Anyhow, the Beginnings
- akedamaneesha Williams was born in November, 1993, in Atlanta, Georgia. His father, Sam Williams, was a grocery store owner and his mother, Tiffany Williams, was a schoolteacher. Growing up, Sam and Tiffany were close friends and worked together during the year. Sam worked full time while Tiffany took home a part-time job evaluating the best work of others. From an early age, though, Sam learned that he would need to get a real job to support his family.
- In November, 1997, Sam quit his job and headed to Las Vegas, Nevada. He was not as much of a gambler as most of the other guys around him, but he loved playing blackjack. Unfortunately, he could not overcome his early 20’s and his gambling addictions. Sam would gamble away his hard earned money until he had nothing left.
- Tiffany, on the other hand, had been a teacher, before she quit that job to raise the family. She thought that she couldRaise a familyShe took Sam to the Hamptons, to the big game in Vegas. The Hamptons is known for its old money, and the guys who live there know how to gamble. In exchange, they talk to tourists about their games. Tiffany was supposed to be the Hamptons tourist.
But, the planned vacation was changed when Sam Williams decided to race cars instead. He planned to race cars in California, Georgia, and Las Vegas, but the last name changed his plans. He was to be the new face of gambling.
Sams downfall can be attributed to three things-family, gambling, and alcohol.
- He was living with his girlfriend when he started drinking. That was when he started drinking heavily. He would start drinking with friends and with strangers. By the time he was in his 40’s, Sam had gambling addictions, and by 55, he was living on the streets.
- When he was young, he had a lot of success in sports betting. He specialized in football and hockey. In college, he was majoring in government. He was selected as a hometown boy by the Atlanta Braves. That team was his and he bleed Braves Orange. At the age of 56, he was placed in prison for a crime he didn’t even know he did. He served time for a crime unrelated to gambling.
Sams downfall can be attributed to three things-family, gambling, and alcohol.
He was living with his girlfriend when he started drinking. That was when he started drinking heavily. He was just released from prison when his real passion took hold. He could not let the freedom he had in prison go to waste. He vowed that he would use his knowledge to help people. He has accomplished that. He has a plan that he has never offered to anyone. He told his life story to Sports Illustrated.
- When he was struggling to be a better writer, he decided to write a book about his life. He was granted an unusual freedom to write the book wherever it is published. So far, the book has made over $1.1 million in sales. The last line of the book states, “I lost more than I won.” It goes on to say that he could make a lot of money from his other talents. He certainly is smart enough to know that the road to a happy life would be to concentrate on what he has learned.
- Sams downfall can be attributed to three things-family, gambling, and alcohol. He was living with his girlfriend when he started drinking. That was when he started gambling heavily. He would say that he could beat the odds and win. He was always a smart man, but at this time, he lost everything.
Sam knew that he had to stop drinking before he could finish his book. He was ready to walk away from the game, but his girlfriend would not let him. Finally, desperation forced him to drink some more. But she would not let go. Sometimes, she would leave the book in his hands and say, “I owe you money.”
Sams downfall can be attributed to three things-naivetteiception. He believed that he could beat the odds and win. He was always planning to go back and win his money back. But he never did.