Yip Hon
Encyclopedia
Yip Hon (1904 – 7 May 1997) was a gambling
tycoon in South China
. His wealth was estimated to be HK$ 100 million. In his childhood, he stayed in Kong Mun of Kwangtung, and usually participated in gambling with his pocket money
. He was nicknamed Kwai Wong (鬼王) (translated as Ghost King.
In his adulthood, he was in Macau
, working for a casino
of gambling tycoon Fu Lo Yung (傅老榕). He helped to crack down Teng Sik Tong (聽骰黨), a gang of gamblers, who won by listening dice
. After the crackdown, he became famous, and went to Shanghai
. He gained a great sum of wealth in the casinos there, by his technique in listening dice, and then opened his own casino.
He closed his business in Shanghai, and returned to Macau when the Second Sino-Japanese War
broke out. He soon got a casino license in Macau, and cooperated with Stanley Ho
, Teddy Yip
and Henry Fok
to form Casino Lisboa
. He later left the company, after arguments over shares and the business. He then started a chariot racing business, which was unsuccessful. In 1988, he pioneered a gambling business in international waters
, by purchasing a cargo converted cruise ship named Princess of the Orient, and later selling it off for the 港龍星 which was bigger and solely a cruise ship to begin with. He gained initial success, but was unable to deal with a large number of competitors later. He subsequently sold his business to Heung's Brothers.
A story about him circulated in the mid-1980s, on gambling in Las Vegas
in the United States
. He supposedly played for 32 hours continuously, involving more than 3,800 rounds of Baccarat
. He ended up losing US$ 2 million. The owner of the casino offered him a Rolls-Royce if he could win back a million. Two days after, he won US$3 million and the car from the casino.
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
tycoon in South China
Northern and southern China
Northern China and southern China are two approximate regions within China. The exact boundary between these two regions has never been precisely defined...
. His wealth was estimated to be HK$ 100 million. In his childhood, he stayed in Kong Mun of Kwangtung, and usually participated in gambling with his pocket money
Pocket Money
Pocket Money is a 1972 film directed by Stuart Rosenberg, from a screenplay written by Terrence Malick and based on the novel Jim Kane by Joseph P. Brown...
. He was nicknamed Kwai Wong (鬼王) (translated as Ghost King.
In his adulthood, he was in Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
, working for a casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
of gambling tycoon Fu Lo Yung (傅老榕). He helped to crack down Teng Sik Tong (聽骰黨), a gang of gamblers, who won by listening dice
Dice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
. After the crackdown, he became famous, and went to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. He gained a great sum of wealth in the casinos there, by his technique in listening dice, and then opened his own casino.
He closed his business in Shanghai, and returned to Macau when the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
broke out. He soon got a casino license in Macau, and cooperated with Stanley Ho
Stanley Ho
Stanley Ho, GBM, GLM, GBS, GML, OBE , also known as Ho Hung Sun, Stanley Ho Hung Sun, is an entrepreneur in Hong Kong and Macau. Ho is sometimes nicknamed "The King of Gambling", reflecting the government-granted monopoly he held of the Macau gambling industry for 40 years...
, Teddy Yip
Teddy Yip
Theodore "Teddy" Yip was a businessman from Indonesia who was instrumental in developing Macau as a tourist destination and who was a Formula One team owner in the 1970s.-Early life and business career:...
and Henry Fok
Henry Fok
Henry Fok Ying Tung was a Hong Kong businessman. He has ancestral roots in Nansha, Panyu, now part of Guangzhou, Guangdong). Fok was the vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference of PRC since March 1993, and was possibly the most powerful...
to form Casino Lisboa
Casino Lisboa, Macau
The original casino and the 12-storey round hotel tower were built in 1970 by Stanley Ho, Teddy Yip, Yip Hon and Henry Fok. A 270-room extension was added in 1991 for a total of 927 rooms. In 2006, another extension, the Grand Lisboa, was built next to the current complex. Therefore a total of 2362...
. He later left the company, after arguments over shares and the business. He then started a chariot racing business, which was unsuccessful. In 1988, he pioneered a gambling business in international waters
International waters
The terms international waters or trans-boundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed regional seas and estuaries, rivers, lakes, groundwater systems , and wetlands.Oceans,...
, by purchasing a cargo converted cruise ship named Princess of the Orient, and later selling it off for the 港龍星 which was bigger and solely a cruise ship to begin with. He gained initial success, but was unable to deal with a large number of competitors later. He subsequently sold his business to Heung's Brothers.
A story about him circulated in the mid-1980s, on gambling in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He supposedly played for 32 hours continuously, involving more than 3,800 rounds of Baccarat
Baccarat
Baccarat is a card game, played at casinos and by gamblers. It is believed to have been introduced into France from Italy during the reign of King Charles VIII , and it is similar to Faro and Basset...
. He ended up losing US$ 2 million. The owner of the casino offered him a Rolls-Royce if he could win back a million. Two days after, he won US$3 million and the car from the casino.