WSOP HistoryHistory of the World Series of Poker
by Don Lewis of Poker-Times.com
The World Series of Poker was first created way back in 1970 with and has increased it's numbers both participant wise as well as prize wise every year.
Last year's total (2005) of 5619 players absolutely blew away any numbers seen before and it's expected that the 2006 event will grow quite a bit as well.
Historically, the tournament has been held every year from April through May at Binion's Horseshoe Casino in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. Last year it was moved to the Rio with the last 27 players going back to Binion’s for the last time.
If you wish to enter the World Series of Poker tournament you just need to show up at the Rio with your entry fee of $10,000 for the main event. You could also try one of the several satellite tournaments that the Rio will be offering in the month before the Main Event. You will pay a much smaller entry fee and if you win the satellite tournament, and you will get your $10,000 entry into the World Series of Poker Main Event.
You can also grab your seat at the World Series of Poker Main Event through many online satellite tournaments. Many poker rooms hold regular satellite tournaments where the winner of that satellite will gain a seat at the main event with their 10,000 dollars paid by the online poker room. Win the satellite and you get a $10,000 entry to the World Series of Poker at the Rio where the room is filled with faces and euphoria that are sure to stick in your memory for a lifetime. Just being there as a spectator was exciting. There is definitly something in the air that makes it one of the most unique events you'll ever attend.
There are many different poker game events in the World Series of Poker tourney, so don't think that Texas Hold'em is your only road to fame and riches. These games include seven card stud, seven card stud high low, omaha, omaha high low, texas hold'em, deuce to 7 high lo and many more. The winner of each event is awarded a gold bracelet telling the world that they were champion of that particular event. Some of the events cost as little as $1,500 dollars as they continue to increase the field.
The World Series of Poker Main Event is the finale tournament and the game is No-Limit Texas Holdem. This Main Event has a $10,000 entry fee and the winner receives the coveted title "World Champion of Poker" as well as a bracelet that they all players wear proudly. The top prize in the 2005 tourney was a hefty $7.5 million which was of course the largest prize the tournament had ever seen. The winner of this final poker event also gets his picture put up in the "Gallery of Champions" at Binion's Horseshoe, Las Vegas. (The gallery will now be moved to the Rio) As a side note, only one woman has ever made a final table in the WSOP main event and no woman has ever won the World Series of Poker either. With that being said, there's surely some female talent out there with the likes of Annie Duke, Jennifer Harman and more.
History of the World Series of Poker
The WSOP has surely had its share of drama and excitement in the more than thirty five years it's existed. No player has won back to back championships since the great Johnny Chan and only 4 playershave ever won back to back.They are Johnny Chan, Stu Ungar, Doyle Brunson and Johnny Moss. The only player to ever win 3 main event titles is the great Stu Ungar who picked up his third win after spending 17 years off in the shadows. In our estimation, Stu Ungar may have been the best poker player ever but had sports gambling issues and drug/alcohol addictions that lead to his untimely death. Rest in peace Stu.
To every poker players dreams there is a story that should give every poker player hope, Jack Strauss came back to win after having lost all but one chip early in the tournament. It leads every poker play to the old adage of “a chip and a chair with hope and a prayer” you are never out until you have none of the above.
Past World Series of Poker Champions
- 2005 Joe Hachem
- 2004 Greg” Fossil Man” Raymer
(Another PokerStars satellite winner!)
- 2003 Chris Moneymaker
Won from a satellite tourney at PokerStars
- 2002 Robert Varkonyi
- 2001 Carlos Mortenson
- 2000 Chris "Jesus" Ferguson
- 1999 Noel Furlong
- 1998 Scotty Nguyen
- 1997 Stu Ungar
- 1996 Huck Seed
- 1995 Dan Harrington
- 1994 Russ Hamilton
- 1993 Jim Bechtel
- 1992 Hamid Dastmalchi
- 1991 Brad Daugherty (the first time the first prize was $1 million)
- 1990 Mansour Matloubi
- 1989 Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
- 1988 Johnny Chan (Back to back!)
- 1987 Johnny Chan
- 1986 Berry Johnston
- 1985 Bill Smith
- 1984 Jack Kellar
- 1983 Tom McEvoy
- 1982 Jack "Treetop" Strauss
- 1981 Stu Ungar
- 1980 Stu Ungar
- 1979 Hal Fowler
- 1978 Bobby Baldwin
- 1977 Doyle Brunson
- 1976 Doyle Brunson
- 1975 Sailor Roberts
- 1974 Johnny Moss
- 1973 Puggy Pearson
- 1972 "Amarillo Slim" Preston
- 1971 Johnny Moss
- 1970 Johnny Moss (awarded by peer vote)
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