat the odds and take buckets of cash from the coffers of Vegas casinos. Some people get lucky; but others scheme their way to riches. The new series BREAKING VEGAS profiles people who took on Vegas—and took it for lots of cash. Sometimes they got away with it, and sometimes the odds—and law enforcement—caught up to them.
Dice Dominator.
Aired on Tuesday, June 14, 2005
From the physics behind the flight of dice to the eight critical steps to mastering the act of tossing two dice, we reveal the true story behind Dominic LoRiggio's phenomenal rise to riches through a seemingly impossible challenge--to control the outcome of a craps game with the flick of a wrist. While most casinos laugh off the notion, LoRiggio (later known as "The Dominator" and "The Man with the Golden Arm") knows that practice makes perfect and sets out to prove them wrong. First, he hooks up with dice-control master Chris Pawlicki--founder of "Rosebud", the first team approach to craps ever attempted--and soon becomes their ace player. But LoRiggio grows dissatisfied with the team's approach to small-but-steady winnings. In 2003, he partners with Frank Scoblete, another player with a penchant for big bets and bigger wins. When LoRiggio defies the odds and dominates the dice at table after table, however, the casinos vow to stop him....no matter what.
Prince of Poker.
Aired on Tuesday, June 7, 2005
The biggest and most important annual poker event, the World Series of Poker draws more than 500 players vying for a pot worth $1.5-million and up. With a $10,000 buy-in, the stakes are high for any player--but when you're a down-and-out writer with four kids, making it to the final table could mean a fairy-tale ending. Join us for an exhilarating, nail-biting, roller-coaster ride with amateur player Jim McManus as he battles the odds in the 2000 World Series of Poker. Sent by Harper's magazine to cover the tournament, McManus uses his writing fee to enter the satellite tournaments for a chance in the big leagues. When McManus makes it into the World Series, the competition gets tougher--to beat the 500-to-1 odds, he must defeat champion T.J. Cloutier. Will McManus snare the $1.5-million pot, or go home empty-handed and devastatingly in debt? Features interviews with McManus, poker legend Cloutier, and surprise challenger Chris "Jesus" Ferguson.
Vegas Vixen.
Aired on Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Standing 5'3" and weighing about 100 pounds, this mother of four (three from different husbands) is hardly the typical casino hustler or high roller. But in fact, that's exactly what Ida Summers was during the 1960s and '70s, some of the most dangerous decades in Vegas. With nerves of steel and the looks of Elizabeth Taylor, Summers raked in tens of thousands of dollars in a single weekend--and earned the respect of not only the gangs of Vegas cheats she wrangled, but also the casino investigators and FBI agents that were determined to bring her down. Highlights include intimate accounts from Ida, plus interviews with fellow crossroader legend John Soares, and her nemesis, FBI Special Agent Dave Spencer. TVPG