Saturday, 11 February 2012
Tuesday, 03 June 2008 01:27

1971 World Series of Poker

A summary of 1971 world series of poker.



Considered all around the world as the most popular of all poker events, the World Series of Poker had its origins at the Reno-based Holiday Hotel and Casino in 1969 with Texas native Tom Moore at the helm. However, it was poker fanatic and casino operator Benny Binion, ably assisted by sons Ted and Jack, who came up with the idea of setting up several series of tournaments within the WSOP that gave the tournament its patented trademark as a highly prestigious poker event.

The year 1971 will forever be etched in WSOP history as the very first time when the games were held involving cash prizes. Although the cash-centered poker concept was officially started a year before, the 1970 WSOP ultimate winner, Johnny Moss, did not actually receive money as his prize, but one silver cup. It was exactly a year later that the tournament actually started giving out cash prizes as rewards for the tournament winners.

Every year since 1971, the WSOP games have always been held annually at Binion's Horseshoe, a casino house owned by poker fanatic Benny Binion, who was also instrumental in setting up the many events that are now being played at the WSOP. Located at 128 Fremont Street in Las Vegas, Binion's Horseshoe also goes by two other names, Horseshoe Casino and Horseshoe.

It was also in 1971 that a new WSOP concept of determining the ultimate poker winner was introduced. The previous year, the WSOP champion emerged after a popular vote was held, with the name of Johnny Moss having the most number of votes. The set-up was then completely overhauled such that the 1971 version saw the participants knocking each other out in the preliminary games so they can advance to the WSOP main tournament or what is more commonly called the final or ultimate table.

The 1971 WSOP preliminary event was divided into four general categories namely the Limit Seven-Card Stud, the Limit Razz, the Limit Five-Card Stud, and the Limit Ace to Five Draw. The preliminary games winners, who each took home $10,000, were as follows: Walter 'Puggy' Pearson (Limit Seven-Card Stud); Jimmy Casella, (Limit Razz); Bill Boyd, (Limit Five-Card Stud); and Johnny Moss, (Limit Ace to Five Draw).

The four preliminary event winners automatically advanced to the last leg of the 1971 WSOP where they were joined by two other players, which upped the total number of entrants to six. The participants each shelled out $5,000 as buy-in or entrance fee to the final table.

As in the previous year, the 1971 WSOP saw Johnny Moss come out as the ultimate champion, in the process taking home the grand prize of $30,000. Declared as the runner-up was Walter 'Puggy' Pearson, although he did not get to take home any cash prize.

The 1971 WSOP champion, Johnny Moss, eventually participated in succeeding WSOP tournaments, and was able to capture one more title in 1974, bringing his total number of WSOP victories to three. He is now counted as one of the few poker players who have won at least two consecutive WSOP tournaments, a title he shares with poker greats Doyle Brunson (1976, 1977), Stu Ungar (1980, 1981), and Johnny Chan (1987, 1988).