7 Interesting Random Facts about the WSOP
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the leading poker tournament on the planet today. Any player who knows how to bluff their way to success has to do it on this stage before they do it anywhere else.
The WSOP has an interesting and intriguing history, though. In this article we’re going to take a look at some of the more interesting and random facts about it.
The Most Bracelets
Phil Hellmuth is the king of bracelets in the WSOP. As of June 2014, he has won a remarkable thirteen bracelets. He started his road of dominance in 1989 when he won the Main Event Championship.
These bracelets weren’t won in quick succession. Hellmuth has demonstrated how much he can evolve as he won his thirteenth bracelet in 2012 when he took first prize at the WSOP Europe Main Event.
As an active player, there’s still a chance that Hellmuth will add to his tally. In fact, many pundits are proudly claiming that this is a record that’s considered unbeatable.
Most Lucrative Player
Bracelets equal glory, but the person who’s taken the most money is Antonio Esfandiari. He has a mere three bracelets and a nice Guinness World Record to go along with it.. It doesn’t hide the fact he’s exceptional at what he does. He won the $1M Big One for One Drop in 2012, which gave him an eight-figure amount of $18,346,673.
His total earnings in WSOP now rank at 21 million dollars. Esfandiari continues to play within the WSOP and his total continues to climb higher.
First Non-Professional to Win the Main Event
Sometimes you don’t have to be a professional to beat the professionals. Hal Fowler became the first man to do this at the Main Event in 1979. At the time, Fowler couldn’t afford the entry fee, so Benny Binnion loaned him part of the money.
Ask any poker historian and Fowler’s victory is still considered one of the greatest upsets in the world today.
Since then, other non-professionals have won the main event. Fowler’s victory isn’t just remembered because it was the first. It was because it happened in a time where it was considered outrageous for someone
US Players Dominated Early
When the WSOP Main Event started, only US players were capable of winning it. This went on and on until 1990 when Iranian player Mansour Matloubi snapped the US streak. It seemed to signal a change in the world of poker because we have seen a range of international champions ever since.
Ten of the thirteen top ranked players on the circuit in 2011 were international players. Whilst Americans still make up most of the elite player contingent, there’s a healthier share between American and international winners
One can credit Mansour Matloubi as the reason for the eventual creation of WSOP Europe, WSOP Africa, and WSOP Asia.
Youngest Bracelet Winner
In 2007 the poker landscape changed forever as Annette Obrestad won a bracelet at the Main Event at just 18 years and 364 days. Online she had procured a big following under her name ‘Annette_15’. This was because she was only fifteen when she started to pay online.
She is yet to win another bracelet, but either way she’s assured her place in poker history.
Oldest Bracelet Winner
Nicknamed ‘Cigar’, Paul McKinney became the oldest player to win a bracelet. He did this in 2005 at the $1,000 Seniors’ No Limit Hold’em Event. At aged 80, nobody has come close to beating his record.
What makes him standout as one of the main figures of poker is the fact he always had a cigar ready to go at the table. We hope that the powers in control of WSOP made an exception on the day he finally netted that big victory.
Most Cashes in a Single Year
Making it into the big money is considered a major achievement in poker. Konstantin Puchkov made it look easy back in 2012 when he cashed out in twelve events. He did it eleven times in Las Vegas and once in a WSOPE event. In 25% of these tournaments, he made it to the final table.
On the other hand, Puchkov holds the distinction of holding the record for the most entries without cashing at three.
The WSOP has always attracted a cast of memorable characters. These records highlight just some of them who have gone on to make history. Most of these players continue to play on the active circuit today, so there’s no telling what records they’ll break next.
