Jackpot: Flamingo Las Vegas Pai Gow Poker Player Wins $6.4M

Posted on: January 8, 2023, 06:45h. 

Last updated on: January 9, 2023, 01:25h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A very lucky local man started the new year right. He won more than $6.4 million while playing Pai Gow Progressive poker on Saturday at the Flamingo Las Vegas Casino.

The Flamingo Las Vegas
The Flamingo Las Vegas, pictured above. The casino was the site of a player winning $6.4 million this weekend. (Image: Wikipedia)

The Las Vegas Strip venue announced the large win via Twitter on Sunday morning. The total jackpot is $6,443,401.

The player won the game with a straight flush, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The winning cards were the eight, nine, 10, jack, queen, and ace of spades, as well as a joker.

Typically, in Pai Gow Poker, players are dealt seven cards. After one draw, players must make a two-card low hand and a five-card high hand, each as high as possible.

A facsimile check held by the winner was made out to Thomas Evans Zanot.

https://twitter.com/FlamingoVegas/status/1612140191027982338?s=20&t=K4le3iyR2C6Uebuq5zs3lA

The casino on Twitter simply identified him as “Thomas Z.” He reportedly resides in Las Vegas.

In the upper left corner of the check was the name of the corporate owner and operator of the Flamingo: Caesars Entertainment.

Security appeared beefed up on the casino floor after the win.

Recent Flamingo Winners

The Flamingo Las Vegas saw several other winners during the end of last year.

In November, another local, Brent Weiss of Las Vegas, won $465,945 while playing a Mississippi Stud poker game at the Flamingo.

It was a progressive jackpot, too. He won with a royal flush.

Also, in October, another player won $187,542 while playing Let It Ride poker at the Flamingo.

It, too, was through a progressive jackpot. The player won with a royal flush. The winner wasn’t identified.

Also in October, still another unnamed local won $288,024 at the Flamingo. It was also through a progressive jackpot.

The winning hand was also a royal flush. The local was playing Crazy-4 poker.

Future of Flamingo

Last year, rumors broke that Caesars Entertainment was thinking of selling the Flamingo. The rumored asking price was at least $1 billion.

Real estate investment trust (REIT) company VICI Properties has the right of first refusal on the Flamingo Las Vegas.

Caesars Entertainment never confirmed it was looking to sell the well-known Strip property.

Given its rumored condition, the Flamingo will likely soon need some renovations. The hotel was last improved in a $90-million renovation which was finished in 2018.

The Flamingo traces its origins to 1946. That was when gangster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel opened the property after spending $6 million. It was considered the first luxury hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. 

The following year, Siegel was killed. The Flamingo has had a series of new owners over the decades. The original venue was demolished.

Famous Headliners

It was also well-known for its famous headliners that drew large audiences. Some of these stars included such luminaries as Judy Garland, Tom Jones, Ella Fitzgerald, Wayne Newton, and The Supremes.

Donny and Marie Osmond, as well as Olivia Newton-John, were among the more recent performers at the Flamingo.

The Elvis Presley film, Viva Las Vegas, was filmed partially on location at the Flamingo.