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Nation & World News

Poker player wins $1M on $5 bet at Atlantic City casino

The Borgata is shown lit at night in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Credit: Jeff Fusco/Getty Images

Credit: Jeff Fusco/Getty Images

The Borgata is shown lit at night in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
By Joy Johnston, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Dec 25, 2018

A man beat astronomical odds at an Atlantic City casino over the weekend, turning a $5 bet into a $1 million payout.

It wasn’t the only good news he received recently.

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Harold McDowell, 85, was playing at the Borgata Hotel Casino on Saturday afternoon when he made the three-card poker "6 Card Bonus" bet. He then hit a royal straight flush of diamonds, a hand that overcame 1-to-20 million odds, The Associated Press reported.

The man was dealt the 10, queen and ace of diamonds. The dealer’s hand was the nine, jack and king of diamonds.

"It must be luck of the Irish," McDowell told the New York Post. His wife was deemed cancer-free the day before McDowell made the lucky bet.

Casino officials told the AP that it's the first time this bet has been hit at the Borgata.

About the Author

Joy Johnston, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
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