The World Series of Poker (WSOP)
Introduction
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the oldest and most popular series of poker tournaments in the world. The tournaments, held annually in Las Vegas and lasting around a month, are considered the unofficial world championship of poker, attracting both professionals and hordes of amateurs. Playing in one of these tournaments is a dream come true for any poker player. Amateurs have the chance to compete against the biggest stars of poker and strive for the highest titles, fame, and winnings.
Origins of the WSOP
The origins of the WSOP date back to 1949. Lester “Benny” Binion organised the first known poker duel in his casino. The participants were Johnny Moss and Nicholas Dandolos, who played for five months in all poker variants. The grand winner was Moss, who walked away with $2 million. The duel attracted hundreds of spectators to Binion’s casino, and he saw an opportunity to capitalise on this in the future.
Establishment of the WSOP
In 1970, Binion hosted a tournament at his legendary Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas, bringing together the best poker players from across the United States. He named it the World Series of Poker, marking the beginning of its history. In the inaugural tournament, players competed in five poker variants, and the winner was decided by public vote, with Johnny Moss emerging victorious.
Evolution of Tournament Rules
The following year, another edition of the tournament was held, but this time under slightly different rules. The winner was determined based on the number of chips won. The buy-in for the tournament was set at $10,000, and the winner would take the entire prize pool. Participants included Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim Preston, Brian “Sailor” Roberts, Puggy Pearson, and Crandall Addington. They played Texas Hold’em No Limit, and just like the previous year, Johnny Moss claimed victory, pocketing $30,000.
Growth and Popularity
From that moment, the WSOP began to grow, attracting more and more players. Large-scale poker tournaments became feasible due to the improvement of methods for combating poker cheats.
Expansion in the 1980s
In the early 1980s, satellite tournaments for the main event and other smaller championship tournaments were introduced. The WSOP began to be televised, leading to an increase in the number of participants and, consequently, prize pools. In 1990, Brad Daugherty won an even $1 million.
Online Qualification and Boom in the 21st Century
The early 21st century saw another major step in the development of the WSOP, thanks to the possibility of qualifying via online satellite tournaments. One of the most famous success stories is that of Chris Moneymaker, an accountant from Tennessee, who qualified for the main event through a $33 online satellite. He went on to defeat his opponents in spectacular fashion, winning the coveted World Champion gold bracelet and $2.5 million. Following his incredible success, the world became obsessed with poker.
Record-Breaking Tournaments
By 2006, the WSOP had expanded to 45 tournaments covering most poker variants, attracting 8,773 players. The prize pool for the main event reached nearly $90 million, with Jamie Gold claiming a record-breaking $12 million for first place.
Notable Winners and Achievements
The winner of each event receives a gold bracelet along with a cash prize. As of 2006, three players had won ten gold bracelets: Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, and Phil Hellmuth. In 2007, Phil Hellmuth secured his eleventh bracelet, making him the all-time leader in WSOP history.
Youngest Champion
On 10 November 2009, the WSOP Main Event took place. Twenty-one-year-old Joe Cada from Shelby Township, Michigan, triumphed over Darvin Moon, who had previously held the lead. Cada won $8.5 million, earning the title of the youngest World Champion in history and the much-coveted gold bracelet. Additionally, nine other players in the tournament became millionaires.
International Expansion
Poker tournaments provide an excellent opportunity to meet top players and test one’s skills. Due to its origins, history, and sociological and economic factors, Americans dominated poker tournaments for a long time. However, this trend has begun to shift, with Europeans making a strong entrance among the best players. The European poker scene is led by Scandinavians, Danes, and the British, while Polish players have also proven their worth.
