Today, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) series is synonymous with poker excellence. It is known to offer a platform for both professional and amateur players to contend for millions of dollars and the coveted gold bracelet.
The series continues to get bigger and grander with every passing year and marks the attendance of thousands of players. But did you know the beginning of the WSOP wasn’t as grand or even close?
The inaugural edition of WSOP laid the foundation for the future of the WSOP, which has over the years witnessed exponential growth. It had a humble beginning which included a small gathering of elite players and has today evolved into a global phenomenon with thousands of participants.
The success of the first WSOP set the beginning for its transformation into an annual event, eventually leading the series to become the most sought-after title in poker. The first-ever WSOP series in 1970 is remembered for its modest beginnings and for setting the standards of sportsmanship and competition that continue to define the event to this day.
The birth of the WSOP
The first ever WSOP took place officially in 1970, however, the real story behind the birth of the series began a year before that in 1969. There was a group of gamblers who regularly gathered in Las Vegas. This included players from Texas as well as outside. They held a Texas Gamblers’ Reunion (TGR) in Reno in 1969, which was organized by Vic Vickrey and Tom Moore, the owners of the town’s Holiday Casino.
The TGR had a number of high-stakes cash games and brought together some notable players such as Doyle Brunson, Thomas ‘Amarillo Slim’ Preston, Johnny Moss and Puggy Pearson, legend Jimmy ‘The Greek’ Snyder and the pool legend Rudy ‘Minnesota Fats’ Wanderone among others. One player of TGR was also Benny Binion, the proprietor of Binion’s Horseshoe in Downtown Las Vegas.
After a successful TGR season in 1969, Vickrey and Moore decided not to repeat the TGR the following year. That’s when Benny Binion saw an opportunity and relocated the action of TGR to his own casino. Thus Binion hosted the first WSOP in 1970.
First WSOP 1970 participants
However, it was far from noteworthy, with just seven players, primarily buddies who had been a part of the previous year’s TGR, gathered at Binion’s Horseshoe in 1970 to play some cash games.
Jack Binion invited the seven best players in America to Binion’s Horseshoe casino in Las Vegas, Nevada to decide who was America’s best poker player.
These seven best players of 1970 included:
Johnny Moss
Johnny Moss got his hands on the game as a teenager. In 1949, Moss contested a heads-up match against ‘Nick the Greek,’ which lasted as long as five months. It was Benny Binion who had organized this game to draw attention. In the heads-up, Moss won around 2 to 4 million dollars to become a legend.
‘Amarillo Slim’ Preston
‘Amarillo Slim’ Preston is known to often visit casinos with ‘Sailor’ Roberts and Doyle Brunson. It is believed that it was this trio that introduced Las Vegas to Texas Hold’em, which went on to become the dominant form of poker.
In his autobiography in 2003, ‘Amarillo Slim’ shared his experience playing poker with US Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon. He is often regarded as the first true poker star.
Bryan ‘Sailor’ Roberts
Bryan ‘Sailor’ Roberts was a well-known poker and bridge player back in the day. He got his nickname Sailor from his service in the United States Navy during the Korean War.
Doyle Brunson
The late Doyle Brunson was destined to become a symbol of poker and is today considered as true legend. In his young days, Brunson was an extraordinary basketball player and even had the chance to join the NBA team – Minneapolis Lakers, however, a leg injury eventually changed his fate in sports.
Although he played poker before the injury, he became more engrossed in the game while recovering from his injury. Eventually, after graduating, Doyle bagged a job at Burroughs Corporation, where he was selected in sales. On his first day at work, his colleagues invited the new joiner to play poker, and Brunson ended up winning an amount equal to his monthly income. It was at that moment that Doyle decided to quit his job and pursue poker professionally.
Walter ‘Puggy’ Pearson
Walter ‘Puggy’ Pearson, in 1949, brought up the idea of holding poker tournaments. Prior to that, poker was exclusively a cash game. Pearson communicated his idea with ‘Nick the Greek Dandolos, who eventually passed it on to Benny Binion.
Despite his limited educational qualifications, ‘Puggy’ was an outstanding player, especially in the Limit Hold’em variant of the game.
Crandell Addington
Crandell Addington was a businessman who became the best player at the Texas Gamblers Reunion in Reno (Nevada) in 1969. By then, Addington had already made millions in wealth and would play poker for fun.
Crandell was frequently seen playing at the final table of the main event of WSOP, to be precise 7 times between 1972 to 1979. He ultimately became a true legend.
Carl Cannon
Carl Cannon was a professional player who is often regarded as one of the best players in the early ’70s, however, he never managed to achieve success in the WSOP series.
WSOP 1970 winner
As the seven players gathered and played a cash game session, it was time for the group to go their separate ways. That’s when they decided to name the best player in the world from among them. For this, they took a vote wherein they were asked to name the best player according to them. Here everyone voted for themselves. Thus, Benny Binion, the organiser then asked the players to vote for the second-best player after themselves.
Consequently, Johnny Moss was voted the best in the world by “Amarillo Slim” Preston, Sailor Roberts, Doyle Brunson, Puggy Pearson, Crandell Addington, and Carl Cannon. Thus Moss became the first ever WSOP champion in 1970 and was awarded a silver cup instead of the bracelet that is awarded today. Interestingly, the WSOP gold bracelet was established as the prize of the WSOP only in 1976.
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