A few guidelines for reading the script:
- Italicized texts are NOT to be read. It’s how I wrote video/image suggestions and other non-voiceover nuances.
- Voiceover parts are always in quotation marks. “Just like this.”
- Visual aids like photos, videos, or animation could be used to make it more engaging for segments 4–12.
Opening Shot
Fade in: A shot of a casino floor, with the sounds of slot machines and people talking in the background. Voiceover enters approximately 1-2 seconds in.
“Welcome to the exciting world of gambling! It’s a place where fortunes are made and lost and where legends are born.”
Segment 1
Cut to a montage of different gambling scenes (poker, blackjack, roulette, etc.)
“Who doesn’t like the classics, right? We sure can’t get enough of them! Throughout history, there have been many gamblers who have made a name for themselves through their skill, luck, and larger-than-life personalities.”
Segment 2
“These legends have grabbed the attention and gained the admiration of us mere gambling mortals.”
Cut to a montage of the faces of the people on the list. Or quickly flash their pictures one by one.
“We’re sure you’ll recognize a face or two here. Let us introduce you to more of them. So today, we’re counting down the top 10 most famous gamblers of all time. Just a quick reminder: the list is not presented in any particular order. All these gamblers are just as awesome as each other. They’re all the best in their fields. That’s why they’re here, after all! So, let’s get started!”
Segment 3
“Coming up at number 10… Can you imagine winning a total of one billion dollars from betting on horse racing? That’s just what this professional gambler and horse-betting extraordinaire did. Born in 1957 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, William Benter originally studied Physics, but his world changed when he read the book ‘Beat the Dealer’.
After doing so well playing blackjack in Las Vegas, he got blacklisted and flew to Hong Kong to try his luck at horse-betting. And because his understanding of maths is so amazing, he got on a winning streak that got him banned by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. So if you wanna be a great gambler, keep learning maths!”
Segment 4
“Next on our list is Phil Ivey. Widely considered to be one of the greatest poker players of all time, Ivey has won over $100 million in prize money during his career. But Ivey isn’t just known for his huge wins. He’s also the youngest poker player to win nine World Series of Poker bracelets, something that even veterans playing their whole lives never get to achieve.”
Segment 5
“Speaking of needing a friend’s help, Keith Taft decided to take things into his own hands to generate massive wins, and developed gambling-help devices. Considered a pioneer in the field of computer-assisted gambling, he developed several devices to help him win at blackjack and other casino games in the 1970s. So why did he decide to create what is essentially a gambling computer? He tried playing on his own and was met with little success. Talk about taking things to the next level, right?”
Segment 6
“But that’s not the story at all with Archie Karas. Archie is a Greek American gambler who was known for his unprecedented winning streak in the early 1990s when he reportedly turned a $50 loan into more than $40 million in a matter of months. This legendary event is today known as The Run.”
Segment 7
“Next on our list is Edward Thorp. If the name sounds a little familiar to you, it’s because he’s considered the father of card counting. So, for anyone who ever counted cards and got away with it, you have our dear Edward here to thank.
A mathematician and blackjack player, he’s still known today as one of the greatest players of all time. But since his heyday in the gambling world, he has since shifted his focus to finance, where he (surprise, surprise!) is doing amazingly to this day.”
Segment 8
“Like Edward Thorp, the next gambler on our list is practically a genius too. Stu Ungar may not have had formal education, but he surely displayed his natural intelligence in Texas Hold’ Em and seven-card stud. This gifted player won his first gambling game of gin when he was 10. And even though he was smart enough to skip the seventh grade, he dropped out in the 10th grade as he knew that better things awaited him. And he was right. Throughout his gambling career, he’s estimated to have won $30 million.”
Segment 9
“Another poker legend is Doyle Bronson. In his 50-year-long career that ended when he retired in 2018, Bronson has achieved so much! The first to win $1 million in a poker tournament, a two-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion, a Poker Hall of Fame inductee, a winner of 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, and he even authored multiple books! He surely achieved a lot in his fruitful career in the spotlight.”
Segment 10
“Next up is Peter Eastgate. This young Dane’s claim to fame is being the youngest person to win the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event, where at the time he won $9,119,517. But it’s not just his youth and talent that caught the world of poker by surprise.
Because in November 2010, Eastgate put his main event bracelet up for auction on eBay. He set the starting bid at $16,000, but it ultimately sold for $147,500. All the proceeds were donated to UNICEF. Compared to others on the list, he’s relatively young. So we’re definitely excited to see how this young legend will surprise us some more.”
Segment 11
“Ninth on our list is Phil Hellmuth, another professional and considered to be one of the best tournament poker players in the world. What separates him from the rest of the players on the list? He has a record of 16 World Series of Poker bracelets under his belt… or wrist may be more appropriate. And he’s in no way slowing down because, in July of 2022, he almost won his 17th World Series of Poker bracelet. Still, a $370 thousand win for second place is nothing to frown about.”
Segment 12
“Let’s end the list with a tone of female empowerment, shall we? That’s exactly what Jennifer Harman represents for women who want to enter the highly male-dominated world of poker. Harman has won two World Series of Poker bracelets, one of the four women to have done so. And because of this, she’s regarded as one of the best female poker players of all time.
So, if you’re a woman who wants to try your luck and put skills on the table, Jennifer here is proof that you can.”
Closing Segment
“And that’s it for our list of the top 10 most famous gamblers. They sure have led interesting and fascinating lives. It also just goes to show that gambling isn’t just about luck. Learning about probabilities and studying what the game is all about is where true luck really is.
We hope you enjoyed learning about these legends! But remember, gambling should always be done responsibly, and if you’re ever in need of help, there are resources available.”
Show XXX website. Show the stuff mentioned in the text.
“If you want to try your luck and skills at gambling, there’s no better place than XXX. At XXX, you’ll have access to all the information you need about gambling and pokies. We also have regular raffles and contests where you can get amazing prizes. Again, that’s XXX. Bookmark the page so you don’t miss the latest offers.”
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Outro shot of the casino floor as the video fades to black.
