Updated on March 27, 2023
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is set to celebrate the crowning of its 54th champion of the $10,000 Main Event. To date, 47 unique individuals have claimed victory, with the notable exception of Johnny Moss and Stu Ungar, who each won three times.thWhile many tales of these champions are famous – like the one where Jack Strauss stopped Johnny Chan from making it three consecutive wins – there are plenty of stories that the average person may not know. Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan did it twice.
We have decided to explore eight entertaining anecdotes and lesser-known facts about previous WSOP Main Event champions. Phil Hellmuth Sailor Roberts and Bob Hooks Split the 1975 WSOP Title chip and a chair ”, and Chris Moneymaker forever changing the course of poker history The climax of the 1975 WSOP Main Event featured two Texas road gamblers, Bob Hooks and Brian 'Sailor' Roberts, who were also roommates. Surprisingly, neither aimed to take home the outright win.
Hooks shared with PokerNews in 2013, shortly before he passed away, that their tight play on the table was a reflection of their circumstances. 'We were really tight; neither of us wanted to win outright. He had his reasons, and I was under constant pressure from the IRS,' Hooks explained.
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- Despite chop deals being prohibited, Hooks and Roberts still managed to divide the $210,000 off the books, honoring Benny Binion by continuing to play.
- Hooks recounted, 'We put on a good show. The hand that made me lose was a solid hand. The one where he beat me was completely legit. It looked promising. But in the end, you couldn’t have predicted the flop.'
- The hand that concluded the 1975 Main Event saw Hooks pushing all in with 59,500 on a flop of 7♥6♣2♣. Roberts called the bet and had Hooks outchipped with a stack of 150,500. Roberts revealed his hand – and was leading with an 8♦6♦ against Hooks’ J♣9♣. Although Hooks caught a 9♠ on the turn, his hopes faded when the 10♥ appeared on the river.
- Tom McEvoy First Satellite Champion
- Thus, Hooks left with the assured $210,000 after the confidential arrangement with Roberts.
- Johnny Chan: The First Foreign-Born Champion
- Over its long history, the WSOP Main Event has crowned many champions from various countries. For instance, 2016 winner Qui Nguyen emigrated from Vietnam, just like the 1998 champion Scotty Nguyen; Erik Seidel, hailing from Sweden, won in 2014, while 2011 saw Germany's Pius Heinz take glory. Jonathan Duhamel from Canada won in 2010, and Peter Eastgate from Denmark claimed victory in 2008.
- Other notable winners include Australian Joe Hachem (2005), Laotian Jerry Yang (2007), Spaniard Carlos Mortensen (2001), Irishman Noel Furlong (1999), Iranian-American Hamid Dastmalchi (1992), and British-Iranian Mansour Matloubi (1990). Furthermore, Argentinian Damian Salas (2020), Turkish-German Koray Aldemir (2021), and Norwegian Espen Jørstad (2022) have made history as well.
Yet, did you know that the inaugural foreign-born winner was Johnny Chan? He clinched the title in 1987 and successfully defended it in 1988, making him the fourth player to achieve back-to-back wins, joining the ranks of Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson, and Stu Ungar.
Winning the 'Big One' with Pocket Aces Remains Elusive poker tournament .
Throughout the rich 50-year history of the WSOP, no player has been able to secure the Main Event championship while holding pocket aces. The first player to achieve this was Hal Fowler in 1979, where his 7♠6♦ triumphed over Bobby Hoff's A♣A♥.
Then, in 2001, it was Carlos Mortensen's K♣Q♣ that prevailed against Dewey Tomko's A♠A♥, leading to his title and a grand cash prize of $1.5 million.
Despite the failure of holding pocket aces to lead to a win, a whopping thirteen players have taken home the title with various pocket pairs. Those players include: cold deck in any better.”
Eric Drache, an icon in the poker community and long-standing tournament director of the WSOP, is credited with conceptualizing the satellite entry to the Main Event. shoved In 1983, he implemented this idea, allowing players like Tom McEvoy, who had competed in satellite tournaments beforehand, to enter the Main Event. pocket jacks McEvoy, who actually won a bracelet prior to the Main Event, described the satellite tournaments as pivotal, as noted in a detailed PokerNews article.
