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Poker fans in the 21st century are truly blessed. Not only can you see a multitude of events from the World Series of Poker, but you can actually see the cards each player is holding, so you can play along at home. Furthermore, you can go online to websites like Pokerlistings.com and follow along with all the play by play action as it happens.

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

First WSOP Video Taping

In 1973, poker technology had a long way to go to catch up to the present. In fact, before 1973, poker technology did not exist at all, and most of the hands that were played and the way competitors played them are lost to history. However, perhaps due to the popularity of Amarillo Slim, who had won the tournament the year before and used his newfound status to become something of an ambassador of poker, going on the talk show circuit and promoting a book about the game, this year, the tournament was video taped for the first time ever. The tape of the event was narrated by famed oddsmaker Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder (who among other things, gave "Texas Dolly" Doyle Brunson his nickname), and was a precursor for the classic ESPN poker telecasts you can buy on DVD today.

Puggy Pearson's Revenge

Puggy Pearson, the runner-up in the 1972 WSOP main event, was said in some circles to have dumped the championship that year in order to avoid the publicity and potential tax problems. If so, it seems that Slim's ability to cash in on the title changed Puggy's attitude, since he was right there at the final table again the following year. He was in it to win it as well, outlasting eleven others to get heads up with his fiercest competitor, Johnny Moss.

In the four year history of the event, Moss had taken down the World Series of Poker championship title twice, the first time by a consensus vote of the other players, the second by winning the no limit hold'em main event. Truly Puggy could not have faced tougher opposition. Puggy decided to be the aggressor, and hammered away at the "Grand Old Man" of poker. While poker is a game of skill, as any hardened player knows, it can also be a game of brutal luck, and at least twice this proved horrifyingly true for Puggy Pearson, as he was outdrawn by Moss twice when holding two pair, once when Moss' pocket aces became a set when he spiked an ace on the river, another time when a river card made a bigger two pair for Moss than Pearson's. Both times more likely river cards would have ended the match and made Pearson the champ.

Johnny Moss Bluffed

The true strength of a poker player, though, is his ability to play his best game even when the chips are down, to stop psychological tricks from playing on his mind, to set aside doubt when he knows in his heart he is right. Later in the match, Moss made a big flop bet which Pearson called and another on the turn. On the river, with three spades on the board, Moss "fired the third bullet" putting Pearson all-in if he called. Pearson had again made the dangerous two pair hand. Another player, remembering the previous encounters, might have given up. But Pearson put Moss on a bluff, and went with his read. He called, to the delight of the fans when Moss tossed his bluff away, giving Pearson the pot.

Pearson's resolve paid off when the decision hand came. Moss had Kc Js and Pearson had As 7s. When the flop came Qs Ts 3c, both players had huge draws, Moss with the open ended straight draw and Pearson with the nut flush draw. The turn and river came rags, and Pearson's ace high finally made him the champion. He had defeated the greatest player the game had to offer as well as his own demons, and was officially the 1973 World Series of Poker champion.

1973 WSOP Tournaments and Winners

Event	Winner	Prize	Entrants
$10,000 Championship Event	Puggy Pearson	$130,000	13
Limit Five-Card Stud	Bill Boyd	$10,000	N/A
Limit Ace to 5 Draw	Joe Bernstein	$21,000	N/A
$4,000 Limit Seven-Card Stud	Puggy Pearson	$32,000	N/A
$1,000 Razz	Sam Angel	$32,000	N/A
$3,000 Deuce to Seven Draw	Aubrey Day	$16,500	N/A
$1,000 No-Limit Hold'em	Puggy Pearson	$17,000	N/A
$3,000 Deuce to Seven Draw	Jack Straus	$16,500	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