Achievements of World Series Of Poker Players – I
The size of the fields in the World Series of Poker Main Event has grown to the point where it is debated whether or not a pro or a past champion will be able to win the event again.
Until this year, a professional player had not been able to win the Main Event since Carlos Mortensen took the bracelet in 2001. Peter Eastgate took the 2008 WSOP title to become the first true professional poker player to win the event in 7 years. Chris Moneymaker’s rise from an amateur player to that of a WSOP champion in 2003 inspired many to take up the game hoping to repeat the feat. Six amateur players have been successful in repeating the feat from then on.
Soon poker professionals found themselves to be outnumbered by amateur players. The fields had grown massively and the competition became tougher. This did not discourage any of the poker professional players as they continue to take their shot at the Main Event year after year.
WSOP Championship Wins: These are professional poker players who are the gold standard in regards to WSOP Championships. Here’s a look on players who have won the title the most number of times.
Stu Ungar and Johnny Moss (3 each)
Stu Ungar was considered the best in No-Limit Hold’em ever. During the prime of his playing career, he had an amazing and an uncanny ability to read his opponents. He always had the right aggression and was able to recall past hands accurately. He went on to win the main event back to back in the years 1980 and 1981.
Soon the riches got the better of him and he was led into drugs and other addictions and he did not have another legitimate showing at the WSOP for 16 years. Stu made a come back in 1997 and took the grand prize of $1,000,000 and his third WSOP Main Event title. Ungar is actually the only player to win three Main Events. Johnny Moss won his first WSOP title by a vote and then the other two via the freezeout tournament format. Unfortunately, Ungar did not return to defend his title in 1998 and died a few months later in a Las Vegas motel due to complications from drug use.
The only other player to win 3 WSOP Main Event titles was Johnny Moss. Johnny Moss, the Grand Old Man of Poker, took the first two WSOP Main Event titles and then won his third in 1974. In addition to his WSOP Main Event titles, Moss six other WSOP bracelets to give him nine bracelets in total. Moss passed away in 1995.
The Main Event of the World Series of Poker is the most prestigious tournament in the world. Part of the prestige is the Million dollar prize pools. The other is the gold championship bracelet and the title of world champion.
Doyle Brunson states that “The worst day of the year is the day that you are knocked out of the Main Event.” While this may hold true to many, it is certain that you will continue to see Brunson and many others put up the money year after year to take their shot at poker immortality.