Two visitors to Las Vegas had a very happy time last weekend after hitting massive progressive poker jackpots.
Damien Howell (pictured) was visiting from a tiny Ohio town on his 21st birthday. That’s when he hit a $362,000 poker jackpot at O’Sheas Casino in The LINQ.
Meanwhile, just a mile away at The Venetian, a visitor from Connecticut hit a spades royal flush hand on a poker table, bagging a $1.904 million progressive jackpot.
Birthday Boy
Howell, of Union City, Ohio (population ~1580) was visiting Las Vegas to celebrate turning 21 last Friday.
On the first day he was legally allowed to gamble, Howell decided to visit O’Sheas Casino at The LINQ in downtown Las Vegas, which is operated by Caesars Entertainment.
There, his gambling experience got off to an incredible start. He hit a $362,640 jackpot on an Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em table within an hour of sitting down.
“Overwhelmed with shock and disbelief, the birthday boy’s initial thought was that it was ‘not real’ and that he was ‘too young to figure out’ what he’d like to do with the winnings,” a Caesars spokesperson said.
Eventually though, Howell told Caesars he decided he would buy a house back in Ohio with the money.
“We had a lucky winner hit the MEGA Progressive jackpot for $362,640 in our O’Shea’s pit! Help us congratulate Damon H. on his 21st birthday WIN in the Heart of The Strip playing Texas Hold’em”, said the LINQ in a social media post.
Side Bet Pays Off
Meanwhile, just a mile away on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip, Joseph Nardello of Connecticut also hit a big poker jackpot on Friday night.
Nardello was playing Three Card Poker at The Venetian, operated by Apollo Global Management, when he placed a $5 side bet on the progressive jackpot option.
His hand then came up King, Jack, 10 of Spades, and then on the flop came Ace and Queen of Spades, securing a royal flush and the $1.9 million payout.
The Venetian, alongside sister property the Palazzo, has been running the Millionaire Progressive side bets since 2018. They are an option on almost all live poker of various types across the two properties. The Resorts say the progressive jackpot bet has made 14 customers millionaires in the six years since.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
