WSOP Classic Moments – Bobby Baldwin Wins 1978 Main Event
Prior to 1978, the WSOP Main Event paid out only the first place finisher. Starting with 1978, the prize pool was split among the top finishers. 42 players entered the event to make a prize pool of $420,000. Among the players in the field was Barbara Freer, the first woman to ever play in the WSOP Main Event.
The final table included a couple of well known gamblers and a new kid on the block. Jesse Alto finished 5th in this event. Alto made six WSOP Main Event final tables over his career. Heads-up play came down to an old road gambler and new kid on the block Bobby Baldwin. Baldwin had won two bracelets the year before and was in good shape to become the youngest WSOP winner ever at the young age of 28. His opponent was Crandell Addington. Addington was among the seven that started the WSOP and over his career, Addington made seven WSOP Main Event final tables, the most in history.
The final hand of the Main Event saw Addington all-in with pocket nines against the pocket queens of Baldwin. Both players would flop a set and Addington needed to catch quads to win the event. The turn As and river 10d missed both players and Bobby Baldwin became the youngest Main Event winner in history. Baldwin took home $210,000 for his win.
Balwin won a fourth bracelet in 1979 and appeared to be on track to be one of the greatest players in history. Three years later, Baldwin shocked most of the poker world when he took a consultant position with the Golden Nugget. Since that time, Baldwin has held various high level positions in casinos all over Las Vegas. Baldwin is currently the CEO and President of Project City Center and is also the CEO of Mirage Resorts.
Baldwin was inducted to the Poker Hall of Fame in 2003 and can still be found playing high stakes games on occasion. The high stakes room of the Bellagio was named “Bobby’s Room” in Baldwin’s honor.
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