List of WSOP Main Event Winners
Here is a list of World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event winners from 1970 onwards, along with their prize amounts:
| Year | Winner | Winnings (USD) | Number of Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Johnny Moss | N/A | N/A |
| 1971 | Johnny Moss | $30,000 | N/A |
| 1972 | Amarillo Slim | $80,000 | N/A |
| 1973 | Puggy Pearson | $130,000 | N/A |
| 1974 | Johnny Moss | $160,000 | N/A |
| 1975 | Sailor Roberts | $210,000 | N/A |
| 1976 | Doyle Brunson | $220,000 | N/A |
| 1977 | Doyle Brunson | $340,000 | N/A |
| 1978 | Bobby Baldwin | $210,000 | N/A |
| 1979 | Hal Fowler | $270,000 | N/A |
| 1980 | Stu Ungar | $365,000 | N/A |
| 1981 | Stu Ungar | $375,000 | N/A |
| 1982 | Jack Straus | $520,000 | N/A |
| 1983 | Tom McEvoy | $540,000 | N/A |
| 1984 | Jack Keller | $660,000 | N/A |
| 1985 | Bill Smith | $700,000 | N/A |
| 1986 | Berry Johnston | $570,000 | N/A |
| 1987 | Johnny Chan | $625,000 | N/A |
| 1988 | Johnny Chan | $700,000 | N/A |
| 1989 | Phil Hellmuth | $755,000 | N/A |
| 1990 | Mansour Matloubi | $895,000 | N/A |
| 1991 | Brad Daugherty | $1,000,000 | N/A |
| 1992 | Hamid Dastmalchi | $1,000,000 | N/A |
| 1993 | Jim Bechtel | $1,000,000 | N/A |
| 1994 | Russ Hamilton | $1,000,000 | N/A |
| 1995 | Dan Harrington | $1,000,000 | N/A |
| 1996 | Huck Seed | $1,000,000 | N/A |
| 1997 | Stu Ungar | $1,000,000 | N/A |
| 1998 | Scotty Nguyen | $1,000,000 | N/A |
| 1999 | Noel Furlong | $1,000,000 | N/A |
| 2000 | Chris Ferguson | $1,500,000 | 512 |
| 2001 | Carlos Mortensen | $1,500,000 | 613 |
| 2002 | Robert Varkonyi | $2,000,000 | 631 |
| 2003 | Chris Moneymaker | $2,500,000 | 839 |
| 2004 | Greg Raymer | $5,000,000 | 2,576 |
| 2005 | Joe Hachem | $7,500,000 | 5,619 |
| 2006 | Jamie Gold | $12,000,000 | 8,773 |
| 2007 | Jerry Yang | $8,250,000 | 6,358 |
| 2008 | Peter Eastgate | $9,152,416 | 6,844 |
| 2009 | Joe Cada | $8,547,042 | 6,494 |
| 2010 | Jonathan Duhamel | $8,944,310 | 7,319 |
| 2011 | Pius Heinz | $8,715,638 | 6,865 |
| 2012 | Greg Merson | $8,531,853 | 6,598 |
| 2013 | Ryan Riess | $8,361,570 | 6,352 |
| 2014 | Martin Jacobson | $10,000,000 | 6,683 |
| 2015 | Joe McKeehen | $7,683,346 | 6,420 |
| 2016 | Qui Nguyen | $8,005,310 | 6,737 |
| 2017 | Scott Blumstein | $8,150,000 | 7,221 |
| 2018 | John Cynn | $8,800,000 | 7,874 |
| 2019 | Hossein Ensan | $10,000,000 | 8,569 |
| 2020 | Damian Salas | $2,550,969 | 1,379 |
| 2021 | Koray Aldemir | $8,000,000 | 6,650 |
| 2022 | Espen Jorstad | $10,000,000 | 8,663 |
| 2023 | Daniel Weinman | $12,100,000 | 10,043 |
Please note that in 1970, the winner was determined by a vote rather than a tournament, hence the absence of prize and participant information. Additionally, in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the WSOP Main Event was held in a hybrid format (online and live), resulting in a lower number of participants and prize pool.
Other Renowned Poker Tournaments
European Poker Tour (EPT)
The most prestigious European poker series. The tournaments take place in various cities across Europe, creating fortunes and new poker stars.
Sunday Million
The world’s largest weekly online poker tournament, played in the No Limit Hold’em format. With a guaranteed prize pool of $1.5 million, it attracts the best online players globally. The first Sunday Million was held on 5 March 2006. In 2008, the tournament had a record-breaking 16,000 participants and a prize pool exceeding $3 million.
Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT)
Launched in 2007, it is the first major poker tour in the region.
Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT)
Established in 2008, this is the leading poker tour in Latin America.
