Nearly everyone who has come across poker at least once in their life has heard about the World Series of Poker. In the huge world of poker, this is considered the main global stage.
Otherwise known as WSOP, this tournament dates back to 1970 when it was first held in the Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada when it started as an invitation-only event. Now fast forward to the year 2022, and it has become a staple annual tournament and one of the most important events in the field. With its rich history, there are a lot of reasons for this.
The premier tournament is not just a single event, but it rather consists of dozens of individual buy-in events that can start anywhere from several hundred dollars in terms of buy-in. However, the tournament consists of several different game as well.
If you are looking into the World Series of Poker, it is safe to assume you already know the ground rules, dates, and offers. This is why we are bringing your attention to some lesser-known facts that are part of what makes this festival of poker such a global event.
WSOP Chips Are How They Are Different Than Others
While you will find that most poker chips used throughout the world come at a standard 39mm size in diameter, there are additional ones used by WSOP that vary from these.
For example, these vary in diameter size by 5mm, bringing them in at a 44mm size. These are mostly used for high-value games, where small-scale chips can’t cut it. After all, the last thing a player would want to be doing is piling up a messy pile of small chips at such events.
The 44 mm-sized chip was introduced during an event in 2016 when the yellow one saw the light of day. Keep in mind that the value of the yellow one ranks at 1,000,000. When we are talking about the material and weight of these chips, WSOP is said to mostly use clay chips. The industry standard in terms of weight is usually 9g or 10g chips.
The WSOP Winners’ Bracelets as a Staple Trophy
In 1976, the first ever bracelet of such kind was awarded to the WSOP winner. Sure, their style and value have altered throughout the past few decades, but this piece of jewelry is one of the most recognizable trophies for winners amongst poker players worldwide.
For the first six years, winners were awarded a plaque and a cup. This quickly changed in 1976 with the annual bracelet. The genius behind this idea? That would be Mr. Benny Binion, a famous face in the history of poker who founded the event itself.
The bracelet now is worth approximately $1,500, unlike the 1970s when it was worth approximately ⅓ of the current value, or $500. Main event winners often walk out with bracelets that are much higher in value, estimated at several hundreds of thousands.
The Prize for the First Winner of the WSOP Main Event
Can you guess what the first WSOP Main Event winner won? Let’s take a look at Johnny Moss, the first-ever winner. He won a total amount of $30,000. However, to put that into perspective, this amounts to approximately $230,420 today. Not bad, right?
Keep in mind that back in the day this was an invitation-only event. Moss achieved this success at the age of 63. He later went on to win in 1971 and 1974 Main Events.
Poker Industry in 2022
Poker has long been established as one of the most popular games in the entirety of the world’s history. With the traditional in-person variant played in casinos, poker has also seen massive success with its online variant which is powered by the use of blockchain and bitcoin poker technology.
More and more players are turning to crypto poker, as it offers plenty of benefits otherwise unavailable in terms of in-person play. These perks include safety, identity anonymity, financial freedom, freedom of location, as well as poker that is always available.
While we are sure we will be seeing much more of crypto poker in the future, it is up to you to decide which one you like more, poker played in person in a casino or the one played fully online, and if you can make the most out of both variants nowadays widely available.
Also Read More About: – Best Name for Pubg | WPC2025 | Wpit18
