WSOP Main Event Champions

The World Series of Poker Tournament made its debut in 1970, but the idea actually came from an incident which happened in 1949.

During the summer of 1949, Nicholas 'Nick the Greek' Dandolos asked Benny Binion if he could stage a high-stake poker marathon. This marathon should also take place in public view. Although unusual, Benny Binion agreed and the challenger was the legendary Johnny Moss.

During the next five months, Johhny Moss and Nick the Greek, played every poker game imaginable only stopping to sleep. Ultimately, 'the biggest game in town' was won by Johnny Moss and cashed in an estimated $2 Million. After the final hand, the Greek stood up, bowed and uttered the now-famous words; "Mr. Moss, I have to let you go." Then went upstairs to bed.

Binion realised something from this event, more significant than the prize money and the game, that the public gathered at the casino every single day to watch the marathon.

In 1969, some of the biggest bookmakers and the top poker players were invited to the Holiday Inn in Reno, NV. The purpose was to promote the hotel by organizing the first ever major poker tournament. The organizers knew that the bookmakers would be the producers of The Second Annual Gaming Fraternity Convention and thus they wanted to promote their business with them. The poker tournament was a re-buy tournament and some famous participating players were Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim Preston, Puggy Pearson, Johnny Moss, Jack Straus, and also the father of actor Woody Harrelson, Charles, who is now serving life for a 1979 assassination. The event lasted for one week and included Texas Hold'em, Kansas City Lowball, Razz, Stud, and Ace-to-Five lowball draw. Two persons, Benny and Jack Binion, were impressed with the tournament and acquired the rights to it when the Holiday Inn was sold next year.

In 1970, Binion decided to re-create the excitement and stage the battle of the poker kings, calling it the 'World series of poker'. The winner could then officially call himself 'World Champion." That first year, 35 players entered the tournament and played five different poker variations. However, it was not only their playing that decided who the final winner would be, but a vote was also held among the payers. In the end, celebrated poker legend Johnny Moss was crowned the very first World Champion of Poker. This was the only year that a vote was held.

The following year, the winner was determined by knock-out.. This is where players were systematically eliminated until one player had all the chips. Johnny Moss won again.

In 1972, a new champion arose - Thomas 'Amarillo Slim' Preston. Preston won the event, which had 8 participants and was the first tournament with a $10,000 buy-in. At this time, "winner takes all" was the rule of the day and Amarillo Slim's tournament success resulted in an $80,000 prize. After the tournament, he went on the talk-show circuit, which gave the WSOP more exposure and wider following.

When the first satellite competition took place in the early 1980's (Offering lower buy ins), Binion's prophesy came true and the popularity of the WSOP exploded. But even Binion (passed away in 1989) would not have been able to foreseethe enormous growth the was about to take place.

During the tournament's initial two years, the Championship Event was the only event held in the series. In 1972, a Five-Card Stud Event was added and, since then, more events have been added each year. In the 2004 World Series of Poker, 33 events were held and 42 in 2005. The types of games played varied from Seven-Card Stud High-Low, Omaha pot-limit, and Texas Hold'em, to tournaments that mixed up all variations.

The winner of each event will receive a WSOP solid gold bracelet, which is considered to be the most prestigious prize offered in the realm of international poker.
The players who have won more bracelets than all other competitors are Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, and Johnny Chan, each of whom have won an astonishing nine bracelets.

In 1982, the tournament had 52 entries. Five years later, there were 2,141 entires and the 2002 event had 7595 participants. The prize money increased from $7,769,000 a decade ago to a staggering $19,599,230 in 2002 and it keeps growing every year. Organizers of the World Series of Poker predicted that the total prize pool at this year's tournament will reach $100 million, more than doubling the record the event set in 2004.

This explosion in numbers, both in the amount of players and the sum total of the prize, can be almost entirely attributed to fact that that, in recent years, online poker has established itself as a highly favoured pastime in millions of homes worldwide.

Chris Moneymaker, the WSOP 2003 champion that won a $2,500,000 prize, earned his $39 entrance fee via Poker Stars , a popular online poker room. In 2004, Greg Raymer, another Poker Stars player, repeated Moneymakers' success story claiming a $5 million prize. The effect of all this has created a world poker craze that shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon and that has forever changed the way the WSOP is played.

WSOP Main Event Champions