Archie Karas biography
Archie Karas was born Anargyros Nicholas Karabourniotis on November 1, 1950, in Antypata, on the Greek island of Cephalonia, into a poor family with a father who worked in construction. He ran away from home at just 15 following a violent altercation, eventually emigrating to the United States, where he worked as a ship waiter and in restaurants before developing exceptional skill at pool and poker in Los Angeles.
Karas arrived in Las Vegas in December 1992 with only $50 to his name, but after securing a $10,000 loan, he launched what would become known simply as "The Run" — the most legendary winning streak in casino history.
Over roughly two and a half years, Karas transformed that initial loan into more than $40 million playing high-stakes poker, pool, craps, and baccarat, defeating legendary opponents including Stu Ungar and Chip Reese along the way, and at one memorable point winning every single $5,000 chip that Binion's Horseshoe possessed. The Run made Karas a permanent fixture of poker and gambling folklore, a cautionary and awe-inspiring tale in equal measure.
His fortunes reversed just as dramatically as they had risen: in 1995, Karas lost approximately $30 million in only three weeks across craps, baccarat, and poker. He attempted several comebacks over the following years with only modest success, never approaching the heights of his original run.
His later years were also marked by legal trouble: in September 2013, Karas was arrested for marking cards at a blackjack table in a San Diego casino, and he was subsequently convicted of burglary and cheating, receiving three years of probation and, in 2015, a permanent ban from all Nevada casinos. Karas died on September 7, 2024, at age 73 in Los Angeles County, California, leaving behind a legacy as both the greatest and most cautionary gambling story Las Vegas has ever produced.
Career summary
Known as "The Greek," Archie Karas turned a $10,000 loan into more than $40 million during his legendary 1992-1995 winning streak, "The Run," before losing nearly all of it and later facing a 2013 cheating conviction that permanently banned him from Nevada casinos.
Archie Karas poker winnings
Verified live tournament earnings: Turned a $10,000 loan into more than $40 million during his legendary 1992-1995 winning streak known as "The Run".
1992-1995 - "The Run" (Poker, Pool, Craps, and Baccarat, Las Vegas) - Turned $10,000 into More Than $40,000,000
1995 - Subsequent Losses - Lost Approximately $30,000,000 in Three Weeks
Archie Karas playing style
Karas was renowned for fearless, high-stakes aggression across multiple games including poker, pool, craps, and baccarat, embracing extreme variance in pursuit of legendary, history-making results.
Cash games
Defeated the era's top players, including Stu Ungar and Chip Reese, in historic high-stakes poker sessions during "The Run," and at one point won all of Binion's Horseshoe's $5,000 chips.
Why Archie matters
Born Anargyros Nicholas Karabourniotis in Cephalonia, Greece, and known throughout the gambling world as Archie Karas or "The Greek," he transformed a $10,000 loan into the most legendary winning streak in casino history before losing nearly all of it and facing legal trouble in his later years.
FAQ about Archie Karas
What was Archie Karas's legendary "Run"?
Between 1992 and 1995, he turned a $10,000 loan into more than $40 million playing high-stakes poker, pool, craps, and baccarat in Las Vegas.
What happened to Archie Karas later in life?
He lost most of his fortune in 1995, was convicted of cheating at blackjack in 2013, was permanently banned from Nevada casinos in 2015, and died in September 2024 at age 73.
How much has Archie Karas won playing poker?
Archie Karas has won Turned a $10,000 loan into more than $40 million during his legendary 1992-1995 winning streak known as "The Run" in live tournament earnings.
How many WSOP bracelets does Archie Karas have?
Archie Karas has not won a WSOP bracelet yet.