World Series of Poker - A H...

In 1973, Benny Binion – grandfather of the modern World Series of Poker – participated in the Oral History Project at the University of Nevada-Reno and discussed the World Series with interviewer Mary Ellen Glass. "This poker game here gets us a lot of attention," he told Glass. "We had seven players last year, and this year we had 13. I look to have better than 20 next year. It's even liable to get up to be 50, might get up to be more than that." Binion then paused, and as if gazing into the future, prophesied, "It will eventually."

With the introduction in the early 1980s of preliminary poker satellite competitions with lower buy-ins, Binion's prophesy came to fruition and the popularity of the World Series of Poker soared. But even Benny Binion, who passed away on Christmas Day of 1989, would have had trouble prophesying the massive growth the Horseshoe's annual poker tournament has experienced in the past decade or so.

In 1982, nine years after Mr. Binion participated in UNR's Oral History Project, the tournament drew only 52 entrants. Five years later, the event attracted 2,141 entries, and in 2002 there were 7,595 entries.

The prize money has also increased proportionately, from $7,769,000 in 1992 to a staggering $19,599,230 a decade later. Only 12 events were scheduled as recently as 1988, mostly Texas hold'em and seven-card stud. The 2004 tournament however offered 33 competitions, and featured a wide variety of poker styles.

Today, the legacy Benny Binion left the poker community ranks as the oldest, largest, most prestigious, and most media-hyped gaming competition in the world, and no doubt it holds the promise of an even brighter future. But equally important, The World Series of Poker has touched thousands of lives over the years, affording talented players the opportunity to follow their dreams, reach for the stars, and perhaps one day achieve greatness in their chosen endeavor.

In 1973, Benny Binion – grandfather of the modern World Series of Poker – participated in the Oral History Project at the University of Nevada-Reno and discussed the World Series with interviewer Mary Ellen Glass. "This poker game here gets us a lot of attention," he told Glass. "We had seven players last year, and this year we had 13. I look to have better than 20 next year. It's even liable to get up to be 50, might get up to be more than that." Binion then paused, and as if gazing into the future, prophesied, "It will eventually."

With the introduction in the early 1980s of preliminary poker satellite competitions with lower buy-ins, Binion's prophesy came to fruition and the popularity of the World Series of Poker soared. But even Benny Binion, who passed away on Christmas Day of 1989, would have had trouble prophesying the massive growth the Horseshoe's annual poker tournament has experienced in the past decade or so.

In 1982, nine years after Mr. Binion participated in UNR's Oral History Project, the tournament drew only 52 entrants. Five years later, the event attracted 2,141 entries, and in 2002 there were 7,595 entries.

The prize money has also increased proportionately, from $7,769,000 in 1992 to a staggering $19,599,230 a decade later. Only 12 events were scheduled as recently as 1988, mostly Texas hold'em and seven-card stud. The 2004 tournament however offered 33 competitions, and featured a wide variety of poker styles.

Today, the legacy Benny Binion left the poker community ranks as the oldest, largest, most prestigious, and most media-hyped gaming competition in the world, and no doubt it holds the promise of an even brighter future. But equally important, The World Series of Poker has touched thousands of lives over the years, affording talented players the opportunity to follow their dreams, reach for the stars, and perhaps one day achieve greatness in their chosen endeavor.