WORLD SERIES OF POKERFrom One Table to the World Stage
In the late 1960’s, casino magnate Benny Binion aspired to hold an event pitting the best poker players in the world against each other at the poker table. Inspired by similar “invite-only” events that ran at the time, Binion began laying the groundwork for what would eventually become the World Series of Poker (WSOP).
Inviting Johnny Moss, "Amarillo Slim" Preston, Sailor Roberts, Doyle Brunson, Puggy Pearson, Crandell Addington, and Carl Cannon to compete in the inaugural event in 1970, the seven participants played in a no-limit hold’em cash game, and afterwards were tasked with voting on who they thought was the best player.
Famously, the first round of voting resulted in each player voting for themselves. Once requested to vote on who they thought was the second best player in the event, Johnny Moss was selected as the very first WSOP Main Event champion.
The following year, the WSOP Main Event adopted the structure that is still used today, a no-limit hold’em freeze out tournament, and expanded to offer additional events.
Prior to the introduction of gold bracelets, WSOP event winners received grey trophies for their accomplishment.
In 1976, the WSOP would begin awarding tournament winners gold bracelets, considered by many to be the most prized trophies in all of poker.
A recreational poker player who won his $10,000 buy-in through a $86 online satellite tournament, Moneymaker’s Main Event win inspired people around the world to take up the game of poker, triggering the Poker Boom of the early 2000’s.
The next year, Harrah’s Entertainment (now Caesar’s Entertainment) would purchase Binion’s Horseshoe, retaining rights to the Horseshoe and the WSOP.
1970The iconic Binion’s Horseshoe in Las Vegas hosted the very first WSOP in 1970. Known for its rich history and vibrant poker culture, this casino laid the foundation for what would become the World Series of Poker, bringing together legendary players and setting the stage for decades of poker excellence.
2005Moving the WSOP to the Rio Hotel and Casino just off the Las Vegas Strip, the yearly event would take place at the property until 2022, transitioning to the current host properties: Paris and Horseshoe.
During the WSOP’s tenure at the Rio, the event would continue rising in global prominence during an era referred to as the Poker Boom. With record turnouts and the airing of events on ESPN, the WSOP became a fixture in gambling culture that reached players around the world.
2022The iconic Binion’s Horseshoe in Las Vegas hosted the very first WSOP in 1970. Known for its rich history and vibrant poker culture, this casino laid the foundation for what would become the World Series of Poker, bringing together legendary players and setting the stage for decades of poker excellence.
During the very first WSOP Main Event in 1970, Benny Binion famously told Doyle Brunson “You know, Doyle, someday we may have a hundred people in this tournament”. Nearly 53 years later, the largest WSOP Main Event in history took place during the second WSOP held at the Horseshoe and Paris in 2023. Surpassing 10,000 total entrants generating a $94 million prize pool, the historic milestone not only reflected what the founders of the WSOP helped create, but how their legacy continues to live on decades later.
In 2024, Caesars Entertainment sold the World Series of Poker to GGPoker operator NSUS Group for $500 million.
Helping give rise to the likes of Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, and Phil Hellmuth, the WSOP continues to celebrate the poker players that have contributed to its long legacy, and helps up-in-coming stars build their own every year.