Archie Karas: The Greek Legend
Seeking the ‘American Dream’
Anargyros Nicholas Karabourniotis better known as Archie Karas was born on November 1, 1950, on the island of Cephalonia in western Greece while Europe was still under reconstruction from the ravages of World War II. With limited resources, he aspired to go to America and join his aunt in Los Angeles, California to pursue the ‘American Dream.’ Only 15 years old, his father signed the papers so that he could join the crew of a merchant ship and worked as a steward. His journey took him to India where the ship loaded a cargo for Japan. In Japan, the ship was docked there for over a month until it departed for Portland, Oregon. Without any legal paperwork, Archie jumped ship and made his way to L.A. to join his aunt. Working in a restaurant there, he played no limit seven card there after closing hours or he played pool improving his skill level. When he turned 21, he branched out to the cardrooms in Gardena although pool was his best hustle. He played California which is five card draw high with blinds and jacks back which means you need jacks or better to open and if no one opens, it reverts to lowball.
Journeyman Years
He would go to Vegas and play 7 card stud and razz; a game dealt like stud but played low where the best hand is A-2-3-4-5. The days turns into weeks and the months would go by until years have past as Archie went up and down playing poker but kept hustling pool successfully by matching up skillfully. The California poker boom started in early 1987 when hold-em and other games were deemed to be legal by a California judge: The History of Hold-em in California – Yosh Nakano
During the late 80’s I played occasionally with Archie at the Bike. He had the reputation being barred from shooting craps because he had the ability to kill a die. That may have been urban legend as he recently told me it wasn’t true. “How can you kill a die when both dice have to hit end of the table?” he asked me. One time a couple of players were discussing shooting craps. They said they were referred to by the crap dealers by Mr. and the initial of their last name. Archie said, “they call me faded.” Years later I found out what that meant.
In 1991, I was the high limit host at the Regency, a now defunct casino that was formerly the Bell Club in the city of Bell. Archie stopped in and asked me to stake him in a 10-20 limit hold-em game. Until the Moneymaker effect in 2003, hold-em games were primarily limit. I would stake him for $500, he would cash out $1500 and he would give me my stake and half the profits. The same thing happened about a month later. At the Regency, my partner Stephen Wolff said that we can get credit for introducing comped food in the high limit section and introducing cordless phones. Until then, players received calls from pages by the central operator and had to go to the house phones by the wall. We got a cordless phone in our high limit room so the players could receive their calls without getting up from the game. Later that summer, cell phones became smaller and more popular. A wealthy elderly whale named Jay Johnston showed us his new phone. When it rang, he picked it up and starting saying hello turning his phone up and upside down. I told Jay, he had to press the green button to answer a call and the red one to end it. He said he never had to do that before.
The Streak
We played in the same game off and on in 1992. Archie could always find a game because in the ring games he was live. His style was better suited for short-handed or heads-up. Later that year, I heard he had won over a million dollars shooting pool against who he prefers to call Mr. X. I read in the Las Vegas Review-Journal that Mr. X had lost $2.3 million shooting pool. The internet was still fledgling and print was still prevalent for news. I had heard this newspaper article killed the pool action but Archie said he quit the pool because he had thought Mr. X might have been better and it started to show up. They then moved the action to poker at the Horseshoe playing high limit stud and razz with big antes. Stories about his exploits were the talk at the poker table as rumors circulated. He was playing the best players in the world heads-up, winning and losing 7 figures a session. He played Stuey, Chip, Doyle, and Johnny Chan.
Chip in particular had been losing steadily to Archie. I don’t remember everything but I do remember some things very well. Archie had told me that he had met up with Chip at the Mirage and started playing on paper. The high-limit players had a reputation to maintain and it was not uncommon to play on credit referred to as paper. Players having 6 figures on paper was not uncommon but 7 figures was new territory. They were playing $15,000-$30,000 limit half stud and half razz with $5k chips. It was one $5k chip ante and one chip bring-in. Chip’s philosophy was never to quit as long as he had an earn but finally, he said, “Buddy, this is the most by far, I’ve ever had anyone on a sheet and I think it’s time to settle up.” Archie met Chip at his box at the Horseshoe and opened his massive box and took out $11 million. He told me Chip tried to look over his shoulder on his tiptoes trying to glimpse into the box. Archie turned around and said, “Buddy, there’s 30 million more in there and you can win it all, but we have to play 30-60.” He said Chip thought about it and got back on his tiptoes peering back into the box and thought some more. He finally said, “No Buddy, I better let you go.” Chip told me later that he ended up ahead of Archie but he didn’t mention any figures.
