ARTICLES
World Series of Poker: History
When you hear the term, the World Series of Poker, most people today think about ESPN coverage and thousands of people all laying down $10,000 to become the next poker millionaire. The top players are cult icons and have turned their fame into small fortunes, hocking chip sets, instructional videos, books, video games, and websites. But it hasn’t always been that way.
The idea for the World Series began in the summer of 1949 when Nicholas "Nick the Greek" Dandolos approached Binion’s Horseshoe owner Benny Binion to set up a match between Dandolos and the legendary Texas road gambler, Johnny Moss. Binion did so with the stipulation that the game would be played in public view.
Crowds gathered at Binion’s Horseshoe to watch this marathon contest that lasted five months with breaks only for sleep. Moss ultimately won an estimated $2 million. When “The Greek” lost his last pot, he arose from his chair, bowed slightly, and uttered the now-famous words, "Mr. Moss, I have to let you go." Binion, always a promoter at heart, noted that the public had gathered outside the casino each day to watch the game with the fervor of dedicated sports fans, and he was...
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Why all the excitement over Poker?
Poker's new upsurge in popularity is due to televised
showings of championship poker tournaments, such as The World
Poker Tour and The World Series of Poker. This has resulted in
millions of people all over the world playing either online or
at land based casinos. Even movie stars and professional
athletes are getting into tournament action. This really became
evident when actor Ben Affleck won $356,400 and a tournament
title at Commerce Casino's California State Poker Championship
in June 2004.
And big business likes poker too. Bear Stearns estimated that
annual revenue from poker was $4.5 billion in 2003. Another
analyst group feels 2005 revenue will exceed $10 billion.
PokerPulse.com stated that $200,463,154 .00 was wagered at online
poker rooms in a 24 hour period on March 13, 2005.
People see the excitement and money that is involved in poker
tournaments by watching poker on TV, which is one reason the
perception of poker gambling went from being played in dark
rooms to a preferred status. The seasoned professional players
are excited about this as well. They are not winning as many
tournaments as they have in the past due to the influx of
many new players, but they are winning more than ever because
of their...
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