EZ POKER

The original World Series of Poker was started in 1969 by Tom Moore of San Antonio, Texas at the Holiday Hotel and Casino in Reno and was an invitational event. This inaugural event was won by Crandall Addington who went on to place eight times in the top ten of the World Series of Poker Main Event. This is a record that still stands in 2006. The set of tournaments the World Series of Poker (WSOP) would evolve to was the brainchild of Las Vegas legend, casino owner, and poker player Benny Binion as well as his two sons Jack and Ted.

Johnny Moss, Becky Binion, and Puggy Pearson at the 1974 World Series of PokerThe Binion family not only nurtured the WSOP, but poker in general. Prior to the 1970s, poker was not found at many casinos because of the difficulty of keeping cheaters out. Through better security techniques as well as the Binion’s tireless promotion through events like the WSOP, poker became a very popular game.

In 1970 the first WSOP at Binion’s Horseshoe took place as a series of cash games that included five card stud, deuce to seven low-ball draw, razz, seven card stud, and Texas Hold-em. The format for the Main Event as a freeze-out Texas Hold-em game came the next year. The winner in 1970, Johnny Moss was elected by his peers as the first World Champion of Poker and received a silver cup as a prize.

In 2004, Harrah’s Entertainment purchased Binion’s Horseshoe, kept the rights to the Horseshoe and World Series of Poker brands, sold the hotel and casino to MTR Gaming Group, and announced that the 2005 Series events would be held at the Harrah’s-owned Rio Hotel and Casino, located just off the Las Vegas Strip. The final two days of the main event in 2005 were held downtown at what is now the MTR operated “Binion’s” in celebration of the centennial of the founding of Las Vegas. It also added a made-for-television $2 million “freeroll” invitational “Tournament of Champions” (TOC) event first won by Annie Duke as a “winner-take-all” event.

Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer, the winners in 2003 and 2004 both qualified for the main event through satellite tournaments at the PokerStars online cardroom.

Several living poker legends have tried unsuccessfully for years to win the main event, including T. J. Cloutier, the 1985 and 2000 runner-up.

With the exception of winners of the World Series Of Poker Main Event satellite tournaments (who automatically win a spot in the main event), all remaining players (including former champions, celebrities, and professional poker players) must supply the $10,000 buy-in, in order to participate.

Check out those Poker Rooms to qualify at WSOP: