The World Series of Poker is the most prestigious set of poker tournaments in the world.
The main event
The main event of the WSOP is the $10,000 buy-in no-limit Texas Hold 'Em tournament since 1972. (In 1971, the buy-in was $5,000.) Winners of the event not only get the largest prize of the tournament and a gold bracelet, but additionally their picture is placed into the Gallery of Champions at Binion's.
The Gallery of Champions in 1979
There have been many memorable moments during the main events, including Jack Straus's 1982 comeback win after discovering he had one $500 chip left when he thought he was out of the tournament.
Four players have won the main event multiple times: Johnny Moss (1970, 1971 and 1974), Doyle Brunson (1976 and 1977), Stu Ungar (1980, 1981 and 1997) and Johnny Chan (1987 and 1988.)
The end of the 1988 main event was featured in the movie Rounders.
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.
As of 2006, a cap of 8,000 players is now an official stipulation of the Main Event. 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.
Links
- Official WSOP Site
- World Series of Poker Event Champions List
- World Series of Poker Retrospective
- WSOP Photo Gallery
- 2005 World Series of Poker Photo Gallery
- Commentary on numerous final hands at the WSOP main event
This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.
Technorati Tags: 
Post new comment