World Series of Poker - Champs at a Glance

Winning the World Series of Poker championship may be the most memorable moment in a poker player's career. It is also notable to fans. Most of us can name at least 10 players who have won the main event. We have long debated the merits of high-stakes cash-game players versus tournament specialists. As tournament fields grow, it is inevitable that we will compare the merits of winning in 1975 with winning 30 years later. So, I thought we might take a look at the champions by year, their prize money, and the number of entrants.

JOHNNY MOSS, 1974 (WITH JACK BINION) PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LAS VEGAS NEWS BUREAU

The 1970s:
The inaugural WSOP took place in 1970. It is statistically referenced above and recounted in "The Birth and Growth of the World Series of Poker" section.


In 1971, the freezeout format was instituted. When a player lost his chips, he was out of the tournament. Moss proved he could master the new system, defeating Doyle Brunson, Jimmy Casella, Pug Pearson, Sailor Roberts, and Jack Straus. Known later in life as "the grand old man," Moss scooped up $30,000 for his efforts.


Our first "non-Moss" champ was Thomas "Amarillo Slim" Preston Jr. Troubled in his personal life in later years, Slim stood tall and proud 33 years ago as he promoted himself and poker. Similar to the way Sandra Bullock stumps and junkets a new film nowadays, Slim went on the talk show tour in 1972 after capturing the championship. The fact that he defeated only seven players was overshadowed by his interesting tales and ability to carry a lively conversation. Slim earned a net profit of $70,000 in the event, a gargantuan poker win in 1972, considering the average major-league baseball player earned $34,092 that year. Currently, the MLB median annual salary is a very healthy $2.6 million.

PUGGY PEARSON, 1976 (1973 CHAMPION) PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LAS VEGAS NEWS BUREAU

The 1973 championship event cracked double-digit entrants and another flamboyant character emerged victorious. Walter "Puggy" Pearson took home six figures and the media became more involved. Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder, a well-known gambler who would become best known for losing his job over a remark that was considered racist (a statement that would now pass almost unnoticed if uttered by Charles Barkley), narrated the inaugural video of the main event. Johnny Moss was the runner-up, bluffing off his last checks. He received no prize money for second place.


Moss, who would leave us in 1995 at age 88, captured his third and last championship in 1974. The format of the "series" was taking shape – as five prelim events were conducted. Moss received a gold bracelet for his win. To my knowledge, his was the first awarded.


More than 20 players took their shot at $210,000 in 1975. Another veteran Texan, Brian "Sailor" Roberts, known for his desire to help anyone in need, snagged his first championship. It was the ex-Navy man's second bracelet (he won the deuce-to-seven lowball event the previous year).


"Texas Dolly" snapped Jesse Alto's A-J with the now-famous "Doyle Brunson hand" of 10-2 to win in 1976. The man who once emphatically stated, "I'm a gambler, I'll always be one. I couldn't be anything else …" came right back the following year with, you guessed it, another 10-2 to capture the championship and a winner-take-all $340,000. The panoramic potential of Binion's breakthrough was being shaped – as there were 12 introductory events in 1977.

DOYLE BRUNSON, 1976 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LAS VEGAS NEWS BUREAU

With growth to more than 40 entrants, 1978 marked the first year the winner of the main event did not walk away with all the money. In fact, the prize pool was spread five ways. For trivia buffs, Barbara Freer became the first female to pony up $10,000 to enter the championship tournament. Bobby Baldwin, who was later to become a powerful gaming executive, captured the crown. The final hand was pair over pair for the first of three times in the 35-year history. Baldwin's Q-Q survived over the always dapperly dressed Crandall Addington's 9-9.


Hal Fowler, a one-hit wonder and the first nonprofessional to win the title, made a questionable preflop call with low connectors when raised by Bobby Hoff, who held aces. Hoff followed through on the flop. Surprisingly, Fowler called with no pair and no flush possibility. Hal had merely an inside-straight draw. Ah, but that's all he needed, as the turn boarded his 11-to-1 shot. Fowler became the first man to defeat a field of more than 50 players in 1979.


