The Coveted World Series of Poker Gold Bracelet

October 1, 2024

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Poker has been a popular card game across the world for centuries. There are dozens of versions that have been played for money since the advent of playing cards.

For the longest time, poker had a questionable image. It was quite common for the general public to view poker as a card game that was played by decadent professional gamblers in smokey bars and poker rooms. It wasn't until people started playing poker at home that a different view of the game became a reality.

The biggest change in the way poker was viewed came when poker became mainstream. It would be fair to say that the World Series of Poker (WSOP) shined a light on the game of poker, effectively removing the negativity that surrounded the game. Given the influence the WSOP of poker has had on people all over the world, a peek at the history of the world's greatest poker event seems to be in order.

In the Beginning

It's hard to believe that the first formal WSOP event was held in 1970. It was the brainchild of Benny Binion, the owner of Binion's Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas from 1970 until 2004. Many people don't realize he created the WSOP because he was a decadent poker player who wanted to create an event to draw the best opponents he could find.

The very first tournament (1970) was by invitation only. Seven (7) of the best poker players were summoned to participate. The first event had a set date and set starting and finishing times. In an interesting twist, the winner was not intended to be the one with the most money at the end. The winner of the prize money was selected by secret ballot among the contestants. That winner was the poker immortal Johnny Moss, who received the entire prize fund.

It's noteworthy that Moss would return to win the next year and win again in 1974. Over the years, the WSOP event evolved. The number of players gradually increased as did the prize fund. It wasn't until a few years later that the prize fund was distributed with the lion's share going to the outright winner and consolation prizes paid to other contestants.

Note: the event in 1972 was the first to require a buy-in with the original buy-in amount set at $10K. From the very beginning, winners received three rewards:

• Prize money


• Their picture in the Gallery of Champions at Binion's


• The much coveted "Glod Bracelet
  

In the early years, the WSOP consisted of one (1) event, No-limit Texas Hold'em." The winner was generally accepted as the best poker player in the world. Slowly, players demanded the inclusion of other games like H.O.R.S. E. and pot-limit hold 'em. In later years, other popular poker games were added to the WSOP roster, each with its own entry fees and rules. Today, the WSOP offers no less than 101 different events. Of course, the Main event remains the most sought-after title.

The Gold Bracelet

For the best poker players in the world, the money comes and goes. What they might win from a WSOP event might well get lost in a cash game the very next day. That might be why the true measure of a professional poker player is the number of Gold Bracelets they have earned over the years. That number is honored among players who have yet to get one.

It's worth noting that Gold Bracelets are awarded to anyone who wins a designated WSOP event. That includes other WSOP events that are held in other venues located all over the world. It's good to see that the value of Gold Bracelets has not been diminished by the increase in opportunities to win one. The reality is it's very difficult to line up against top poker players and win the entire event. That alone gets respect from the poker-playing community.

If the number of WSOP Gold Bracelets is the measure of poker players, it's interesting to look at sheer numbers to see who the best player in history might be. With that in mind, here is a list of poker players based on the number of Gold Bracelets they have earned"

• Phil Hellmuth - 17


• Phil Ivey - 11


• Doyle Brunson - 10


• Johnny Chan - 10


• Erik Seidel - 10


• Johnny Moss - 9


• Billy Baxter - 7


• John Hennigan - 7


• Daniel Negreanu - 7


• Men Nguyen - 7


• Scott Seiver - 7


• Shaun Deeb - 6


• Chris Ferguson - 6

As for Main Event winners, Moss stands at the top with three (2). The list of two-time winners includes Hellmuth, Brunson, and Chan.

For interested parties, here's a list of top WSOP players based on reported prize money covering WSOP events:

• Antonio Estanfadiari - $21,917,460


• Daniel Negreanu - $21,254,170


• Phil Hellmuth - $17,888,340


• Daniel Colman - $17,413,780


• Justin Bonomo - $15,916,630


• Jonathan Duhamel - $14,644,200


• Joe Cada - $13,948,310


• Daniel Weinman - $13,417,610


• Fedor Holz - $13,384,830


• Koray Aldemir - $13,161,050

Note: All reported numbers are as of December 31, 2023, and do not include the results from 2024 WSOP events.

WSOP Goes Online

About 20 years ago, online poker sites began popping up on the Internet. Initially, playing poker online was considered a novelty because it lacked the excitement of being in a busy poker room. All of that seemingly changed in 2003.

It was in 2003 that an amateur online poker player rose through the ranks to claim the 2003 WSOP Main Event Gold Bracelet. That man was and is Chris Moneymaker. Appropriate name, huh? It was Moneymaker's shocking win that shined a bright light on the value of learning to play poker on the Internet from the comforts of home.

Over the last 21 years, tens of thousands of online poker players have tried to duplicate his feat. This caught the eye of WSOP officials who realized the increasing popularity of online play would mean huge increases in WSOP event participation. The numbers proved them right.

In 2003, the WSOP Main Event had collected entry fees from 839 players. The very next year that number exploded to 2,576 followed by the number more than doubling in 2005. Over the last 10 years, the average number of participants (minus the COVID year) has run at just over 8,000. That includes 10K entries in both 2023 and 2024. That's nothing short of amazing growth, all fairly attributable to the success of one man in 2023.

The importance of online poker to the WSOP organization has resulted in the creation of online-only WSOP events. The prize funds are enormous and those coveted Gold Bracelets are up for grabs. Many of these events offer free entry fees for the annual trek to Las Vegas for the big Main Event and other events.

In the U.S., several online poker sites are available for U.S. players. It must be mentioned that playing online poker is technically only permissible in states that have legalized such activities through legislation. Of course, the desire to play poker online is stronger than anything laid down by the law.

Today, there are three primary operators offering access to online poker platforms in states like Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. That includes the following licensed operators:

• BetMGM - through the PartyPoker platform


• Borgata Poker - through the PartyPoker platform


• WSOP Online - using a proprietary platform

Each of their operators are currently promoting Welcome bonuses to draw new customers. If one were to make a reasonable estimate, there is plenty of reason to believe that hundreds of thousands if not more than a million U.S. citizens have online poker accounts. Here's to wishing them lots of luck in their personal pursuit of the coveted WSOP Gold Bracelet.