Learn Spanish (Latin America): Sin embargo, él hizo un apuestón y terminó la racha. - However, he made a huge bet and ended the streak.

Great catch! When the augmentative suffix -ón is added to a feminine noun to mean a massive or great version of that thing, the new word almost always becomes masculine. So la apuesta (the bet) becomes el apuestón (the huge bet). Another common example is la película becoming el peliculón (an epic movie).

Does apuestón just mean a literal large amount of money?

It means a large amount, but the -ón suffix also adds an evaluative sense of awe, boldness, or risk. It tells you he didn't just put down a lot of cash; he made a massive, gutsy gamble.

What exactly is a racha?

Racha means a streak or a run of consecutive events. In gambling, sports, or life in general, it usually refers to a streak of luck, like a winning streak (buena racha) or a losing streak (mala racha).

Why include the pronoun él here instead of just saying hizo?

While Spanish often drops subject pronouns, including él after sin embargo (however) emphasizes the contrast. It highlights that he specifically was the one who defied expectations or stepped up to break the streak.