Kerry Packer was Australia’s richest man, worth around $8 billion some twenty years ago. His gambling was the stuff of legend. In casinos, he could win or lose $10 million in a single night without flinching. Once, he walked away with $26 million after playing six hands of blackjack at $200,000 a hand — that’s $1.2 million per hand.
The stories about him have grown into urban legends, but most have a core of truth. He was famous not only for the money he risked, but also for the way he treated the people around him. Packer would sometimes tip waitresses and dealers with hundreds of thousands of dollars — even paying off mortgages. On one occasion, he accidentally knocked over a waitress’s tray and, instead of just apologizing, he arranged to pay off her mortgage, more than $100,000. Another time, he tried to tip a dealer $80,000. When she refused, saying casino rules forbade it, Packer called over the Pit Boss and ordered that she be fired. The Pit Boss, afraid to argue, sacked her on the spot. Then Packer pushed the $80,000 worth of chips toward her and calmly told the Pit Boss to rehire her.
But the most famous story of all was the Texan oil tycoon incident.
One night, Packer was playing every box at a blackjack table, leaving no room for anyone else — something big gamblers often did. A loud, swaggering Texan oilman didn’t like it. He strutted around, making sure everyone heard how rich and important he was, complaining about the “buffoon” hogging the table. Packer hated bragging, and he especially hated people who broadcast their wealth.
Finally, the Texan marched up, jabbing his finger at Packer and shouting:
“I’m worth $100 million!”
Packer leaned back in his chair, slowly pulled a coin from his pocket, and with total calm said:
“So you want to gamble, hey? I’ll flip you for it.”
The Texan froze. Then, without another word, he melted back into the crowd. Packer turned back to the table, as if nothing had happened, and kept on playing.
