The dreams of many sometimes become the reality of a few. These are the stories of ordinary people who trusted in luck at the gambling tables in Las Vegas, and they left the desert with wealth beyond imagination.

Most people dream about the day of winning it big once in their lives, but for Elmer Sherwin, it happened twice. The 76-year-old WW II veteran tried his luck at the newly opened Mirage. He was playing the Megabuck jackpot, and within only 10 hours after The Mirage opened its doors, they had to pay Sherwin, winning the prize, a total of $4.6 million.

Sherwin spent his newfound wealth travelling the world, but he kept on playing the slots every week. He had a dream of becoming the first winner taking home the jackpot twice. After 16 years of perseverance, that is precisely what happened when Sherwin won the same prize once again. This time around the pot was standing at $21 million. By becoming the first winner of two containers in his life, he achieved his dream and donated the jackpot to charity.

Amy Nishimura

The 71-year-old was on vacation from Hawaii, and every time she was in Las Vegas, she would play at the Freemont Hotel at the same machine. Nishimura was playing for about 3 hours with no more than $100 when she hit it big and cashed out nearly $9 million. Just showing that if you can’t invest large amounts of money, then patience might also get you there.

An Unknown Man Just Passing Time

The Excalibur Casino was the place where an unknown young man from Los Angeles was passing the time awaiting a basketball game. While waiting, he played a bit on the machines and made some pre-game cash valued at $39 million. This seems like the perfect way to pass the time. The young man made the smart choice and opted for an annual payout of $1.5 million per year over the next 25 years instead of taking it all at once.

Kerry Packer

Packer was an Australian billionaire who regularly visited Las Vegas during some of his high roller adventures. During one such lavish trip in 1997, Packer increased his riches even further with his entire winnings being estimated between $20 and $40 million purely between playing baccarat and blackjack. According to the stories being told, he even lavishly tipped his doorman a total of $1 million. Once again confirming the importance of the company you keep. Packer, however, didn’t know when to stop and two years later, his luck ran dry when he lost $28 million in a casino in London.

The Perseverance of the Elderly

It seems that the older players get, the more perseverance they show. A lady in her sixties won The Wheel of Fortune at the Palace Station Hotel totalling at $680 000. This was, however, no reason for her to stop and she continued to return only to win $27 million in the Megabuck jackpot only a few months later.