The 1980s:
Just 10 years after the WSOPstarted as a "gathering," the tourney consisted of 13 events, with the winner of the championship having to navigate through a field of 73. Well, I'd say the 1980 champ had the right stuff to do just that. Stuey "The Kid" Ungar (later dubbed "the Keith Richards of poker"), then 26, dispensed a final table of Doyle Brunson (he finished second), Johnny Moss, Jay Heimowitz, and Charlie Dunwoody. Before leaving us, Ungar was to capture an amazing total of 10 major no-limit hold'em championships in which the buy-in was at least $5,000. The man who never held a salaried job in his life was fearless at the table and, alas, in his personal life.


In 1981, NBC filmed the final table with the legendary Curt Gowdy manning the microphone. The championship was extended to four days (from three). The event paid down to ninth place. These changes were inconsequential to Ungar. Although the man with the photographic memory who once counted down the last three decks in a blackjack shoe had to defeat two additional players to secure back-to-back victories in the main event, and despite collecting $10,000 less officially (he bet $5,000 on himself to win the event at 25-to-1 odds, thus profited $120,000 in addition to the prize money), Ungar took things and the opponents in stride. The last man to fall was Perry Green, a wealthy Alaskan fur trader and excellent poker player.The bearded and bespectacled Jack "Treetop" Straus towered over his three digits of competition. After holding off Dewey Tomko's A-4 with his more powerful A-10 on the final hand, Straus posed in front of $967,000 in chips. It was hard to imagine that the tall man was once down to a $500 chip. We can forever fight on when down to our last chip, knowing that Straus won the 1982 WSOP championship with just a chip and a chair.Tom McEvoy won the 1983 WSOP. The amiable former Michigan accountant who thinks of himself as a theoretician (as opposed to a mathematician) paved the way for those who wanted to risk a little and win a lot when he managed to turn a satellite win into a $540,000 payday. After Doyle Brunson finished third, McEvoy and Rod Peate (who also won his way in via satellite) got down to business. Tom survived the next seven hours of play to capture his second bracelet in two weeks (the prolific writer also won the limit hold'em event in 1983). Well-groomed, well-read, quiet, and articulate, the man who began playing for a living in 1978 appeared almost professorial in comparison to many of his predecessors when one observed his look, approach to the game, and how he carried himself.

BRIAN "SAILOR" ROBERTS, 1975 – BENNY BINION, 1983 BOBBY BALDWIN, 1978 – TOM MCEVOY, 1983 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LAS VEGAS NEWS BUREAU

"Gentleman" Jack Keller was born in Philadelphia. He sold his business, moved to Las Vegas, and began a career as a poker pro. At age 41, he picked up his initial gold bracelet in the seven-card stud event in 1984. A week later, he plunked down $10,000 and went to battle against 131 adversaries. He emerged with the most cherished prize in poker by defeating his last opponent – the late, colorful Cowboy Wolford – with pocket tens. Keller was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1994.



In 1985, Bill Smith overcame a heads-up chip deficit versus one of the best players in the world, T.J. Cloutier. He knocked off T.J.'s 9-9 with pocket kings to take a substantial chip lead. Smith often drank heavily and lost his poker wits. It appeared the fruits of the final table of the WSOP championship would not prevent Bill's habit from taking him down. T.J., who once assessed Smith as "squeaky tight when sober, possibly the best player in the world when half-bagged, and horrible when drunk," came back when Smith overdid the alcohol. T.J.'s quest for gold ended abruptly when he moved in with A-3 (allegedly looking at the ace only). Smith had a great hand to counter (3-3). Smith's 2-to-1 favored holding prevailed, and he was crowned.Berry Johnstonsurvived, what was at that time, the largest championship field ever. The 2003 Poker Hall of Fame inductee has carved a huge notch in the WSOP record books: five gold bracelets, 46 trips to the cashier's cage, and 26 final-table appearances. He is known for being a genteel player, but one the pros are never happy to see sit down at their table. He is especially adept at fighting from behind with a small stack. Due to the increasing size of the championship field, 1986 welcomed some new names to the final table (Doman, Lott, Moore, Harthcock, and Jacobs).

