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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Poker’s Popularity Ushers in a Wealth of Free Information
The explosion of televised poker tournaments and lipstick cameras has ushered in a new era of poker popularity. Thousands of new players flock to the game every day, mainly the Texas Hold 'em variation, hoping to emulate their TV heroes for fame and fortune. The logical starting place would be the local cardroom, where new players can try to improve their game against real players. Unfortunately, casinos don't exist in many places of the country. Others may feel too intimidated to enter a physical cardroom for the first time.
Enter online poker.
Beginning about four years ago, startup companies began to cash in on poker's new popularity and create online poker rooms. New poker prospects could play online anonymously from anywhere at anytime. Just fund your account, choose your game, and play your cards against thousands of real players from all over the world. But with tens of new online poker rooms popping up and trying to stake their claim on the market, where should new poker players sign up? And how should they play to make their poker experience most profitable?
Enter poker websites.
A simple Google search returns millions of websites relating to online poker. Many will be spam-laden garbage,...
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