Learn Texas Holdem

While it may seem to many new players as if the World Series of Poker is as old as the game itself, in fact, the first WSOP main event was held less than forty years ago, in 1971. While today's World Series of Poker main event features thousands of players in a beautiful and enormous poker room on the Las Vegas stripe staged specifically for this event and hosted by a huge casino corporation, that first main event was held in a small room in the family owned Binion's Casino in downtown Las Vegas. While today's World Series of Poker stars are celebrities who can earn a fortune in endorsements just by making the final table, in 1971, no one outside the small poker fraternity even knew the event was taking place, let alone who the players were. Today, the main event attracts thousands of players, from all over the world and all walks of life. The number of players in that first main event? Six, five of whom hailed from Texas.

More on the WSOP:

WSOP Satellites
New 2008 WSOP Events
2008 WSOP Schedule
WSOP Player Profiles
WSOP History
WSOP Winners
H.O.R.S.E.: The Player's Championship

$30,000 Winner Take All Prize

Those who played largely did so as a favor to Benny Binion, the well connected host of the event who, like many of the players, was a displaced Texan. Poker players didn't like publicity back then, for a number of reasons. The game was far less respected back then, and no one expected to be hailed a hero for winning a poker tournament. Also, it was very difficult for the government to keep track of cash winnings for taxation purposes, but winning a publicized tournament was much more likely to get the government's attention. Also, the $30,000 winner take all prize (that first event had a buy-in of only $5000) was less than many of these seasoned pros could make in the same amount of time.

Juicy Side Games

What the pros did like was the idea that the game would attract a lot of "fish" weaker players who thought they could hold their own against the pros and would give away their bankroll in cash games after the tournament trying to do so. For years since, one of the main attractions of the World Series of Poker for professionals has been the opportunity to participate in these juicy side games.

Johnny Moss Wins Again

The six players in that 1971 World Series main event included Doyle Brunson "the Godfather of Poker" as well as one of his road gambling partners, Sailor Roberts (his other partner, Amarillo Slim, would win the event the following year). Also present were "the grand old man of poker" Johnny Moss, who had been voted the all around champion of the World Series of Poker in the previous year, the first year of its inception, as well as rough and tumble gamblers Jack "Treetop" Strauss, Puggy Pearson, and Jimmy Casella. The game chosen was no limit Texas hold'em poker, and the winner, just as he had been the year before was Johnny Moss.

It is a testament to Benny Binion that his formula for tournament success has changed little over forty years. The main event is still no limit Texas hold'em, and the game is more popular than it has ever been. The buy-in to the main event is still $10,000, although that amount of money was worth a great deal more then than it is today. And the champion of the main event still gets to hoist a gold bracelet over his head and declare himself World Champion of poker for the year, just as Johnny Moss did all those decades ago.

1971 WSOP Tournaments and Winners

Event	Winner	Prize	Entrants
$5,000 Championship Event	Johnny Moss	$30,000	6
Limit Ace to 5 Draw	Johnny Moss	$10,000	N/A
Limit 5 Card Stud	Bill Boyd	$10,000	N/A
Limit Razz	Jimmy Casella	$10,000	N/A
Limit 7 Card Stud	Puggy Pearson	$10,000	N/A

WSOP Year By Year

2000's	1990's	1980's	1970's
2007 WSOP	1999 WSOP	1989 WSOP	1979 WSOP
2006 WSOP	1998 WSOP	1988 WSOP	1978 WSOP
2005 WSOP	1997 WSOP	1987 WSOP	1977 WSOP
2004 WSOP	1996 WSOP	1986 WSOP	1976 WSOP
2003 WSOP	1995 WSOP	1985 WSOP	1975 WSOP
2002 WSOP	1994 WSOP	1984 WSOP	1974 WSOP
2001 WSOP	1993 WSOP	1983 WSOP	1973 WSOP
2000 WSOP	1992 WSOP	1982 WSOP	1972 WSOP
	1991 WSOP	1981 WSOP	1971 WSOP
	1990 WSOP	1980 WSOP	1970 WSOP