27 Sep 2024 Since its establishment in 1970, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) has consistently attracted fascinating personalities and witnessed numerous remarkable moments and stories. In this article, we explore 16 incredible WSOP facts and tales that you didn't know. #1: Bob Hooks In the 1975 WSOP main event, Bob Hooks, who was the poker room manager at Binion’s during the early 1970s, finished second to Brian “Sailor” Roberts. This tournament had a small turnout of only 21 participants and featured a winner-take-all format for the grand prize of $210,000. Interestingly, Roberts and Hooks were roommates at the time, and they made a secret agreement to split the prize money between themselves. #2: WSOP wristwatches story In the early years of the WSOP, winners didn’t receive bracelets as symbols of their victories. In fact, during the inaugural event in 1970, the first WSOP champion was only awarded a silver cup, along with any cash winnings earned throughout the tournament. It wasn’t until 1976 that the WSOP started the tradition of issuing bracelets to event winners. Due to early criticism that bracelets were too feminine and that no male winners wore them, the WSOP briefly replaced the bracelets with golden wristwatches in 1982. However, the wristwatches were unpopular, and the bracelets were brought back in 1983. #3: Doyle Brunson Doyle Brunson could have joined Johnny Moss and Stu Ungar as the only players to win the WSOP main event three times. In 1972, with only three players left in the WSOP Main Event, it seemed highly likely that Doyle Brunson would claim victory and take home the $80,000 prize. The other contenders were Amarillo Slim and Puggy Pearson. However, when Jack Binion expressed his desire to film the final moments of the event with a TV crew, both Brunson and Pearson made it clear they didn’t want to win. Brunson feared that becoming the world champion of poker could prevent him from being invited to future lucrative cash games and also dreaded the possibility of a tax audit. The players struck a deal where Pearson and Brunson would let Slim win, but in return, they would take the cash equivalent of their current chip stacks from Slim’s prize. Binion allowed Brunson to withdraw from the tournament, citing a stomach ache as his reason for leaving. After Brunson exited, Pearson and Slim continued playing. According to Slim, Pearson became dissatisfied with the agreement and was determined to win the tournament. However, it is said that Jack Binion convinced Pearson to play less aggressively against Slim. In the final hand, Pearson raised to 700 chips with pocket 6s, and Slim called with KJ offsuit. The flop came K88, and Slim pushed his 51,000 chip stack into the pot. Pearson called, putting all his chips in as well. The turn was a deuce, and the river was an eight, giving Slim the win with a bigger full house. According to the Hendon Mob, Amarillo Slim walked away from the table with just $15,000, three times his initial investment. #4: Phil Hellmuth's shaving side-bet After being eliminated from the Main Event by amateur player Robert Varcone, Phil Hellmuth confidently declared that Varcone had no chance of winning. Hellmuth even went as far as to promise that if Varcone did win, he would shave his head bald. To everyone’s surprise, Varcone indeed claimed the $2 million prize. Despite Varcone's attempt to release Hellmuth from the bet, Hellmuth, never one to shy away from attention, had already decided to sell his hair and donate the proceeds to charity. After fulfilling the bet and shaving his head, Hellmuth later repurchased his own hair for $10,000. #5: Paul Clark In the 1997 WSOP, Paul Clark collapsed while playing in the $1,500 Razz event, prompting the arrival of paramedics. As the chip leader, Clark collapsed multiple times, raising concerns that led to WSOP lawyers drafting a contract to absolve the organization of liability in case he passed away during the tournament. Clark, undeterred, signed the agreement and continued playing. It was later revealed that he had suffered a total of 14 strokes, some occurring during the final table. Despite partial numbness and no memory of how he played, Clark finished in fourth place. #6: First woman who won at WSOP While Barbara Enright is widely recognized as the first woman to win an open-event WSOP bracelet in 1996, the true pioneer was Vera Richmond. Richmond secured a bracelet in the $1,000 Ace-to-Five Draw event at the 1982 WSOP. However, due to the male-dominated nature of poker at the time, her victory wasn’t officially acknowledged, and her name was excluded from the WSOP history books. #7: Stu Ungar Stu Ungar, despite being considered a highly unlikely contender with odds of 100-1, emerged victorious in the 1980 WSOP. He continued his streak by winning his second consecutive WSOP Main Event title in 1981. Notably, Jay Hemowitz was the only player to join Ungar at both final tables. In 1980, Hemowitz placed third, while in 1981, he finished sixth. Ungar’s triumphant run continued in 1997 when he claimed his third title, while Hemowitz finished 13th that year. #8: WSOP Novemer 9 The concept of the "November 9" was introduced in 2008 by Ty Stewart, the WSOP’s executive director. The idea aimed to add a reality-show element to the tournament, allowing for a break between the initial rounds and the final table. This delay would build anticipation and create speculation about the final outcome. Stewart’s goal was to transform the nine finalists into poker personalities, giving them a chance to participate in interviews and public appearances over four months. Additionally, the break provided players with an opportunity to secure sponsorships from both poker-related and non-poker companies. The reception to the November 9 was mixed. Some felt it compromised the game’s integrity, while others thought it could heighten interest. The immense pressure to reach the final nine was so intense that some players admitted to not performing at their best due to stress. In 2017, Poker Central announced a television and digital media rights agreement with the WSOP and ESPN. This deal resulted in the reintegration of the final table into the later stages of the tournament, effectively ending the "November 9". #9: Young WSOP ME Winners From 2008 to 2015, WSOP Main Event winners shared a peculiar trend: their ages fell between 21 and 24, with the exception of Martin Jakobsen, who was 27 when he won. This streak ended in 2016 when Qui Nguyen, at 39, claimed the title. That year’s runner-up, Gordon Vayo, was 27. Let’s look ath this closer: #10: WSOP Changing Structures Since the poker boom in the mid-2000s, the WSOP has continuously adjusted tournament structures to offer participants more playing time. The Main Event now starts with 60,000 chips, a significant increase from the 10,000 chips used 20 years ago. This change reflects the importance of the event for both professionals and amateurs. For many amateurs, the WSOP Main Event offers a rare opportunity to compete with top poker professionals and the possibility of winning a life-changing amount of money. #11: Chris Moneymaker's sunglasses In 2003, Chris Moneymaker famously wore Oakley sunglasses during his victorious run at the WSOP Main Event. However, those iconic sunglasses were lost later that night while he was celebrating with friends and family. #12: Crazy 11-Handed Game In 2005, the WSOP field grew so large that players were sometimes forced to play 11-handed, a departure from the usual 9-handed format. #13: WSOP on Discovery While we now associate the WSOP with ESPN and PokerGo, from 1999 to 2001, the tournament was actually broadcast on the Discovery Channel. #14: No TV-deal The rise of television and the internet made WSOP footage widely available to fans, yet there's a notable absence in the archives. In 1996, Huxley's WSOP Main Event victory was not captured on film due to a lack of a television deal. #15: WSOP on Fremont Street In 1997, the WSOP final table was held outdoors on Fremont Street to accommodate the large crowd eager to witness the legendary Stu Ungar in action. #16: Outstanding statistics about WSOP Since its founding in 1970, the WSOP has awarded over $3.8 billion in prize money, with more than 1,700 bracelets won by over 1.7 million players, cementing its status as one of the wealthiest sports events globally.
