Any passionate and dedicated poker player cancels social arrangements and goes through relationship turmoil during the World Series of Poker (WSOP). Many fly to Las Vegas to try their luck at the main event. Almost 9,000 poker players entered the main event, making this more of a donkey-fest than an actual testament to one’s skill-set.
Poker has been played for centuries now, and has ended in injury or death for many cheaters, big-talkers, and owners of outlandish personalities. Texas Hold ‘Em hasn’t been around quite as long. But once upon a time, it was a highly respected game.
The first World Series of Poker began as a small gathering between some great poker players who also happened to be friends. It was organized by Jack Binion, who owned the Horseshoe in Las Vegas at the time. It was 1970, and Hold ‘Em wasn’t a very popular game. There weren’t even 10 players in the tournament, but the men who played are forever a part of poker lure.
Among the greats in the game were Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim, and Johnny Moss. Moss was ultimately voted as the best player and won the inaugural WSOP. In 1971, Moss won the winner-take-all event, beating the entire field. The mid-70s is when the WSOP started to pick up steam. Doyle Brunson won his back-to-back titles in 1976-77.
The WSOP continued to flourish throughout the 80s, and was at an all-time high in popularity when Johnny Chan took back-to-back titles in 1987-88. He also made it to a final table for a third consecutive year, only to lose to a 24-year-old Phil Hellmuth and finish 2nd overall.
By 1991, the exposure had increased along with the prize pool. The first-place finisher was taking home over a million dollars. In 2000, Chris Ferguson took the title away from T.J. Cloutier, and Mortensen won it a year later. Since then, the field has been completely dominated by amateurs. The WSOP is now more of a lottery than a poker tournament. For $10,000, you can buy your ticket.
Today, the legacy Benny Binion left the poker community ranks as the oldest, largest, most prestigious, and most media-hyped gaming competition in the world, and no doubt it holds the promise of an even brighter future. But equally important, The World Series of Poker has touched thousands of lives over the years, affording talented players the opportunity to follow their dreams, reach for the stars, and perhaps one day achieve greatness in their chosen endeavour.
