Every Poker Player's Dream: Going for the Gold at the World Series of Poker By Nolan Dalla

All victories beget tokens of achievement. In battle, the noblest acts of bravery are rewarded with medals. In movies, the top actors receive Oscars. In sports, the best athletes display their emblems of victory - as if to authenticate the validity of a championship. For instance, in golf, the "green jacket" has become synonymous with winning The Masters. In boxing, "a belt" represents the world championship title. And in poker, one token of triumph stands head and shoulders above all the others. That memento is "the gold bracelet."

Poker players are judged not just by the sums of prize money they've won, but by the number of gold bracelets they've earned. The greatest poker champions are revered for winning multiple titles. For many players, winning the gold bracelet is a dream come true. It's the realization of a lifetime goal. But the truth is - most who come to the World Series of Poker every year will leave disappointed for having not won a bracelet. Many players, even some truly great players, have never won a championship. That's what makes winning a gold bracelet so special. It's rare. It's priceless.

The gold bracelet is the ultimate symbol of achievement in poker. It signifies immortality. It says to the rest of the world that, at least for the time being, the player wearing it is the very best at the game. The first test is to buy in to the event. The next test is to outlast the world's best poker players and survive. The next test is to make it to the final table. The final test is to be the last player sitting at the table - with chips.

There's only one place on earth to win the gold bracelet. That special place is Binion's Horseshoe in Downtown Las Vegas. For poker aficionados, Binion's Horseshoe is the Mardi Gras, the Wimbledon, the Madison Square Garden, the Rose Bowl, and the Wembley Stadium of casinos - all rolled into a gambling sanctum that has been the undisputed epicenter of the poker universe ever since the game became a national pastime. While there are certainly larger and fancier casinos in Las Vegas and elsewhere nowadays, no other venue quite captures the rich history or holds the legacy of Binion's Horseshoe. And no other casino opens its doors to such a diverse group of players from all walks of life to compete for the world championship. No other casino quite symbolizes Las Vegas and what the entertainment capital of the world is all about - like Binion's Horseshoe does.

The crown jewel of Binion's Horseshoe is the World Series of Poker. Now entering its 34th consecutive year - making it the longest-running gaming tournament anywhere to be found - the World Series attracts poker players from all over the globe. They come from faraway places, including Asia, Europe, Central and South America, Australia - and all points in between. They come from everywhere to Las Vegas for at least two reasons. The quest for a gold bracelet is the first reason. The staggering amount of prize money awarded to the winners is the other.

Last year's prize money topped $19 million - an incredible amount that exceeds all of the major yearly events of golf and tennis combined. In fact, over the years the World Series of Poker has created 31 millionaires (defined as players with lifetime winnings of more than $1 million in this tournament alone). Not only does no other poker tournament come close to the World Series, no other sporting spectacle comes close!

But money is only a part of the story. Long after the prize money is paid to the winners, we still remember the famous names and the great matches of the past. Whether it's legends like "Amarillo Slim" Preston (1972 world champion), Doyle "Texas Dolly" Brunson (1976 and 1977), or this year's inductee into the Poker Hall of Fame, Bobby Baldwin (1978) - or an amateur poker champion such as last year's winner Robert Varkonyi - the players and the hands they played are still discussed and debated. No other tournament has the electricity, the excitement, the history, the prestige, or the prize money of the World Series of Poker.

This year promises to be even more exciting for both players and poker fans alike. The 2003 World Series of Poker will feature 36 events, including popular variations of poker such as Texas hold'em, Omaha, seven-card stud, and other card games. Best of all, the tournaments are open to everyone who enjoys poker - from players in weekly home games to professionals. Many players win their seats by playing in "satellites" - which are similar to tournaments and cost as little as a few hundred dollars. The WSOP will also host the Ladies World Championship and the Seniors World Championship tournaments. As if that's not enough, there will also be numerous cash games at all limits going around-the-clock at the Horseshoe. This year for the first time, there will also be a nightly "second chance" no-limit hold'em tournament with a buy-in of $225 (no rebuys). Whatever your game, whatever limit you prefer - you're welcome to come and play. At Binion's, anything is possible. Dreams do come true. Last year's World Champion Robert Varkonyi parlayed a satellite entry into $2 million.

"As poker's popularity has exploded in recent years, we know there are many other tournaments out there for players to choose from," said Benny Binion Behnen. "But there is only one place to win a gold bracelet and go down in history as a world champion. That tournament is the World Series of Poker."

Behnen and the rest of the Binion's Horseshoe staff - including Tournament Co-Directors Matt Savage and Jim Miller, Director of Poker Operations George Fisher, and Tournament Coordinator Steve McDonald - are proud and privileged to carry forth the legacy of the late Benny Binion, who once had a dream in 1970 to invite all the best poker players to Las Vegas for an intimate gathering to compete for the world championship. If only he could see now what he started back then.

"Every year, people wonder if the World Series of Poker will get bigger," said Behnen. "Here we are, going stronger than ever after 34 years, and still breaking records every year.

"I personally want to invite everyone to come and be a part of the rich history and legacy that makes the World Series of Poker one of a kind - the biggest and best tournament in the world."

For further information, please contact Binion's Horseshoe at (800) 937-6537 or visit www.binions.com.