Featured Image Credit: YouTube / Ashley Revell
A man who experienced a substantial windfall by wagering his life savings on a single spin of the roulette wheel encountered another remarkable stroke of luck a few years later.
In 2004, London resident Ashley Revell made headlines when, at the age of 32, he made the bold decision to liquidate all his possessions, including his home and clothes. He then wagered £76,840 ($135,300) on a single bet on the color red at the Plaza Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
The entire venture unfolded on the reality show “Double or Nothing” aired on Sky One. During the show, viewers had the opportunity to participate in Ashley Revell’s decision-making process, assisting him in choosing between placing his substantial bet on either red or black.
Londoner Ashley Revell hit headlines back in 2004. Credit: Sky One
Discussing the incident with CNN, he expressed, “I was simply hoping that I had chosen it and that it would be available in red.”
“Before I actually walked up to the wheel, I was thinking about putting it on black, and then suddenly the guy was spinning the ball around and all the Sky viewers said… they [had] voted that I should put it on red.
“Without hesitation, I placed the entire bet on red.”
Revell’s gamble proved successful, as he not only doubled his money but also emerged victorious with £153,680 ($270,600).
In a delightful turn of events, Revell utilized a portion of his winnings to embark on the ‘trip of a lifetime,’ exploring Europe on a motorbike. During his travels, fate intervened, and he crossed paths with the woman who would become his future wife.
Remarkably, Revell’s streak of good luck continued. In 2018, he made an astonishing discovery when he stumbled upon a Bronze Age hoard while using his metal detector near his residence in Elham, Kent, in the company of members from the Medway History Finders metal detecting group.
Ashley struck lucky again in 2018. Credit: Sky One
In an interview with Kent Online at that moment, he shared, “I hadn’t come across much all day—just the typical shotgun cartridges and pieces of foil. Then, I picked up an intriguing signal and unearthed a piece of green metal.”
“I grew tired of uncovering what seemed like ‘scrap’ and decided to walk back to a tent where fellow members were gathered around a table, taking a break.”
Upon returning to the tent, I emptied my pockets into the ‘scrap’ bin, took a seat, and enjoyed a cup of tea.
Later, the club chairman went to dispose of items into the bin and, to everyone’s surprise, reached in and held up a piece of the ‘scrap’ I had previously discarded, asking, ‘Who put this in here?’
Revell guided the group back to the spot where he had found the presumed ‘scrap,’ only for them to uncover rare items dating back to 900 and 800 BC.
In total, their discovery included 23 ingot fragments, two whole ‘bun’ ingots weighing a kilo each, and a variety of axes.
