True Facts about the WSOP

So, you think you're pretty hot stuff, huh? You've gotten the hang of bluffing and you think you've had your fill of online casino games and need to move into the big leagues? Well, you're in luck, the World Series of Poker has yet to begin and there's still time to register! If you've been playing for a while you've undoubtedly heard of the WSOP and the enormous prize you can expect from the main event but, with such a high buy-in, most who play are doing so less for the cash and more for the honour of winning a bracelet. But it wasn't always this way.

The very first WSOP took place in 1970 and was a far different affair to the one seen nowadays. Organised by Benny Binion, seven of the most famous poker players in America all gathered at the Horseshoe casino and played a single tournament with a set start and stop time. You might expect the winner was decided by the amount of chips they held at the end, but the first tournament was actually decided by a vote of who the players thought had played the best. The winner, Johnny Moss, would go on to win a further two more World Series (including the one held the very next year in 1971) which were measured by the more conventional metrics we expect. If nothing else, it showed that the vote of 1970 was definitely an honest affair!

The famous WSOP bracelet was only introduced in 1976 (previous winners were retroactively awarded them) and the value of which has fluctuated wildly. Generally, the bracelet will consist of gold and diamonds with a fairly hefty base worth but the prime value of the bracelet is in how it's perceived by other poker players. One of the most prolific winners, Johnny Chan, has kept all ten of his and thinks they are worth millions, while Doyle Brunson (who has also won ten) said he didn't even pick up two of his because they didn't hold any meaning for him.

With nearly 50 years' worth of history, it's no surprise that there's been any number of surreal and incredible occurrences over the years- which is plenty of material for an infographic going over some of the more interesting ones! Just read on to find out some of the more incredible facts about the World Series of Poker!