Gambler: Roulette play 'just a mad thing to do'





(CNN) -- Ashley Revell, a 32-year-old man from London, England, sold everything he owned, even his clothes, to try his luck Sunday on one spin of a roulette wheel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

He put $135,300 on red, and with friends and family watching, the ball hit the mark, giving Revell $270,600. The event was filmed by Britain's Sky One television as a short reality series called "Double or Nothing." (Full story)

CNN's Anderson Cooper asked Revell what was going through his mind when the wheel was spinning.

REVELL: It was just ... pleading that I'd pick[ed] it and that it would come in red. Before I actually walked up to the wheel, I was thinking about putting it on black, and then suddenly the guy was spinning the ball around and all the Sky viewers said ... they [had] voted that I should put it on red. So suddenly I just put it all on red.

But ... I was just pleading that it would come in and I'd get lucky this time. What I was really worried about was that I'd lose and my parents would be upset and my family would, you know, all my friends would be upset. So ... I was obviously just so happy when it came in.

COOPER: So you were going to put it on black, but people back in England were voting, and they said you should put it on red? You decided to do that?

REVELL: Yeah, that's right. I mean, with all those people sort of hoping that it would be red, I thought I've got to go red, so that's what I did.

COOPER: Your father was opposed to this whole concept all along. This is what he had to say. He was quoted in an interview as saying: 'I told him he was a naughty boy, he was a bad boy, he shouldn't do it. He should work like all other kids do.' How does he feel now? I mean, has he changed his mind?

REVELL: Yeah, I think so. I mean, I obviously went and shook his hand before I did it, and after he was just hugging me and jumping up and down. So, you know, I think most all dads are just concerned, and he's seeing all my friends being married off and having kids and stuff, and he's like any father, he just wants me to settle down and make sure I'm secure.

COOPER: Now, why did you do this? I mean, is it true that you sold all your possessions, even underwear, everything you had, and then put all the money on this? Why? Was it all just to be on TV?

REVELL: ... Looking back on it now, I mean, at no point before I did the bet did I think about losing. I just felt positive and thought about just going ahead and winning. But now I've actually won, I can think about what would have happened if I'd lost. And to be honest, I was crazy to do this bet. It was the maddest thing. I mean, this is really about all I've got left, the tuxedo, which I'm not allowed to keep.

So it was just a mad thing to do. And I'm thinking back now about what would have happened if I lost. I'd have nothing to go back to, nothing to wear. But I'd still have my friends, my family, and they'd always be there for me. So they gave me the security to be able to do this.

But you know, never again. I mean, that's -- it was mad.

COOPER: But what was the initial idea? Did TV producers come to you and say, 'Look, we'll do a documentary about you, we'll do a reality show about you if you do this,' or was this something you thought of?

REVELL: Yeah, it was my idea. I just thought about doing it, and originally my friend was just going ... to film it just for posterity, and suddenly there's a lot of cameras following me. I mean, the basics haven't changed, and that's I sell everything and put it on red or black.

COOPER: I hope you at least put some of it in the bank.