I’ve watched it grow from a poker premier event to what is now considered as the most prestigious poker event around the globe. Do you disagree? Think this is an overstatement? Read on discover more!
How it all begun!
For years, poker has been in existence for centuries in different forms, but didn’t have any cohesive structure until 1971. This is when Benny Binion, the owner of the Binion Horseshoe Casino decided to organize the first ever World Series of Poker.
Binion Horseshoe Casino – where it all begun!
Six of the world’s best poker players converged in Las Vegas, competed and then voted for the best player of the tournament to produce the first ever WSOP champion. The event was a success, with most of the players agreeing that they should do it again, the following year, only this time, they have a tournament structure.
Over the decades to come, WSOP grew, reaching double digit attendance, then tripled after the golden bracelet was introduced for event winners in 1976. Television noticed the attention the event was receiving, and broadcasts started. This built the game up.
The popularity soared to great numbers and the event took a different turn in the 2003 Las Vegas edition when for the first time, players were able view separate episodes on TV for each day of play.
WSOP – The Largest Sporting Event in History?
In so many ways, the World Series of Poker competition is like a heavyweight boxing championship – taking place in Las Vegas, under the beaming light of the gambling and sporting world. The prize pools for this competition, however, dwarf even the richest purses in boxing.
The WSOP competition is a Kentucky Derby in some ways, an exceptional gambling competition that is very popular and famous as to be well known even to those who don’t partake in any gambling activities – though to be certain, the amount of money wagered at the WSOP is many multiples of that wagered on the Kentucky Derby.
The World Series of Poker is something akin to the National Football League’s Super Bowl, the Major League Baseball’s World Series, and the NCAA Cheerleading Competition madness – including as it does the world championship events with all the attendance, attention and hype. Still, the WSOP competition is much grander than any of the enlisted events, surpassing each one of them in number of participants and duration.
Perhaps, the event can be compared to the World Cup and the Olympics, with competitors from more than 100 countries partaking in it during the several weeks it lasts. But even these mighty international competitions pale by contrast, as the World Series of Poker accommodates more participants and its contested annually instead of every four years.
There’s yet another interesting fact that makes this game, in my eyes, one of the greatest competition on planet earth. At its core, the World Series of Poker, is a great competition that brings all of the poker players together. Attendees can engross themselves in their favourite hobby by engaging in different forms of poker, thanks to the hundreds of side tournaments and games spread across different dozen poker rooms within a few miles of poker ground zero. They can not only engage themselves with their mates from home or poker buddies from different parts of the world, but also with some of the world’s best known poker celebrities.
Did I convince you? Do you believe that the WSOP is the largest sporting event in the 21st century? I hope so!
The tournament gives you plenty of reasons to follow up on all the events. Make sure to keep checking up with our website for up to date information on the WSOP tournaments!