His trip did not start well. He lost at blackjack. He lost at craps. He lost at baccarat. He continued to run up a string of losses in every game and every casino he visited, getting only the most minor comfort from the complimentary drinks. The more he lost, the more drinks they offered him.
It should come as little surprise that this banker ended the night in a state of utter inebriation. It was in such a state that he hatched a bold, novel and rather foolhardy plan. He made his way to the roulette table, took his place among the baying crowds and put thousands of dollars down on his favourite number.
When the roulette wheel begun to spin and the ball went into motion, he put his plan into action. He leant over the table, grabbed the wheel with a jerk and stopped it mid-spin. It still didn’t land on his number.
The croupier, rather unsurprisingly, didn’t take well to this interference. He furiously screamed into his walkie-talkie as the crowd of gamblers looked on in disbelief. At this point, the banker’s friends forced him out, bundled him into a taxi and fled in great haste.
The trip to Macau may not have turned out exactly as the banker hoped. But at least he had a lucky escape.