World Series of Poker (WSOP)
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) was the brainchild of Las Vegas Casino owner Benny Binion. In 1970, the first WSOP began with Binion inviting 7 professional poker players to play at his Casino and ended with them voting to decide upon a winner. That first year had no cash prize, but the winner received a silver cup. Binions Horseshoe sponsored the WSOP each year through 2004. In 2004, Harrahs entertainment purchased Binions Horseshoe, renamed it “Binions” and announced the 2005 WSOP events would be held at Harrahs owned Rio Hotel and Casino.
Beginning in 1971, the World Series of Poker events have been cash prize tournaments. In 1971, the buy-in was $5,000. Since 1972, the main event of the WSOP has been the $10,000 buy in, no-limit, Texas Hold’em Tournament. In 1973 a new event, five-card stud, was added to the main event of no limit Texas Hold’em. Since then new events have been added and removed. In 2006 there will be 42 separate forms of poker events at the WSOP.
In addition to the prize money, event winners each win a coveted gold bracelet. Leading with ten WSOP bracelets is Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan, while Phil Hellmuth has nine. Four players have won the main event multiple times: Johnny Moss won in 1970, `971 and 1974; Doyle Brunson won in 1976 and 1977; Stu Ungar won in 1980, 1981 and 1997; Johnny Chan won in 1987 and 1988. Chris Moneymaker Greg Raymer and Joe Hachem, the main event winners in 2003, 2004 and 2005, all qualified for the main event by winning satellite tournaments at PokerStars online poker room.
Growth in the event has exploded in recent years. Much of which has been attributed to ESPN, Bravo, Travel Channel and other television coverage. For the 2006 main event once again held at the Rio Hotel and Casino, a cap of 8,000 players has been initiated. If the 8,000 players buying in at $10,000 is reached, the first prize is estimated to be $10,000,000. Beginning in 2006, a bracelet different from all the other event winners will be given to main event winners.
WORLD SERIES OF POKER (WSOP) MAIN EVENT WINNERS |
|
Winners - By Year |
Winning
Hand |
Runner- Up
|
Losing
Hand |
Entry
Number |
All WSOP Held in Las Vegas, Nevada
Location |
Prize Money |
|
1970: Johnny Moss |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
7 |
Binions Horseshoe |
Trophy Only |
|
1971: Johnny Moss |
N/A |
Puggy Pearson |
N/A |
6 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$30,000 |
|
1972: Amarillo Preston |
N/A |
Puggy Pearson |
N/A |
8 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$80,000 |
|
1973: Puggy Pearson |
A♠ 7♠ |
Johnny Moss |
K♥ J♠ |
13 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$130,000 |
|
1974: Johnny Moss |
N/A |
Crandall Addington |
N/A |
16 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$160,000 |
|
1975: Sailor Roberts |
9♠ 9♥ |
Bob Hooks |
A♣ K ♦ |
21 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$210,000 |
|
1976: Doyle Brunson |
10♠ 2♠ |
Jesse Alto |
A♠ J ♦ |
22 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$220,000 |
|
1977: Doyle Brunson |
10♠ 2♥ |
Gary Berland |
8♥ 5♣ |
34 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$340,000 |
|
1978: Bobby Baldwin |
Q♦ Q♣ |
Crandall Addington |
9 ♦ 9♣ |
42 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$210,000 |
|
1979: Hal Fowler |
7♠ 6 ♦ |
Bobby Hoff |
A♣ A♥ |
54 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$270,000 |
|
1980: Stu Ungar |
5♠ 4♠ |
Doyle Brunson |
A♥ 7♠ |
73 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$385,000 |
|
1981: Stu Ungar |
A♥ Q♥ |
Perry Green |
T♠ 9 ♦ |
75 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$375,000 |
|
1982: Jack Strauss |
A♥ 10♠ |
Dewey Tomko |
A ♦ 4 ♦ |
104 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$520,000 |
|
1983: Tom McEvoy |
Q ♦ Q♠ |
Rod Peate |
K ♦ J ♦ |
108 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$580,000 |
|
1984: Jack Keller |
T♥ T♠ |
Byron Wolford |
6♥ 4♥ |
132 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$660,000 |
|
1985: Bill Smith |
3♠ 3♥ |
T.J Cloutier |
A ♦ 3♣ |
140 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$700,000 |
|
1986: Berry Johnson |
A♠ T♥ |
Mike Harthcock |
A ♦ 8 ♦ |
141 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$570,000 |
|
1987: Johnny Chan |
A♠ 9♣ |
Frank Henderson |
4 ♦ 4♣ |
152 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$625,000 |
|
1988: Johnny Chan |
J♣ 9♣ |
Erik Seidel |
Q♣ 7♥ |
167 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$700,000 |
|
1989: Phil Hellmuth Jr. |
9♠ 9♣ |
Johnny Chan |
A♠ 7♠ |
178 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$755,000 |
|
1990: Mansour Matloubi |
6♠ 6♥ |
Hans Lund |
N/A |
194 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$895,000 |
|
1991: Brad Daugherty |
K♠ J♠ |
Don Holt |
7♥ 3♥ |
215 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$1,000,000 |
|
1992: Hamid Dastmalchi |
8♥ 4♣ |
Tom Jacobs |
J ♦ 7♠ |
201 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$1,000,000 |
|
1993: Jim Bechtel |
J♣ 6♥ |
Glenn Cozen |
7♠ 4 ♦ |
220 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$1,000,000 |
|
1994: Russ Hamilton |
K♠ 8♥ |
Hugh Vincent |
8♣ 5♥ |
268 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$1,000,000 |
|
1995: Dan Harrington |
9 ♦ 8 ♦ |
Howard Goldfarb |
A♥ 7♣ |
273 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$1,000,000 |
|
1996: Huck Seed |
9 ♦ 8 ♦ |
Bruce Van Horn |
K♣ 8♣ |
295 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$1,000,000 |
|
1997: Stu Ungar |
A♥ 4♣ |
John Strzemp |
A♠ 8♣ |
312 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$1,000,000 |
|
1998: Scotty Nguyen |
J ♦ 9♣ |
Kevin Mcbride |
Q♥ T♥ |
350 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$1,000,000 |
|
1999: Noel Furlong |
5♣ 5 ♦ |
Alan Goehring |
6♥ 6♣ |
393 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$1,000,000 |
|
2000: Chris Ferguson |
A♠ 9♣ |
T.J. Cloutier |
A ♦ Q♣ |
512 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$1,500,000 |
|
2001: Carlos Mortensen |
K♣ Q♣ |
Dewey Tomko |
A♠ A♥ |
613 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$1,500,000 |
|
2002: Robert Varkonyi |
Q ♦ 10♠ |
Julian Gardner |
J♣ 8♣ |
631 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$2,000,000 |
|
2003: C. Moneymaker |
5 ♦ 4♠ |
Sam Farha |
J♥ T ♦ |
839 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$2,500,000 |
|
2004: Greg Raymer |
8♠ 8 ♦ |
David Williams |
A♥ 4♠ |
2,576 |
Binions Horseshoe |
$5,000,000 |
|
2005: Joseph Hachem |
7♣ 3♠ |
Steve Dannenmann |
A ♦ 3♣ |
5,619 |
Rio Hotel and Casino |
$7,500,000 |
|
2006: Jamie Gold. |
Q♠ 9♣ |
Paul Wasieka 10♥ 10♠ |
8,773 |
Rio Hotel and Casino |
$12,000,000 |
|
