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World Series Of Poker
2003
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LAS VEGAS
April 16th - May 24th, 2003
 
 Venue
The tournament has been held every year from 1971 inside Binion's Horseshoe at 128 Fremont Street Las Vegas, NV 89101. This to everyone in the know of Vegas is the heart of Downtown. Downtown is the original Vegas, built close to the railroad station.

The Horseshoe was originally the the El Dorado Club but Benny Binion bought that in 1951 when it then became the Horseshoe Club and later the Binion's Horseshoe that is known the world over.
 Background
Nicholas "Nick the Greek" Dandolos - considered by many to be the finest poker player in the world during the 1950s—longed for some heads-up action. Benny called his old Dallas friend, Johnny Moss, and the game was on. This legendary match graduated into staggering stakes as the two lions took turns attacking and retreating. Crowds seemed to come from nowhere, and the publicity cascaded. Many in the crowd stuck around to try their luck at the casino games. The publicity, Benny noted, was free. Johnny Moss ultimately won the five-month marathon dubbed "The biggest game in town"—an estimated $2 million. When "The Greek" lost his last pot, he rose from his chair, bowed slightly, and uttered the now-famous phrase, "Mr. Moss, I have to let you go." Dandolos then went upstairs to bed. The crowd buzzed and stayed.

The idea for a World Poker Championship was born. But it wasn't until 1970 that Binion decided to re-create this excitement and stage a battle of poker giants--dubbed the "World Series Of Poker"--to determine who would be worthy of the title "World Champion." Some of the best players in the country were assembled, and Johnny Moss came out on top. The decision was democratic in that the champion was decided by popular vote.

The following year, the winner was determined by a freezeout competition, with players being systematically eliminated until one player had all the chips. Moss again was declared the World Champion. In 1972, when Thomas "Amarillo Slim" Preston won the title and went on the talk-show circuit, the WSOP began to gain a wider following.
 
 History
Since "Amarillo Slim" won in 1972, the freezeout format has remained with the championship event and the game is still No-Limit Holdem. The buy-in has always been $10,000 and those 8 players in 1972 created a first prize of $80,000 for Slim. Johnny Moss got $30,000 the year before. The Championship event was "winner-takes-all" until 1978!

From 1972 into the nineties the number of players steadily rose. Closing in on the millenium however saw a massive increase. In 2001 there were 613 players in the main event creating a first prize of $1,500,000.

In 1971 there was only the championship event. In '72 a 5-card stud championship was introduced and in '73 there were five individual championships other than the main event. In the forthcoming 2002 event there will 33 seperate championships besides the final $10,000 event.

In 2001 a record-smashing 5738 entries paid $17,720,482 to play in a month-long poker festival. In 2002 we reached $19,473,840 (-9% in like for like tournaments) and the player total 7324 (-6% in like for like tournaments). Of course this huge expansion is down to the explosion of the online gambling scene.
 
 Schedule
Date Event Buy-in
16/04 Texas Hold'em (limit) $2,000
17/04 7-Card Stud $1,500
18/04 Omaha Hi Lo (limit) $2,000
19/04 No Limit Hold'em $2,000
20/04 Pot Limit Hold'em $1,500
21/04 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo Split $1,500
22/04 Pot Limit Omaha $1,500
23/04 H.O.R.S.E. (Holdem, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, 7-Stud & 7-Stud Hi-Lo) $2,000
24/04 1/2 Limit Hold`em - 1/2 7 Card Stud $2,000
25/04 No-Limit Hold`em $2,500
26/04 Hold'em (limit) $2,500
27/04 7 Card Stud $2,500
28/04 Deuce to Seven No-Limit $5,000
29/04 No-Limit Hold`em $5,000
30/04 Omaha (Limit) $1,500
01/05 Limit Hold`em $1,500
02/05 Omaha Hi Lo (limit) $2,500
03/05 Pot-Limit Hold`em $2,000
04/05 Senior's No Limit Hold`em $1,000
05/05 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo $2,500
06/05 No-Limit Hold`em $1,500
07/05 S.H.O.E. (7-Stud, Holdem, Omaha Hi-Lo & 7-Stud Hi-Lo) $1,500
08/05 Pot-Limit Omaha $5,000
09/05 Limit Hold`em Shootout $1,500
10/05 Limit Hold`em $1,000
11/05 Ladies 1/2 Hold`em 1/2 Stud $1,000
12/05 Omaha Hi-Lo $1,500
13/05 Pot Limit Hold`em $3,000
14/05 7-Card Stud $5,000
15/05 No-Limit Hold`em $3,000
16/05 Pot Limit Omaha $2,500
17/05 Limit Hold`em $5,000
18/05 Ace to Five Draw Low-Ball $1,500
18/05 Media Charity No Limit Hold`em $0
May 19-24 Monday-Friday
CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT TEXAS HOLD'EM (NO-LIMIT)
BUY-IN $10,000 Based on 650 Entrants - First Place $2,000,000
ALL TOURNAMENTS BEGIN AT NOON
Texas Hold'em has been the major game since the WSOP inception but many other poker variants have been played as regular individual championships. Some odd tournaments have been played in the past, like Chinese Poker and Mixed Doubles tournaments but the main poker variants fill out what has become a month long event.

The buy-in differences give an extra level to each discipline beside the betting variations. So for Texas Hold'em there are 9 unique tournaments, 3 limit, 2 pot-limit and 4 no-limit (including the Seniors and the Championship).

There is a 6% deduction from all the events to be shared out amongst casino staff as some sort of compensation for the loss of tips and the rest as profit for Binions. Based on $20million entry fees that will be $1.2million.

The Championship event decides who is the World Champion Poker Player and is this year run over five days, previously four. Each day reduces the field until the final six come out to play on the last day. A crowded room will watch and listen as the tournament director calls each hand and often each card in a suspense build up to the final $1,500,000 hand.

Each of the disciplines, Holdem, Omaha, 7-Card Stud, 7-Card Hi-Lo, Omaha 8/B, Razz, Deuce-to-Seven and Ace-to-Five can be found in the major games section.

The winner of every event gets a coveted gold bracelet and the finalsits all get leather WSOP jackets.
 
 Results
For the $10,000 championship event we will have daily reports from Jesse May. For all other events see Daily Report and List of Results.
 
 
 
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