“As long as you’ve got a chip and a chair…” You must’ve heard this expression at least once during your gambling journey. Meaning that as long as you have a single chip and a seat at the table, you can still come back and still have a chance. But you might have not known that this expression was created at the famous World Series of Poker tournament. WSOP is currently happening in Las Vegas so, today we decided to talk about this most prestigious poker tournament in the world, it’s history and some of the wildest series. Learn more about WSOP here at Yabby Casino.
The Beginnings of WSOP
WSOP began back in 1970 when there were only 70 poker tables in the whole state of Nevada. Some host casinos didn’t even have poker rooms, so the contests were held in ordinary hotel rooms. In the early WSOP years, no one outside Las Vegas knew about it or cared about the outcome. That actually wasn’t a tournament, just several days of mixed cash games. After that the players were all invited to choose the best all-round player. Legend has it that each man voted for himself!
Over the next years, the people who were organizing the tournament asked for a press coverage and a fee to participate. That way, the WSOP continued to grow in both size and stature. By 1987, the casinos were big enough to play host to what had become a global gambling extravaganza. Fascinating how thirty or so gamblers were making poker history and have not been aware of it.
Honorable WSOP Mentions
The World Series of Poker has witnessed extraordinary situations and created huge stars. Yabby Casino wants to take a quick look at few biggest comebacks and names in poker.
Johnny Moss
Born in 1907, Johnny Moss learned to gamble as a boy. His first touch with gambling when he was a teenager. He was hired by a saloon in his hometown in Texas to spot anyone trying to cheat. Book named “The Biggest Game in Town” documents his legendary five-month heads-up poker marathon against Nick the Greek in 1949.
Earning the nickname “The Grand Old Man of Poker”, Moss played at every WSOP until the year of his death in 1995, aged 88, winning nine bracelets. In one of his final interviews, at a poker table in Binion’s that year, he reportedly said: “I’ve been playing since I was 10 years old. I guess I know what I’m doing by now.”
Jack “Treetop” Straus
One legendary WSOP moment and was directed by Jack the “Treetop” Straus, one of the best-known players of the 70s and early 80s, still remembered as one of the best players. Jack reportedly put all his chips in a single hand, played and lost. As he was leaving the table, he realized that he had left a $500 chip under the napkin. From then on, he doubled up on several occasions, which brought him the recovery of the chips. Afterwards, Jack Straus won the WSOP golden bracelet and the Main Event. He is credited for creating the poker phrase we already mentioned in the introduction that says: “You only need a chip and a chair to play poker and win”.
Jamie Gold
Gold discovered poker fairly early in his life, growing up in a family of card players. In 2006, Gold took down the WSOP Main Event in one of the most memorable runs the series has seen. Jamie purportedly had limited poker experience prior to the Main Event, but he took the poker world by storm with his amusing behaviour at the table. At 36, Gold won the largest tournament prize pool in poker history, taking home $12 million after his win. It is considered the largest WSOP tournament with a prize pool of
$82,512,162.
WSOP Nowadays
Today, WSOP ranks as the oldest, largest, most prestigious, and most media-hyped gaming competition in the world. What was once an untouchable subculture largely rejected by potential advertisers and business partners has suddenly become a highly- desirable target. Big corporations from different businesses now want to be a part of World Series of Poker.
No doubt The World Series of Poker has touched thousands of lives over the years, affording talented players the opportunity to follow their dreams and perhaps one day achieve them. These were the stories of bravery, skill, and human triumph. If you want to join them why not try your hand at online poker, you can join our instant withdrawal casino. Here at Yabby Casino, you can practice playing poker online and why not – participate in poker tournament someday. May the flop be with you!
