By Staff
Today, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) ranks as the game’s equivalent of March Madness, the Stanley Cup, or the Super Bowl. The WSOP’s $10,000 Main Event has evolved into the most significant live competition of the year.
The Main Event brings in media from across the globe and is televised for the masses.
With all that being said, ever wonder how and when the WSOP started? Before writing this, I had only vague familiarity with the series roots.
In 1970, with less than 50 tables in Las Vegas and only 70 in the state of Nevada, the first WSOP was held at Binion’s Horseshoe. At the time, Binion’s didn’t yet have a poker room.
The field – for the overall tournament – was in the neighborhood of 30. With insignificant numbers, the WSOP garnered no public interest and just sparse coverage by the press in the early years.
Johnny Moss was crowned the first world champion even though he didn’t win an event. Following days of high-stakes action, Moss was voted “best all-around player” by other participants.
After the Horseshoe’s Benny Binion made some upgrades – that were needed to take the WSOP to a higher level – seven players paid $5,000 to participate. In a winner-take-all format, Moss prevailed, which enabled him to remain world champion.
A Texas native, Moss would win nine WSOP bracelets, including three for Main Events, during his career. Inducted into the first class for the Poker Hall of Fame, in 1979, he passed away in 1995.
He earned more than $1.2 million playing live.
In 1972, “Amarillo Slim” Preston won in an upset. One of only 12 players in the tournament, Preston was able to get substantial press for the win. A subsequent publicity tour helped put the WSOP on the map. Additionally, Preston appeared in films, was on The Tonight Show 11 times, and authored a bestseller.
For his career, Preston won four WSOP bracelets, two in Omaha. Like Moss, a member of the Poker Hall of Fame, he died at 83 in 2012.
