Among all tournaments of the year, the main Event of World Series Of Poker is the most important, both in number of players, prizepool, prestige to the winner or spin-off media.
This tournament entered into the World Series Of Poker and awards the world champion title to its winner.
The first year, the World Poker champion was not decided to a tournament. Indeed, Johnny Moss is designated by its pairs as the first World Poker champion after a vote among the invited players. The legend is that it took two rounds of voting because the first round all players had voted for themselves!
The format of the main Event.
Since 1972, the main Event format remained the same: $ 10,000 buy-in for players wishing to participate and the tournament is played in Texas Hold ' em no Limit. We understand that this was a small fortune in the 1970s and in recent years this sum is much more affordable, even for amateur players.
The tournament is open to all. If you are ready to pay the buy-in, you can participate. This is what makes the beauty and particularity of this tournament.
Many players have marked the history of the main Event. We have all first players the who won more than once: Doyle Brunson top with 2 times the same hand, T-2, which now bears his name. Johny Moss and Johnny Chan left their mark. And of course, Stu Ungar, often regarded as the best player of all time has won it 3 times in 1980, 1981 and 1997.
Win this event is the absolute dream of any player poker and join the Pantheon an impressive list this tournament winners can do that dream: Phil Helmuth (1989, before Johnny Chan who lack his 3rd title in a row) Dan Harrington (1995), Scotty Nguyen (1998), Chris Ferguson (2000), Carlos Mortensen (2001)...
In 2003, Moneymaker won the tournament in qualified through a satellite for $ 22 tournament. He beats including in the final Sam Fahra through a very nice bluff. Year after is the explosion of attendance was up there a slow but regular progression. In 2003, 839 people were involved in the main Event, in 2004 they 2576, in 2005 5619, in 2006 8773!
Ban on the poker online in the United States makes a brake blow this frenzy for poker and last year "only" 6358 people participated in the main Event.
In 2008, attendance is left slightly upward with 6,844 registered players. Is not yet at the 2006 but it is closer gently.
Main Event of WSOP, a true champion of the world?
Since 2003 and the victory of Moneymaker, unequal talented players succeeded. Joe Hachem made such good players to win the tournament but it remains mixed on the impression that leaves Jamie Gold or Jerry Yang after their victory.
It seems that when a tournament exceeds a threshold limit of people the chance is too important and it is very difficult for it professionals demonstrate their talent.
Also for pro players, it seems that a value of $ 50,000 H.O.R.S.E has become their fetish tournament. This tournament is playing in limit and several variants, combined with a high buy-in which limits the number of participants, allows them to say that the real world champion is designated by this tournament.
Creating the WSOP $ 10,000 accounted for many players a phenomenal investment. But today with the poker site online, it is possible to qualify for a few dollars only which creates a tournament with too many players.
So far, the organizers of the World Series of Poker have wished that remain and to keep this tournament popular success that it he knows today.
In the future if this tournament to keep his credibility years, it may be necessary to increase the buy-in to limit the number of participants.
$ 30,000, $ 50,000, $ 100,000? Good sales remains to find.
| Years | Frequentation | winners | price | Finalist |
| 2008 | 6,844 | Peter Eastgate | $9,152,416 | Ivan Demidov |
| 2007 | 6,358 | Jerry Yang | $8,250,000 | Tuan Lam |
| 2006 | 8,773 | Jamie Gold | $12,000,000 | Paul Wasicka |
| 2005 | 5,619 | Joe Hachem | $7,500,000 | Steve Dannenmann |
| 2004 | 2,576 | Greg Raymer | $5,000,000 | David Williams |
| 2003 | 839 | Chris Moneymaker | $2,500,000 | Sam Fahra |
| 2002 | 631 | Robert Varkonyi | $2,000,000 | Julian Gardner |
| 2001 | 613 | Juan Carlos Mortensen | $1,500,000 | Dewey Tomko |
| 2000 | 512 | Chris Ferguson | $1,500,000 | T.J Cloutier |
| 1999 | 393 | Noel Furlong | $1,000,000 | Alan Goehring |
| 1998 | 350 | Scotty Nguyen | $1,000,000 | Kevin McBride |
| 1997 | 312 | Stu Ungar | $1,000,000 | John Strzemp |
| 1996 | 295 | Huck Seed | $1,000,000 | Bruce Van Horn |
| 1995 | 273 | Dan Harrington | $1,000,000 | Howard Goldfarb |
| 1994 | 268 | Russ Hamilton | $1,000,000 | Hugh Vincent |
| 1993 | 220 | Jim Bechtel | $1,000,000 | Glenn Cozen |
| 1992 | 201 | Hamid Dastmalchi | $1,000,000 | Tom Jacobs |
| 1991 | 215 | Brad Daugherty | $1,000,000 | Don Holt |
| 1990 | 194 | Mansour Matloubi | $895,000 | Hans Lund |
| 1989 | 178 | Phil Helmuth Jr | $755,000 | Johnny Chan |
| 1988 | 167 | Johnny Chan | $700,000 | Erik Seidel |
| 1987 | 152 | Johnny Chan | $625,000 | Frank Hendernson |
| 1986 | 141 | Berry Johnston | $570,000 | Mike Harthcok |
| 1985 | 140 | Bill Smith | $700,000 | T.J Cloutier |
| 1984 | 132 | Jack Keller | $660,000 | Byron Wolford |
| 1983 | 108 | Tom Mc Evoy | $540,000 | Rod Peate |
| 1982 | 104 | Jack Straus | $520,000 | Dewey Tomko |
| 1981 | 75 | Stu Ungar | $375,000 | Perry Green |
| 1980 | 73 | Stu Ungar | $385,000 | Doyle Brunson |
| 1979 | 54 | Hal Fowler | $270,000 | Bobby Hoff |
| 1978 | 42 | Bobby Baldwin | $210,000 | Crandal Addington |
| 1977 | 34 | Doyle Brunson | $340,000 | Gary Berland |
| 1976 | 22 | Doyle Brunson | $220,000 | Jesse Alto |
| 1975 | 21 | Brian Sailor Roberts | $210,000 | Bob Hooks |
| 1974 | 16 | Johnny Moss | $160,000 | Crandal Addington |
| 1973 | 13 | Walter Puggy Pearson | $130,000 | Johnny Moss |
| 1972 | 8 | Thomas Amarillo Slim Preston | $80,000 | Walter Puggy Pearson |
| 1971 | 6 | Johnny Moss | $30,000 | Walter Puggy Pearson |
| 1970 | 7 | Johnny Moss | Aucun | Aucun |