How many gamblers have made fortunes and losses over the course of history? Not just a few hundred or even a few thousand people, either. Many millions, if not billions, of individuals have staked money in an effort to win big. Nearly most of these gamblers have lost a significant amount of money. Making a list of the top well-known gamblers in history may seem like an arduous assignment with so many to pick from.

Over the years, certain gamblers have become legends. Some names have emerged as synonymous with wagering. Some offer motivating success stories, while others offer warning tales. Given the large number of well-known people for their gambling, here’s a list of the top 10 renowned players of all time. The below list includes those who were the most successful ones and also those who are famous for losing everything they had.

1. Edward Thorp

Edward O. Thorp cannot be left out of any ranking of the greatest gamblers in history. The professor of math had a specialty in probability. He created a program to calculate blackjack probabilities, which resulted in the invention of card counting. Thorp is referred to as the “Grandfather of Card Counting,” with good reason.

At first, Thorp tested his card counting theory in Taho, Las Vegas, and Reno casinos. With the use of a $10,000 bankroll provided by Manny Kimmel, he played blackjack. Kimmel was an experienced and prolific gambler who was aware of Thorp’s card-counting theory. Thorp won $11,000 over a single weekend thanks to his theory which proved to be true.