Roberts took the gold WSOP bracelet The Main Event featured 108 participants and boiled down to a dramatic showdown between McEvoy, Rod Peate, and Doyle Brunson. 'Texas Dolly' eventually was eliminated in third place, leading to the longest heads-up match in WSOP Main Event history until it was overshadowed by a later record in 2018. McEvoy emerged victorious, clinching $540,000.
As a result, McEvoy etched his name in history as the first player to gain entry through a satellite and go on to win the WSOP Main Event.
Robert Varkonyi’s Head Shaving of Phil Hellmuth Post-2002 Victory Martin Jacobson During the 2002 WSOP Main Event final table, Phil Hellmuth was on commentary duty with Gabe Kaplan, but ended up making a bold promise.
"If Robert Varkonyi wins the World Series of Poker, I’ll shave my head,” he stated after Varkonyi faced a setback in his early play. Varkonyi managed to turn things around, ultimately winning the title and a cool $1 million, thus putting Hellmuth in a tough spot.
"Becky Behnen ensured someone had barber's tools at the ready, and I’m a man of my word,” Hellmuth recounted later. “I would have preferred to avoid the head shave, but I knew deep down I had to face the music and take what was coming to me!\"
Varkonyi, along with Behnen, and the late Andy Glazer and David 'Devilfish' Ulliott took turns shaving the infamous 'Poker Brat’s' head, a moment that was captured for all to see on ESPN.
16 Amateurs Have Conquered the WSOP Main Event pocket aces . However, two players have cracked While seasoned poker professionals have predominantly triumphed in the WSOP Main Event, having secured 33 titles (67%), it's remarkable to note that there have been 16 instances of amateur players taking the top spot. Many of these amateurs eventually transitioned into full-time poker careers, yet at the time of their respective wins, they were not professionals.
1979 Hal Fowler Advertising Executive
While pocket rockets 1983 Tom McEvoy Accountant
1974 – Johnny Moss (3♥3♠)
1975 – Brian “Sailor” Roberts (J♠J♥)
1978 – Bobby Baldwin (Q♦Q♣)
1983 – Tom McEvoy (Q♦Q♠)
1984 – Jack Keller (10♥10♠)
1985 – Bill Smith (3♠3♥)
1989 – Phil Hellmuth (9♣9♠)
1990 – Mansour Matloubi (6♠6♥)
1999 – Noel Furlong (5♦5♣)
2004 – Greg Raymer (8♠8♦)
2007 – Jerry Yang (8♦8♣)
2009 – Joe Cada (9♣9♦)
2014 – Martin Jacobson (10♦10♥)
Tom McEvoy First Satellite Champion
Poker 1989 Phil Hellmuth Student satellites 1990 Mansour Matloubi Hotel Investor/Manager Las Vegas for four years.
1992 Hamid Dastmalchi Real Estate Investor Limit Hold’em 1993 Jim Bechtel Farmer1995 Dan Harrington Attorney 1999 Noel Furlong Carpet Company Owner
2002 Robert Varkonyi Investor
2003 Chris Moneymaker Accountant
2004 Greg Raymer Corporate Attorney poker commentator 2005 Joe Hachem Chiropractor
2006 Jamie Gold Talent Agent
2007 Jerry Yang Psychologist/Social Worker
2008 Peter Eastgate Student
2016 Qui Nguyen Entrepreneur
14 Players Have Reached the Final Table of the Main Event 3 or More Times poker pros Jesse Alto and Doyle Brunson are both notable for reaching the WSOP Main Event final table five times each, while several others have accomplished this feat four times. Below is a list of the 14 players who have made it to the WSOP Main Event final table three or more times.
Year Players Occupation at Time of Win
Joe McKeehen is the First Winner of the Main Event Sporting an 888poker Patch
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Main Event Champion being crowned at the WSOP. To honor this milestone, 888poker reflects on some interesting and lesser-known facts about past winners of the Main Event.
Eight Fascinating Insights About Past WSOP Main Event Champions
The accuracy of this article has been confirmed by Frederico Pereira.
