Christmas came early for a New Jersey woman who hit a big jackpot at an Atlantic City casino as well as the dealers and fellow gamblers who she decided to share her newfound wealth with.
The 74-year-old woman from Monmouth County, New Jersey, scored a royal flush from a $5 bet at a progressive poker table at the Harrah’s Resort & Casino Atlantic City on Saturday, winning more than $1.6 million.
“That’s the highest amount that Caesars Entertainment has given in New Jersey,” Michael Zippel, the Harrah’s Atlantic City director of table games, told NBC10.
The woman, who wants to remain anonymous, went to the cashier to collect her winnings. She then dropped a massive $77,000 tip on the poker table, all in cash.
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“She said, ‘Thank you for dealing. That’s your money,’” the woman’s dealer, Devin Thapa, told NBC10. “I said, ‘Thank you so much. You are a nice person.’”
Tips at the casino are pooled, meaning the money will be spread out among all of Harrah’s dealers, around 250 in all.
“Most people give tips,” Zippel said. “This one was above and beyond. I mean, it was jaw dropping.”
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The woman didn’t stop with the massive tip. She handed out $100 to every other gambler who was there, at least 25 people at the time.
“It’s tremendous of her to do it at this time of the year in particular with the holidays and Christmas right here,” Gregg Klein, the Harrah’s Atlantic City General Manager, said. “So really just thankful to have guests like her.”