Rumorati: Bill Smith Legal Skirmish over Banner Image?

Bill Smith: Finding a pic of the 1985 main event champ has proved near impossible without Google image search.

We love spreading rumors based on limited information and wild speculation here at Pokerati … but sometimes we can\’t help ourselves from setting the record straight …

Padraig Parkinson was on the Poker Show earlier today (www.pokershowlive.com) telling a story about the disappearance of Bill Smith\’s picture from the Amazon Room. The rumor supposedly was that lawyers for the deceased 1985 main event winner\’s estate wanted Harrah\’s to pay a bunch of money for the right to put up his image.

NOT TRUE!

The \”real story\” is that Harrah\’s simply can\’t find any pictures of Bill Smith \’85. He\’s not alive, of course, and has no known living relatives, according to WSOP officials who have tried to find them. In fact, they would love to locate a picture of him so they can have a banner of him for the historical record next year and beyond. In fact, they\’re so eager to find said image, that the WSOP has partnered with Pokerati to offer a reward for any assistance.

So if you can find such a picture — any picture! — you will get a Pokerati T-shirt and $30 worth of food comps in the Poker Kitchen.

(Nice!)

Smith, who died in 1997, was originally from Dallas and spent his last years playing private games around Texas.

UPDATE: We found one. Blow up and pay up, WSOP!
RE-UPDATE: WSOP says no dice, they need higher \”quality\”. Pfft, whatever.