Sometime during his streak, he came by the $400-$800 mix game during the WSOP. Everyone said hello to him. I asked him, “Archie, how do you beat the craps.” He said, “I don’t gamble. I grindz them out.” “Grindz them out?” I repeated quizzically. “Yeah, come on, I’ll show you.” I walked over to the crap table with him. Of course they recognized him and greeted him with “Mr. K, how are you?” He replied with a salutation and the crap dealer asked what they could do for him. He said, “10k on the pass.” The dealer places a lammer for $10k and said, “10k passing. You’re faded Mr. K.” After a point is made, Archie asks for full odds. The dealer placed a $100k lammer behind the pass line bet and says, “100k full odds, you’re faded Mr. K.” Their procedure is to repeat every call bet to confirm. Archie calls for $10k coming and again the bet is repeated and a 10k lammer is placed on the come out. A new number moves the lammer to that number on the layout and a $100k lammer is placed with half of it on the come out bet indicating an odds bet. The same thing happens for a 3rd point with $10k more coming. He now has 3 $10k bets with $100k odds each and $10k coming. As a point is made, they pay the lammers with chips. I’m eyeing and counting the chips grow in front of him on the rail. It’s at $750k when there is a 7 out. He says he’s done and puts his chips on the table. The floorman comes over and counts them out for the cameras. He then writes it down for Archie’s signature and he signs it also. 20 minutes had gone by.
The Gambelero
Gambling affects the ‘pleasure center’ of the brain called the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). This is the same part of the brain affected by addictive drugs including nicotine, alcohol, sex and food. These activities stimulate the production of dopamines which are neurotransmitters. The more dopamines that are produced the more heightened the sensations. Low levels of dopamines can cause depression and anxiety. It can take time but the body can adjust to the lower levels of dopamines but many people do not want to endure the pain caused by the depression, the constant anxiousness or the withdrawal pain. They yield to their personal gratification.
The difference is very noticeable in poker players. They look quiet and sad when they are not in action. Once they are playing, their faces light up and they are very animated laughing and talking.
Different people need various level of action to stimulate the NAcc. It’s not about winning money so much as the risk of losing. The stomach becomes ‘knotted’ up until it is released from the thrill of winning. Losing makes you sick in the stomach. There’s severe pain-mental pain that can manifest itself physically. Archie is the ultimate gambelero. He was willing to risk millions including his last dollar to gamble. In gambling it’s easier to manage your winnings than your losses. You never know when the downswing will shift. No one has a crystal ball, but addiction is a cruel master.
He told me his opponents wanted to play smaller and grind him down. He wanted action so he would go to the crap table which was much bigger and faster action. They got him in baccarat by raising his limit from $200k to $300k per bet. The house is earning 1.24% per bet. Jack Binion’s father Benny was the consummate gambling operator and his son understood the house advantage. They faded Archie’s action to its inevitable conclusion. After losing $17 million in baccarat, it’s not easy to have clarity. When he was down to his last million, he doubled up off Johnny Chan at the Bike. Now with $2 million, the luck was not there at the crap table. It was time to sleep. Tomorrow he would start the grind again.
Waking Up
I started playing at Larry Flynt’s house in 1996 until the summer of 2000. During that time, his name came up in the conversation about using him to play craps. Jim Bechtel was an avid crap player as was a friend of mine named Lee Salem. I heard the 2 of them would fight over Archie to have him play craps for them.
When I became the high limit host at the Bike in 2003, Archie would pop in every now and then and we would have a high limit razz game. In a ring game, he lacked the patience to be a winning player but in short-handed his style was more effective. He would pick up the big antes and contest pots with 2 card hands.
I didn’t see or hear of Archie for years until I saw in the news in 2013 that he had been charged with cheating at Barona. That’s a different chapter of his story which may have a different result. His story in not yet over. If you google Famous Gamblers, Archie Karas shows up #1.
Archie Karas: The Greek Legend – His Final Living Chapter
Anargyros “Archie” Nicholas Karabourniotis also known as “The Greek Legend” led a life that embodied both the highs and lows of professional gambling, building a reputation as one of the most famous gamblers of all time. He passed away on September 6, 2024, due to a brain aneurysm. If you google “Famous Gamblers” his name is at the top of the list. His incredible winning streak in the 1990’s, known as “The Run,” where he turned $50 into over $40 million, is legendary. However, his later years were marked by personal and financial struggles, compounded by health issues.
In early summer of 2023 I came across his name on my phone and thought I would see if it was still his number although I may not have spoken to him in well over a decade. He answered. He told me he was in a rehab center recovering from surgery for a brain aneurysm which seemed to have gone well. I asked him what happened to his movie? He told me that he had been paid $20k for the rights but she had screwed it up and owed him $250k. He asked me to look into collecting it. I sent a friend, Ray to pick him up to get the paperwork and he had a legal judgement for $750k that was reduced to $250k by another judge. The film project ‘The Run’ had failed and the producer Daniela Certu had sued Archie for the $20k to be returned. Archie had counter-sued and won those judgements. The company had gone under so there was no money to be had there.
Archie signed an agreement with me to pursue monetizing his story. Unfortunately, he couldn’t remember any of his previous agreements including a possible Power of Attorney (POA) to Amalia Thomas who was recognized by the care facilities as his legal guardian. A producer friend toward me his rights were too muddied to make a film project feasible. I host a weekly home game so I thought he might have a promotional value but the games we play are no limit hold-em and pot-limit omaha and he wasn’t competitive in those games. Archie’s games were 7 card stud and razz.