JOHNNY CHAN, 1984 (1987, 1988 CHAMPION) PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LAS VEGAS NEWS BUREAU

In 1987, Johnny Chan jumped on what might have been the biggest roll in championship history. "The Orient Express" came to Las Vegas by way of Houstonto circle the field using a style that would not serve him well today (in his words): "My secret was to play slow, play tight, and wait for good hands."



In 1988, Chan continued his mastery, defeating Erik Seidel in a hand that is now one of the most famous in history (having been placed at the heart of the film Rounders). What may not have been clear to viewers is that although Johnny trapped Erik nicely, the former New Yorker started the hand down more than 4-to-1 in chips and had committed more than one-third of his stack by the turn, when he moved in to avoid giving Johnny a straight or flush card too cheaply.



Phil Hellmuth Jr. became the youngest player (age 24) to capture the championship. What can I say about the famed player, teacher (instructional DVDs), and author that he hasn't already said? To reiterate, he has compiled a magnificent record (actually, it's an almost unfathomable record, considering he missed the tiny fields of the first 20 years and has acquired nine hold'em bracelets). Can you imagine the jewelry he'd hold if he were a great stud player, also? The Madison, Wisconsin, native is tied at the top of the leader board with nine gold bracelets. Perhaps overshadowed by Phil's future success was the incredible showing by Johnny Chan, who came within one player of winning three championships in a row.



The 1990s:
Mansour Matloubi put the "World" in the World Series of Poker when he became the first European to walk off with the cash. He outlasted a great player, Hans "Tuna" Lund. Matloubi's pocket sixes prevailed after his large opponent had moved all in preflop from the button with wired fours. Matloubi, a longtime Wales resident, made his only WSOP victory a memorable one (he has scored several final-table finishes).



With the number of entrants breaking through the 200 mark, the 1991 grand prize jumped to $1 million. In trouble when play moved to sixhanded (he held only 7 percent of the chips in play), six hours later Brad Daugherty was smiling for the photos being taken when the cards stopped moving. The former welder, dealer, and cardroom manager, who had been intrigued by the nuances of the game shortly after he learned the basics at age 19 in Idaho, put it all together for four days in May. He has co-authored several books with fellow champion Tom McEvoy.



Hamid Dastmalchi, a hold'em expert with three bracelets in that discipline, came through in 1992. Years later, he became involved in a bizarre legal episode when Binion's refused to cash his $5,000-denomination chips ($865,000 worth). The Nevada Gaming Control Board stepped in and told Binion's, "Pay the man his money."



<!—ntfami—> <!—ram Ari—> <!—gg—> <!—gg—> Jim Bechtel had knocked on the world championship door previously (scoring 6 <!—igg—> <!—igg—> <!—tad-bigg—> th <!—-tad-bigg—> <!—gg—> <!—gg—> , 11 <!—igg—> <!—igg—> <!—tad-bigg—> th <!—-tad-bigg—> <!—gg—> <!—gg—> , and 31 <!—igg—> <!—igg—> <!—tad-bigg—> st <!—-tad-bigg—> <!—gg—> <!—gg—> place finishes in the main event). In 1993, the Arizona player climbed to the top of the heap and took down $1 million. In the pivotal hand, Bechtel raised from the button with pocket sixes. The flop came K-6-4. Houston's John Bonetti, almost assured of at least a second place finish by playing snugly (the third opponent, Glenn Cozen, was short-stacked), instead chose to go to the mat with his A-K. The game veteran check-raised the flop then moved in on the turn when a jack arrived. Bechtel's satanic holding held, Bonetti's chips moved into the leader's stack, and three hands later the press was taking photos of Bechtel.