In this celebration year, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) will acknowledge its 54th Champion of the prestigious $10,000 Main Event. So far, 47 unique players have claimed victory, with legends like Johnny Moss and Stu Ungar having each secured the title three times.
While many stories of these champions are famous – like how one player stopped Johnny Chan from achieving a three-peat, or Jack Strauss making an incredible comeback – there are several narratives that might not be as widely known.
We chose to delve into eight entertaining anecdotes and little-known facts about individuals who have previously won the WSOP Main Event.
Sailor Roberts and Bob Hooks Split the 1975 WSOP
The final face-off in the 1975 WSOP Main Event featured roommates Bob Hooks and Brian 'Sailor' Roberts, both seasoned gamblers from Texas. Surprisingly, neither was particularly keen on claiming the winner-takes-all prize.
As Hooks recounted to PokerNews in 2013 before his passing, \"You talk about tension; we were as tight as they come. Neither of us was eager to win. He had his own concerns, and I had persistent issues with the IRS.\"
Although the rules forbade splitting the prize, Hooks and Roberts discreetly divided the $210,000 while still giving Benny Binion a worthwhile spectacle.
"We put on a great display,\" Hooks remarked. \"The moment that eliminated me was completely legitimate. The hand he beat me with was fair too. It looked unbeatable, but...\"
In the final hand of the 1975 Main Event, Hooks placed his remaining stack of 59,500 on the flop showing 7♥6♣2♣. Roberts made the call, holding a larger stack of 150,500 chips. He revealed his holding of K♣K♠, leading Hooks' J♣9♣. Although Hooks gained some hope with a 9♠ on the turn, his run ended when a 10♥ appeared on the river, leaving him to go home with the agreed-upon $210,000.
Johnny Chan: The First International Champion
The WSOP Main Event has celebrated triumphs from players globally. For instance, Qui Nguyen, the 2016 champion, hails from Vietnam, just like 1998 winner Scotty Nguyen. Notable international winners include Sweden's 2014 champion, Germany's Pius Heinz from 2011, Canada's Jonathan Duhamel from 2010, and Denmark's Peter Eastgate in 2008.
Other champions include Aussie Joe Hachem (2005), Laotian-American Jerry Yang (2007), Spaniard Carlos Mortensen (2001), the Irishman Noel Furlong (1999), Iranian-American Hamid Dastmalchi (1992), Iranian-Brit Mansour Matloubi (1990), Argentinian Damian Salas (2020), Turkish-German Koray Aldemir (2021), and Norwegian Espen Jørstad (2022).
Interestingly, the honor of being the first foreign-born champion goes to Johnny Chan, who clinched the title in both 1987 and again in 1988, making him one of only four players to win the prestigious title consecutively, joining legends like Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson, and Stu Ungar.
No Player Has Won the 'Big One' Holding Pocket Aces
Players Final Tables
Doyle Brunson 5
Jesse Alto 5
Johnny Chan 4
T.J. Cloutier 4
Dan Harrington 4
Berry Johnston 4
Johnny Moss 4
Stu Ungar 4
John Bonetti 3
Hamid Dastmalchi 3
Jack Keller 3
Al Krux 3
Steve Lott 3
Bill Smith 3
In the extensive 50-year history of the WSOP, no competitor has ever emerged victorious in the Main Event with pocket aces in hand. The first to pull off this feat was Hal Fowler in 1979, when his 7♠6♦ triumphed over Bobby Hoff’s A♣A♥.
Fast forward to 2001 when Carlos Mortensen's K♣Q♣ secured a win against Dewey Tomko's A♠A♥, granting him the championship and a whopping $1.5 million first-place payout.
Remarkably, although no one has achieved victory with pocket aces, thirteen players have claimed Main Event titles while maintaining pocket pairs, including the Hall of Famer Eric Drache, who also served as the long-time tournament director of the WSOP.
In 1983, Drache proposed the satellite structure for the WSOP Main Event, leading to Tom McEvoy qualifying through this method. McEvoy had previously secured a WSOP bracelet in another tournament and described the satellites as a stepping stone.
Originally Published on June 27, 2019