The World Series of Poker: An Annual Showcase of Winning Poker Players
Aside from the World Poker Tour, the World Series of Poker is the other major event that all poker players look up to and dream of becoming part of its various poker tournaments. Additionally, it has a richer and far much better tradition of featuring some of the most winning poker players. Since 1970, this brand has already been part of the popular culture not only in the U.S., but in the entire world as well. Almost every year, it has produced various surprises and interesting twists that are certified to attract both players and game spectators alike.
With a truly unique poker tournament format, all the events of the World Series of Poker culminates with the so-called Main Event, which follows a no-limit Texas Holdem format featuring some of the greatest and finest poker players of today. Just like the World Poker Tour, this major poker event thrives on the idea of featuring some of the winning poker players engage in highly competitive poker action and competition. Almost every year, all the poker enthusiasts out there have set their eyes on the different events run by the series, which are comprised of the different exciting and popular poker variations.
At the turn of the century in 2000, the World Series of Poker started to offer much grander prizes for its winners and other top finishers. In the meantime, it continues to preserve the rich and colorful tradition of being an annual showcase of winning poker players. Ultimately, the number of participants seem to grow each year as it continuously gain some added popularity with the help of online poker players and other relatively new players of the game. Upon looking at the statistics of the past champions of the Main Event, it is very obvious that only the best of the best have survived towards the final rounds.
Numerous players have already used the World Series of Poker to establish themselves as feared and respectable competitors in the professional poker circuit. During the 2000 season, Chris Ferguson won one of his five championship bracelets by winning the Main Event, plus the grand $1.5 million reward for winning this prestigious poker tournament. In 2001, Juan Carlos Mortensen won the Main Event championship bracelet on the way to take home the $1.5 million grand prize. In 2002, Robert Varkonyi captured his very first championship bracelet by winning the Main Event, taking home as much as $2 million in pot money.
In 2003 and 2004, online poker players Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer surprised the professional poker circuit by emerging out of obscurity and into the limelight to win the Main Events of the World Series of Poker. In 2005, Joe Hachem got his very first championship bracelet while Jamie Gold earned his in 2006 along with a record-breaking pay of $12 million. In 2007, Jerry Yang emerged as Main Event champion, winning his first title and taking home as much as $8,250,000 in cash prize.