In 1994, Binion's decided to celebrate its 25th anniversary of the WSOP by awarding the winning player $1 million and an ounce of silver for every pound he weighed. When final-table play began, it appeared that Hugh Vincent, an unknown Floridian, was going to be the man standing on the scale. He had more than 55 percent of the chips. But, when the last hand began, he trailed Russ Hamilton. Hugh's kicker wasn't as strong as Russ' king kicker (both held top pair), thus the 330-pound Hamilton (who is far slimmer these days) received a bigger bonus than Binion's had budgeted. Rumors circulated that Russ, a funny character, was packing a few cans of beer in his pockets when he tipped the scale.



The 1995 final table consisted of five men and a woman with great credentials, Barbara Enright. Although the Californialady began with the short stack, she moved up a place. Dan Harrington, best known for his incredible back-to-back final-table appearances in 2003 and 2004 against fields of 839 and 2,576, respectively, started in second position and overcame Howard Goldfarb's chip lead. Dan started the final hand as the underdog (9 8 versus A 7), but prevailed when he flopped top pair and picked off the Canadian's all-in bluff. Further proof of Harrington's skill is this: He entered only the championship and the $2,500 no-limit hold'em events in 1995 – and won both tournaments. In the "odds defying" category, capturing the gold with an underdog hand was about to become a regular occurrence; a preflop-favored final hand failed to hold up until 2002.Huck (now preferring Huckleberry, according to FoxSportNetwork's Chris Rose) Seed, then 28, overcame Dr. Bruce Van Horn's heads-up chip lead to win in 1996. Seed defeated the Oklahoma pathologist with the identical hand (9 8) that "Action Dan" had played into the winner's circle the previous year.

STU UNGAR, 1983 (1980, 1981, 1997 CHAMPION) PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LAS VEGAS NEWS BUREAU

In 1997, Stu Ungar came back to provide a final farewell from the poker table, and he put on quite a show. "The Kid" outlasted a then record field of 311 opponents to become the second three-time winner of the championship event. Playing under a tent on Fremont Street during a triple-digit Vegas heat wave (the tent gimmick was short-lived), the man who (when playing unimpeded by personal strife) was widely regarded as the best no-limit hold'em player who has ever lived built what proved to be an insurmountable lead through highly aggressive play. Just 10 minutes into heads-up action, he dramatically ended John Strzemp's excellent run by making a gutshot straight on the river. Ungar was posthumously inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2001.



The man who need not memorize anyone's name – we're all "Baby" to him – Thuan "Scotty" Nguyen walked away with top honors in 1998. After dispensing with three tough and tested opponents (Lee Salem, Dewey Weum, and T.J. Cloutier), Scotty found himself seated at the table with only a dealer and a 40-year-old investment banker by the name of Kevin McBride. On the final hand, Scotty, then 35, flopped trip nines (he held the J 9). McBride held overcards and a gutshot draw. The turn and river put a full house (9-9-8-8-8) on the board. Scotty, who had been trapping on the flop and turn, now fired on the river. It was an amount that would put McBride all in. As Kevin pondered the call, Scotty, adrenaline pumping, honestly warned his opponent, "You call this one and it's all over, Baby." Call is exactly what McBride did, and the man also known as "The Prince" was crowned.



JJ "Noel" Furlong, age 61, had placed sixth the year Phil Hellmuth Jr. won the championship. In 1999, he parlayed his long years of amateur experience with a strong betting arm to pummel his opponents to the rail. His final adversary was another amateur, making his first of many splashes in big-money events, Alan Goehring (a bond trader and Furlong's junior by 25 years). Once again, the inferior starting hand had no trouble fitting the flop. Furlong's 5-5 was a near perfect match for Q-Q-5. Goehring incorrectly calculated he was ahead with 6-6 when both checked the flop. All the chips went in on the turn, and Furlong, a wealthy carpet magnate, had what he wanted most, a gold WSOP bracelet.

