5 Fascinating Facts from the WSOP’s History ​

The World Series of Poker is one of the biggest poker tournaments, and has been running for years at this point. This has resulted in some brilliant games over the years, and plenty of fun facts over the years. Here are five things that you might not know about the WSOP!

A Favorite of Sports Stars

You might have a picture of the typical poker player in your head, but you might be surprised to know about the number of sports stars that enjoy playing poker. In particular, the game is loved by many American football players. One who is determined to win himself a bracelet at one point is Baltimore Ravens defensive end and 2020 Pro Bowl player Calais Campbell. He has already taken part in several big tournaments, and we could see him making more waves in the future.

Bracelets Haven’t Always Been a Prize

Winning a bracelet is the main goal of many who head to the WSOP. They are not offered at every game, but they are definitely one of the glory prizes that every poker player wants to grab. However, there has not been a prize for the full length of the tournament. The first WSOP was held in 1970, but physical bracelets were not offered until 1976.

Bargain Bracelet Buy-Ins

Normally, the buy-in for bracelet games would be a significant amount of money. These are some of the most prestigious games and attract both big names as well as lesser known players. In 2020, the WSOP organisation decided to offer a few bargain bracelet games, giving players a chance to win a bracelet with a buy-in of just $50. This is significantly lower than many of the other games, and gave a great opportunity to players at sites like GGPoker and other hosts of the online 2020 games. With the event returning in 2021, it will be thrilling to see who pulls ahead this time.

Only One Woman Has Made It to the Main Event Final Table

Though poker is a game enjoyed by many, and there have been some very high-profile female players over the years, there have been very few making an appearance at the final table of the Main Event. This is the big game that everyone keeps an eye on. The only female player to make it here was Barbara Enright in 1995. She managed to reach fifth place and grabbed a prize of $114,180, with two bracelets already behind her and a third to come later.

There are 63 Years Between the Oldest and Youngest Bracelet Winners

Poker attracts people of all ages. There are some who start playing the game very young and begin to win tournaments in their 20s, and there are others who come to the game much later. The oldest bracelet winner was Johnny Moss, who picked up his prize in a game of 7-card stud on his 81^st birthday in 1988. The youngest bracelet winner is Annette Obrestad. She picked up her bracelet at the WSOP Europe Main Event, the day before her 19^thbirthday.

The WSOP is a premier event and there are many factors that help to make this such an amazing event. The above facts are just five of the fascinating things that you could learn about this tournament and there is so much more that you could uncover. If you are a poker fan, you need to make sure that you are following along with the WSOP whenever it comes around. You never know when you might see history taking place right in front of your eyes at this tournament!