The First High-Stakes Poker Tournament: The World Series of Poker (WSOP)
The World Series of Poker (WSOP), founded in 1970 by Benny Binion, is the first and most prestigious high-stakes poker tournament in the world. The inaugural event, held at Binion’s Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas, featured a winner-take-all format, with Johnny Moss crowned the first champion. Over the years, the tournament expanded, attracting a growing number of players and introducing televised broadcasts that elevated its status.
By the 2000s, the WSOP had become the largest and most lucrative poker event globally, with the Main Event as its centerpiece. The 2003 victory of Chris Moneymaker, an amateur who won his entry through an online satellite, sparked a poker boom and brought thousands of new players to the game.
Today, the WSOP features a variety of poker games, with its Main Event offering multi-million-dollar prize pools and the coveted WSOP bracelet. It has expanded internationally, with events held worldwide, solidifying its legacy as the ultimate high-stakes poker tournament.
