A gambler who won $1 million in a virtual blackjack challenge has urged people not to fall into the trap of betting large sums of money after losing half the cash.
Tim Meyers, 31, originally from New Zealand, turned a risky $1,500 bet into a huge seven-figure sum playing the popular online casino card game.
Meyers, who has more than a million followers on Instagram, started his blackjack challenge by betting ten cents for each of his followers on a hand every day.
Tim Meyers (pictured with his girlfriend), 31, originally from New Zealand, turned a risky $1,500 bet into a huge seven-figure sum playing the popular online casino card game.
The size of his bets increased as his following grew, and by day 50 of the virtual challenge, Meyers was betting more than $32,000 per hand for his more than 320,000 followers.
With a streak of good luck, the player reached $1 million on May 4 after placing a $115,000 bet.
But the former blacksmith’s good luck had to run out one day and after suffering losses of more than $100,000 a day, he decided to make a final bet of $195,000 on day 90 of the challenge.
Mr. Meyers lost that bet, leaving him with a sum of $500,000.
“There is no secret to winning, but there is a secret to not losing and that is simply not to bet,” he said. news.com.au
Meyers, who is currently in Calgary, Canada, where he is traveling with his fiancé, said his aggressive playing style ended up costing him dearly.
The day after placing his final bet, he told his Instagram followers that he would no longer be participating in the challenge.
Meyers explained that it was difficult to face the loss of $500,000 and urged people not to gamble with large sums of money.
“Hiding at the end was a tough reality check for me and for all the fans as well,” Meyers said.
“It’s certainly not something anyone should try to replicate.”
Meyers said he saw the positive side of the situation, as he would after winning $500,000.
He said he will return and participate in more online gambling challenges after taking a short break.
The profits made by Mr. Meyers have come in handy.
He has paid for the wedding with his fiancée and has also paid off part of the mortgage on a rural property he owns in New Zealand.
