|
 |
In the summer of
1949, famed gambler Nicholas 'Nick the Greek'
Dandolos approached gambling icon, Benny Binion,
wishing to somehow challenge the reputed best
poker player, the legendary Johnny Moss, in a
high-stakes poker marathon.
Binion agreed to
set up a match between Dandolos and Moss with
the one stipulation -- that the event be held in
public. Five months later, with breaks only for
sleep, Moss won “the biggest game in town” and
an estimated $2 million purse.
21 years later,
in 1970, Binion decided to recreate the event —
dubbed the “World Series Of Poker” — to
determine who would be worthy of the title of
“World Champion.” Again, Johnny Moss won. |
|
From 1970 to 1982, the
tournament had grown to 52 entries. In 2003 there were 839
entries for the $10,000 no-limit hold'em event. In 2004 the
previous year's record was smashed when 2,576 poker fanatics
entered the Championship event. The prize money increased
from $7,769,000 a decade ago to more than $49 million in
2004.
In 2008 the 39th annual World Series of Poker was the largest and richest in history, attracting 58,720 competitors in its 55 events – an increase of 4,432, or 8 percent, over the previous record established in 2007. The total prize pool at this year’s World Series of Poker was $180,676,248, an increase of $20,880,030 over the previous record, also established last year. Players from a record 118 countries participated in this year’s tournaments, more than in the most recent Winter Olympics. That number is up 36 percent from the previous record of 87 countries set in 2007.
The 39th annual World Series of Poker, a compilation of 55 tournaments covering all of the game’s major variations, began May 30 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The Main Event, with four start dates to accommodate its large playing field, began on July 3.
It’s now the biggest, most famous
poker event on the planet.
|
   |
|
 |
Following is a chart which shows a list of all
the winners of the World Series of Poker
Championship event. If you are interested in
finding out more about a particular player or
event, we have the WSOP video or DVD for that
year if it is displayed in
blue or
red
underlined
letters. Just click on that year for the link. PLEASE NOTE: These are all ORIGINALS, in
the box - NO PIRATED COPIES are sold here. All
prices and availability are subject to change. Not all years
of WSOP were taped.
(Availability was last updated 02DEC08). |
Year
|
Name
|
Prize $$
|
Hole Cards
|
|
2008 |
Peter Eastgate |
$9,152,416 |
  |
|
2007 |
Jerry Yang |
$8,250,000 |
  |
|
2006 |
Jamie Gold |
$12,000,000 |
  |
|
2005
|
Joseph Hachem |
$7,500,000 |
  |
|
2004
|
Greg "Fossilman" Raymer |
$5,000,000 |
|
|
2003
|
Chris Moneymaker
|
$2,500,000
|
  |
|
2002
|
Robert Varkonyi
|
$2,000,000
|
  |
|
2001
|
Carlos Mortensen
|
$1,500,000
|
  |
|
2000
|
Chris "Jesus"
Ferguson
|
$1,500,000
|
 |
|
1999
|
Noel Furlong
|
$1,000,000
|
 |
|
1998
|
Scotty Nguyen
|
$1,000,000
|
 |
|
1997
|
Stu "The Kid" Unger
|
$1,000,000
|
  |
|
1996
|
Huck Seed
|
$1,000,000
|
 |
|
1995
|
Dan Harrington
|
$1,000,000
|
|
|
1994
|
Russ Hamilton
|
$1,000,000
|
  |
|
1993
|
Jim Bechtel
|
$1,000,000
|
  |
|
1992
|
Hamid Dastmalchi
|
$1,000,000
|
|
|
1991
|
Brad Daugherty
|
$1,000,000
|
 |
|
1990
|
Mansour Matloubi
|
$895,000
|
 |
|
1989
|
Phil Hellmuth
|
$775,000
|
 |
|
1988
|
Johnny Chan
|
$700,000
|
|
|
1987
|
Johnny Chan
|
$625,000
|
|
|
1986
|
Berry Johnston
|
$570,000
|
 |
|
1985
|
Bill Smith
|
$700,000
|
 |
|
1984
|
Jack Keller
|
$660,000
|
|
|
1983
|
Tom McEvoy
|
$540,000
|
 |
|
1982
|
Jack Straus
|
$520,000
|
 |
|
1981
|
Stu "The Kid" Unger
|
$375,000
|
|
|
1980
|
Stu "The Kid" Unger
|
$385,000
|
|
|
1979
|
Hal Fowler
|
$270,000
|
  |
|
1978
|
Bobby Baldwin
|
$210,000
|
|
|
1977
|
Doyle "Texas Dolly"
Brunson
|
$340,000
|
 |
|
1976
|
Doyle "Texas Dolly"
Brunson
|
$220,000
|
 |
|
1975
|
Bryan "Sailor" Roberts
|
$210,000
|
 |
|
1974
|
Johnny Moss
|
$160,000
|
|
|
1973
|
Puggy Peason
|
$130,000
|
|
|
1972
|
Thomas "Amarillo Slim" Preston
|
$80,000
|
|
|
1971
|
Johnny Moss
|
$30,000
|
|
|
|
