A group of students from the University of Nevada had figured out a "system" on the roulette wheel and were testing it out at Harold's.
I think there were ten of them, and they were playing the wheel in shifts, 24 hours a day, and they were gradually winning a lot of money.
I was working graveyard then and would stop in every morning on my way to work to see how they were doing. Their success spread all over town and there was quite a crowd watching them and keeping track of their progress.
Their winnings reached, as I recall, about $120,000 and the system started failing them, they started losing, and their winnings went back to $100,000.
When they got to that figure, one of the Smith family, I think it was Harold, put a cover on the wheel and closed the game, told them to take their money, (which was a GREAT sum in 1956) pay for their education, and sent them on their way, with his $100,000.
It they had stayed they probably would have lost it all back, why in the world would he close the table and send them on their way. Not only that, he passed the word around local casinos to not "take their action," which they did. They did not play in Reno any more.
Well, old Harold knew what was going to happen. Every news service in the world printed a large article about the group winning the BIG money at Harold's in Reno. He got millions in free advertising around the world for his $100,000, and he liked to advertise. "Harold's Club or Bust" could be seen on signs around the world, so he knew that advertising pays.
I heard that they went to Vegas and lost it all back, but Harold got his moneys worth out of it.
