The First World Series of Poker (1970)

1970

Date: May 1970
Location: Binion's Horseshoe, downtown Las Vegas
Founder: Benny Binion, owner of Binion's Horseshoe
Inspiration: The 1969 Texas Gamblers Reunion hosted by Tom Moore at the Holiday Hotel in Reno
First champion: Johnny Moss, chosen by a vote of the players
Prize: No cash prize; Moss received a silver cup trophy
1971: Tournament format adopted; six players entered and Moss won the $30,000 prize pool
1972: $10,000 Main Event buy-in and freezeout format established; Amarillo Slim Preston won
1976: Gold bracelets first awarded to event winners
Ownership: Harrah's bought the rights to the event in 2004
Today: Held at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas on the Strip since 2022; the 2026 series ran May 26 to July 15 with 100 bracelet events

About

The World Series of Poker grew out of an idea Benny Binion took home from Reno. In 1969 he and his son Jack attended the Texas Gamblers Reunion, a gathering hosted by Tom Moore at the Holiday Hotel and Casino. Binion wanted to improve on it, and in 1970 he invited the best-known players of the day to his Binion's Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas, a casino he had founded in 1951. The Horseshoe did not even have a poker room at the time.

That first series was not a tournament. Over several days in May 1970, a small group that included Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim Preston, Puggy Pearson, Sailor Roberts and Jack Straus played cash games across many variants, among them five-card stud and draw, seven-card stud, deuce-to-seven and ace-to-five lowball, razz and Texas hold'em. At the end the players voted on awards. Moss was named best all-around player and declared world champion, taking home a silver cup rather than prize money.

The format changed quickly. In 1971 the series became a freezeout tournament: six players entered and Moss won again, collecting the $30,000 prize pool. In 1972 the Main Event buy-in was set at $10,000, a figure that still stands, and Amarillo Slim won. CBS Sports televised the series in 1973, and from 1976 winners received gold bracelets, now the most prized trophies in poker.

The series stayed with the Binion family for decades. Benny Binion died on Christmas Day 1989, leaving the event to Jack. Harrah's bought the rights in 2004, and ESPN has produced and broadcast the WSOP since 2003. After years at the Rio, the series moved in 2022 to Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, the first time it had been held on the Strip. The 2023 Main Event drew 10,043 entrants and a prize pool of about $94 million.

What to expect

The World Series of Poker is still played every summer in Las Vegas. The official WSOP site lists Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas as hosts of the 2026 series, which ran from May 26 to July 15 with 100 bracelet events, including the $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event that began on July 2. Spectators can watch play in the tournament areas during the series; check the official schedule for the year you plan to visit.

Before and after

Good to know

The first champion was picked by vote, not by winning a tournament. The tournament format began in 1971.
The $10,000 Main Event buy-in dates from 1972 and is still the price today.
Gold bracelets were first awarded in 1976.
The Horseshoe where the series started is on Fremont Street downtown; the Horseshoe that hosts it today is the former Bally's on the Strip.
Harrah's acquired the event in 2004, and the series moved to the Strip for the first time in 2022.

Questions about The First World Series of Poker (1970)

Who won the first World Series of Poker?

Johnny Moss. In 1970 there was no tournament; the invited players played cash games for several days and then voted. After a first round in which, as the story goes, everyone voted for himself, the players voted again and named Moss the best all-around player and world champion. He received a silver cup trophy rather than prize money.

Where was the first World Series of Poker held?

At Binion's Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas, the casino Benny Binion founded in 1951. Binion wanted to improve on the Texas Gamblers Reunion he had attended in Reno in 1969. The Horseshoe did not even have a poker room when it hosted the first series in May 1970.

When did the WSOP Main Event become a $10,000 tournament?

In 1972. The series switched to a tournament format in 1971, when six players entered and Johnny Moss won the $30,000 prize pool. The following year the Main Event buy-in was set at $10,000 and made a freezeout, two rules the WSOP says still stand. Amarillo Slim Preston won that 1972 event.

When did WSOP winners start getting gold bracelets?

In 1976. The official WSOP history says the series began awarding gold bracelets to tournament winners that year, and they are now considered the most prized trophies in poker. Today the summer series offers around 100 bracelet events, from small buy-in tournaments to the $10,000 Main Event.

Where is the World Series of Poker held now?

At Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, two neighbouring resorts on the Strip. The series moved there from the Rio in 2022, the first time it had been held on the Strip. The 2026 series ran from May 26 to July 15, with the Main Event starting on July 2.

Who owns the World Series of Poker?

The Binion family ran the event for decades; after Benny Binion died on Christmas Day 1989 his son Jack took it over. Harrah's purchased the rights in 2004, and ESPN has produced and broadcast the series since 2003. The WSOP's own site now runs the schedule and results.