A Guide to the World Series of Poker

This year marks the 50th annual World Series of Poker, and it is undoubtedly the most popular and famous tournament series in the world. But not only is it the most prestigious poker tournament, it's also the longest-running. Thanks to the poker boom between the years of 2003 and 2006, the popularity of poker increased, in particular, in the online environment - so if you can't make it to a physical tournament, you can always play online somewhere.

The history

In 1969, the idea of a World Series of Poker was established and the 'Texas Gambling Reunion' was an invitational event held at the Holiday Hotel & Casino in Reno. The following year, the series of tournaments became known as the 'World Series of Poker' and was inaugurated by Benny Binion. The tournament was held at Binion's Horseshoe in Las Vegas and seven players were invited to participate. The winner was determined by a secret ballot and Johnny Moss was deemed the 'World Champion of Poker', receiving a silver cup as a prize.

The Main Event since 1972 has been the $10,000 buy-in no-limit Texas Hold'em - and the winner of this tournament is given the unofficial title of 'World Champion', as well as receiving the highest prize pot, a gold bracelet and their photo in the Gallery of Champions.

In 1973, the World Series was televised for the first time; since 1976, the winner of every single tournament has received a bracelet; and over time the tournament has grown in terms of players and the number of events. Since 2002, the World Series has been televised on ESPN.

As recently as 2005, the World Series has expanded with the World Series of Poker Circuit, a series of tournaments held at a number of casinos in the lead up to the WSOP. Additionally, the World Series of Poker Europe was established in 2007 and these events outside of Vegas have been held in London, Cannes and Paris. In 2010, the World Series of Poker expanded further overseas, in Africa; however, there have only been three tournaments held. In 2013, the World Series of Poker Asia Pacific was launched and this tournament, along with the European version, alternate yearly.

The Venue

The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino has been the home of the World Series of Poker since 2005.

The casino hosts 100,000 square feet of gaming space, with a masquerade theme throughout its rooms. There are more than 1,200 slot machines which include progressive jackpots and the latest branded video slots. With over 80 table games, including blackjack, craps, roulette and baccarat, as well as numerous forms of poker, gamers have plenty of choice. There's also a keno lounge and a race and sportsbook area, complete with booths and a bar.

The Rio poker room features action 24-hours a day, with a number of cash games of different stakes, so you can play like the pros. There are 14 tables, with four tournaments running each day. Whether you like the traditional No Limit Hold'em, or variants including Omaha or Seven Card Stud, the Rio has it all.

The Tournaments

This year's tournament series sees 89 events, with the majority of them Texas Hold'em; but Omaha, stud, razz and low-ball also feature. The smallest buy-in is $400, with the largest, an eye-watering $100,000, for the high-roller.

With this year being an anniversary year, there are also special tournaments and other events taking place. These include the '50th anniversary high-roller - $50,000 no-limit hold'em' and the 'big 50 - $500 no-limit hold'em'. There's also expected to be a celebratory gala and awards evening.

World Series of Poker rankings

In terms of bracelets won, Phil Hellmuth is the all-time great with 15; with Phil Ivey, Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson all tied in second with 10 bracelets. However, in the all-time rankings by earnings, Hellmuth only sits in fifth with a total of $14,542,090 won. Antonio Esfandiari is the leading earner with $21,835,100; with Dan Colman in second ($17,413,780) and Daniel Negreanu in third ($16,330,500).