Archie Karas, the legendary gambler known for “The Run,” passed away on September 29, 2023, at 73, after years of declining health. Born Anargyros Karabourniotis on November 1, 1950, in Cephalonia, Greece, his life story is one of immense highs and dramatic lows, embodying the allure and dangers of high-stakes gambling.
From Humble Beginnings to High-Stakes Legend
Growing up in poverty, Karas displayed a knack for risk-taking at an early age, often betting marbles to earn money for food. At 15, after a falling-out with his father, he left home and worked as a seaman before landing in the United States at 17. Settling in Los Angeles, he worked as a waiter and discovered his talents in pool and poker, quickly building a reputation as an unshakable competitor.
By the early 1990s, Karas had amassed a $2 million poker bankroll, only to lose it all by December 1992. With just $50 in his pocket, he drove to Las Vegas and began a gambling streak that would become the stuff of legend.
“The Run”: A Streak for the Ages
Karas borrowed $10,000 from a friend and turned it into $30,000 playing high-stakes Razz, repaying his loan almost immediately. Over the next two and a half years, he took on the best poker players of the day, including legends like Stu Ungar, Chip Reese, and Johnny Chan, beating them in heads-up matches. When poker action dried up, he turned to craps, where his incredible luck saw him accumulate over $40 million.
At the height of his streak, Karas controlled nearly every $5,000 chip at Binion’s Horseshoe Casino, prompting Jack Binion to request he sell some back to the house. Despite his unparalleled success, Karas’s streak ended as dramatically as it began, losing $30 million in just a month, primarily at baccarat and craps.
A Legacy of Risk and Resilience
Karas’s fearless approach to gambling was both his greatest strength and eventual downfall. “Money means nothing to me,” he once said. “The things I want, money can’t buy: freedom, love, happiness, and health.” Over his career, he estimated he gambled over $1 billion. Karas remained a symbol of the gambler’s spirit despite his losses—bold, relentless, and unyielding.
His career wasn’t without controversy. In 2015, he was banned from Nevada casinos after being accused of cheating at blackjack, a charge he denied. Health problems, including a brain aneurysm in 2020, marked his later years, which he attributed in part to the stresses of gambling.
The Man Behind the Legend
Karas was a complex figure. Married twice, he admitted gambling often came at the expense of his personal life. He didn’t drink, smoke, or use drugs, but he lamented the toll second-hand smoke in casinos took on his health. Despite his fame, he claimed little pride in his accomplishments, stating, “Whatever you do, you pay the price.”
Archie Karas’s story is a cautionary tale of the thrill and peril of high-stakes gambling, but his legend will endure as one of the most extraordinary in Las Vegas history. Karas remains an enduring symbol of the highs and lows of a gambler’s life, from humble beginnings to meteoric rise and fall.
