World Series of Poker : 40 Years Earlier
28.05.2010 -Imagine there were no poker tournaments. Imagine there was no online poker. Imagine you had to travel long miles to sit on a table with fellow poker players and play the game that matches your skills. Image it took an entire year to make 5-digit earnings… This was the time when the World Series of Poker was born. This was the time of Johnny Moss, Tom “Amarillo Slim” Preston, Walter “Puggy” Pearson, and the likes.
It was back in 1970 when the first World Series of Poker took place. ‘Series’ is a big word for the 6-player $5,000 buy-in game that casino owner Benny Binion, organized at his Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas. The tournament featured five-card stud, deuce to seven low-ball draw, razz, seven-card stud, and Texas hold‘em. That year Johny Moss was presented with a silver cup and took home $30,000. The next year a Main Event was added, freeze-out Texas Hold’em, which Moss won as well, and Pearson was second.
In 1972 the buy-in for the main event was raised to $10,000 and Amarillo Slim won it. The following years Walter Pearson, Moss, and Brian “Sailor” Roberts took turns winning the prize before newcomer Doyle Brunson came in. He won two consecutive years - 1976 and 1977. At that time you had to be known to be invited.
Online poker has changed a lot, the winners in 2003 and 2004 Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer both qualified for the main event through PokerStars satellite tournaments. Nevertheless, the business of winning your way up through the ranks in online poker for a shot at the big time is not so different from the experience of the rounders who rose to the top of their game and played at Binion’s in 1970. It only takes less time and little to no travel.
Poker Rooms
