Forget card sharks. The real undersea ruler of the casino table is the whale, otherwise known as a high roller. These well-heeled warriors of high stakes gambling belong to an elite, invitation-only circle who convene in private VIP rooms to wager big and, hopefully, win bigger.

Not just anyone can saunter into these shrouded lairs. Your reputation must precede you. (In fact, many hotels employ "whale hunters" to track down these elusive table tycoons.) A penchant for fast cars, luxury suites, and a $4 million plus credit line is a good start. Once you've been welcomed into the inner sanctum, prepare to plunk down at least $50,000 to $100,000 per bet and a minimum of $500,000 per hour. For many high rollers, this is merely chump change. In fact, the highest Vegas table-bet on record is a cool $250,000. With wagers like this, you're likely to burn through $25 million in one weekend. While high rollers are known to dabble in poker and black jack, the real card game of queens (15 % of whales are women) and kings is baccarat.

Several Sin City casinos, including the Bellagio (www.bellagio.com), have reputations for reeling in the high rollers, but Wynn Las Vegas has got to take the cake when it comes to attracting the approximately 500 whales from around the world. To fill its three high roller rooms, the hotel has opened marketing offices in Vancouver, B.C., Tokyo; Taipei; Taiwan; Singapore; and Hong Kong.