DAN HARRINGTON, 1995 (WITH JACK BINION) PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LAS VEGAS NEWS BUREAU

HUCKLEBERRY SEED, 1996 (WITH JACK BINION) PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LAS VEGAS NEWS BUREAU

FREMONT STREET EXPERIENCE, SITE OF THE 1997 FINAL TABLE PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LAS VEGAS NEWS BUREAU

The 2000s:
The year 2000 seemed to be ushered in via heavenly mojo; Jesus won the championship. Chris Ferguson, an expert in artificial intelligence, showed he has real poker savvy. He also received what every champ will need to win the main event forever after … a few fortuitous cards at the right time. He defeated 511 players (a whopping 30 percent increase over the previous year) by ordaining a 9 (a red one) on the river to beat the great and gracious T.J. Cloutier, who, upon being interviewed immediately after losing his mountain of chips as a 74-to-26 favorite, smiled and accurately stated, "That's poker."



The first year of the millennium was reserved for hard-charging Juan Carlos Mortensen. In a noticeable contrast of styles, the modern conquistador strong-armed his opposition into submission until only three-time bracelet winner and consummate professional Dewey Tomko remained. The former kindergarten teacher had survived the final day by picking his spots carefully and using his "tightest at the table" image (that is, after the very solid John Inashima departed in ninth place) to steal pots occasionally. Finally, outchipped approximately 2-to-1, Dewey picked up a hand that cost him everything, the A A. The young man from Spain gambled with the K Q. Trailing Dewey's aces through the turn, Carlos made a straight on the river with a 9 (yes, a red one).Math marvel and 15-year Wall Street veteran Rob Varkonyi found Q-10 on the final hand in 2002, a holding that had rewarded him throughout the main event and now vaulted him into poker immortality. His final opponent, young Julian Gardner, called Rob's preflop raise with the J 8, a decent heads-up hand. The flop of Q 4 4 was enticing to both players. The entire $6,311,000 in chips went in when Varkonyi bet and Julian pushed all of his checks forward. Running tens delivered multimillions to a champion for the first time. Phil Hellmuth, having stated, "If Varkonyi wins, I'll shave my head," prepared to be buzzed. Varkonyi later quipped, "Only Phil could miss the money yet steal the limelight."

(TOP ROW) PHIL HELLMUTH, 1989 – RUSS HAMILTON, 1994 - SCOTTY NGUYEN, 2001 (1998 CHAMPION) – NOEL FURLONG, 1999 (BOTTOM ROW) CHRIS FERGUSON (2000 CHAMPION) – CARLOS MORTENSEN, 2001 - ROBERT VARKONYI, 2002 – CHRIS MONEYMAKER, 2003 PHOTOGRAPHY OF RUSS HAMILTON, CHRIS MONEYMAKER, ROBERT VARKONYI, NOEL FURLONG, AND PHIL HELLMUTH BY LARRY GROSSMAN. ALL OTHER PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LAS VEGAS NEWS BUREAU

In 2003, then amateur Chris Moneymaker turned a magical $40 into $2.5 million through the mysterious wonders of Internet poker site satellites, this one at PokerStars.com. Along with televised poker's deployment of lipstick camera technology, the affable young man with the improbable last name spurred a rally in online poker participation and overall tournament entries. The accountant from Tennessee became the poster player for slogans such as, "If 'Money' can do it, anyone can." The truth be told, Chris played a chip-moving, unpredictable style in 2003. He was ahead of the curve in deploying a game plan that would fare well against a large field.

GREG RAYMER, 2004

In 2004, Greg Raymer, albeit more experienced than Moneymaker (he had played in the championship event twice before), qualified online at PokerStars.com, following the path that had served Chris so well. The number of entrants increased from 2003 by more than 200 percent. The patent attorney emerged from an exciting final table that saw more than $15 million in prize money up for grabs; $5 million was earmarked for Raymer when he outlasted David Williams and 2,574 others.