While the earliest poker games can be traced back a couple of centuries, poker didn’t really start to make its way into the American mainstream until the early 2000s. That was when ESPN greatly expanded its broadcast offerings for the World Series of Poker and helped the event grow into what it is today.
That was back in 2003 when the aptly-named Chris Moneymaker made headlines by winning the Main Event at the World Series of Poker (WSOP). In doing so, Moneymaker became the first person to win the event after qualifying for the tournament at an online poker site .
While the World Series of Poker wasn’t on the radar of many casual fans before 2003, the event does have a much longer history. Here’s a brief look at the history of the WSOP Texas Hold’em tournament. WSOP Tournament History
The World Series of Poker tournament actually dates back to the 1970s. 1970 was the year when Benny Binion – a gambling icon and early Las Vegas casino mogul – invited several of the United States’ top poker players to participate in a Texas Hold’em tournament.
Those seven players gathered at Binion’s Horseshoe Casino for the tournament, and the winner was decided afterward with all seven players voting on the winner via an anonymous ballot.
That first WSOP tournament featured cash games of five-card stud, deuce to seven low-ball draw, seven-card stud, and Texas Hold ’em. Texas Hold’em was the format used for the Main Event starting the following year in 1971.
The winner in 1970 was a player known as Johnny Moss, who was rewarded with a silver cup for his efforts. Binion had long dreamed of hosting a poker tournament featuring the world’s best players, and the first WSOP Texas Hold’em tournament made that dream a reality. WSOP Expansion
Starting in 1972, the Main Event at the World Series of Poker tournament has used a $10,000 buy-in, no-limit Texas Hold’em format. That came after Moss was voted as the 1970 champion by his peers, while the 1971 edition featured just a $5,000 buy-in.
The WSOP tournament winner receives a gold bracelet along […]
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