I had started a podcast and he agreed to do one. Unfortunately, he was suffering from severe short-term memory loss from his brain surgery. His recollection of the past was still good but it was difficult and even dangerous for him in his current situation. I checked him out overnight twice. The 1st time, he didn’t know where he was and wandered out of the apartment building to the street. Fortunately, he ended up in the apartment building next door and their building manager called me. He was under the impression that the care facility was going to pick him up but they told me they didn’t have the services for a pick-up. The 2nd time, I checked him out, I impressed upon him that no matter what he was not to leave the apartment. I still hadn’t comprehended the extent of his memory loss. He woke up again unaware of his whereabouts. This time my housekeeper told me he was wandering in the hallway. Archie told me he woke up because there was another couple in the apartment. I figured out that he was referring to a couple that were residents in another apartment that he had seen out in the hallway. He was badly in need of a haircut, manicure, and pedicure. We walked a block to the nearest Supercut but he could only walk very slowly. There was an hour wait and I had to beat traffic, so I had him stand next to a tree and told him not to move and I would be back with the car. I returned in 10 minutes but he wasn’t there. Fortunately, he had only made it to the street corner, so I drove and picked him up. As I’m driving toward the Valley, I asked him why he had moved after he promised me he wouldn’t. He said he didn’t know where I had gone so he went to look for me. I decided then that I couldn’t check him out overnight or leave him unsupervised.
The Podcast
We had to try 3 times before there was one that was passable which I posted. I tried to speak with his health care provider but I wasn’t able to because I had no legal standing. Amalia told me any drugs that could be taken by Archie to help with his short-term memory loss would have side effects that would be too severe. I’ve been in the endogenous (naturally produced by the body) glutathione enhancement business for 14 years. I realized our product may not help improve his short-term memory as it could be a physical condition. There are studies on the importance of glutathione to brain health. Glutathione enhancement is also very vital to overall health, wellness, and longevity. The science shows that our product Cellgevity was his only hope. Unfortunately, he could never remember to take it. I tried to call him daily but my calls never went through. We went to 2 different T-mobiles and they couldn’t figure out why my calls weren’t going through. I tried to call the receptionist as a daily reminder but that proved difficult also. Finally the last time I saw him in the middle of August, I posted a sign by his bathroom door and told him to keep the Cellgevity by his toothbrush. Episodes of his rehabilitation are posted on my IG @HeadsupwithYosh. He lived 45 minutes away with no traffic but during daylight there’s always traffic so it was difficult to visit him but I tried to do it once a week or at least the next. He always wanted to go to In-n-Out but because of the time constraints we would go to the Mad Cow nearby. He genuinely enjoyed his burger and fries with BBQ sauce. They have an excellent beet salad with chicken that I enjoyed and a Coffee Bean next door. We had been there 5 times but each time, he couldn’t remember his previous visits. He couldn’t remember the city or even where he was staying. He would ask questions but whenever he repeated a question, I told him I answered it and told him to try and remember. He would try but couldn’t do it. Sometimes he would get angry, argue with me and accuse me of lying. I would simply ask him, “Why would I lie?” I’ve heard that this is a common reaction from dementia patients.
Life is ironic. Our past was not as friends but competitors. As professional poker players, our goal was to win each other’s money and we would play for tens of thousands of dollars. As Doyle Brunson used to say, “it’s better to be the moanee than the moaner.” Now I was his primary source of companionship and we had interesting topics from our careers to talk about. Every time I dropped him off, he asked when I would be back. The last time, I said it would be a couple of weeks because I was going to Portland next week. He looked disappointed but made to promise to come back.
When I returned near the end of August, I called the Savant facility and they told me he was still a resident there but he was in the hospital. They remembered who I was but told me that they were not allowed to release any info on him other than he was in the Tarzana hospital. I called the hospital and they were not able to locate his whereabouts. I spoke to Amalia, who had his POA but she wasn’t informative either. I conveyed to Chris, a mutual friend, that I wasn’t able to locate Archie and that Amalia had again accused me of causing Archie to lose his money, which I had previously told her that wasn’t the case. Archie had no money to lose to begin with and ended up losing $1500 of my money before I decided that he didn’t know the games well enough to win.
The last time he played, I staked him for $500. After he lost that, I told him that was it. He pulled out $400 out of his pocket and insisted on playing it. The old Archie came out. He was focused on the game and still got aggravated and hostile towards the dealers when he lost. He didn’t know the hand values nor how to play a hand properly. He didn’t like it but he had no choice. I had someone drive him home.
On September 11, Chris said he thought Archie was with Amalia. On September 29th, there was a social media post that Archie had passes away that was sent to me by Chris asking for confirmation. I couldn’t confirm it but Chris came back and said it was confirmed but the date of his death was September 6th. Perhaps this may not be the end of his story.
