1.
2005 World Series of Poker
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The 2005 World Series of Poker opened play on June 2, continuing through the Main Event No Limit World Championship starting on July 7. The conclusion of the Main Event on July 15 marked the close of play, eSPNs broadcast began July 19 with coverage of WSOP Circuit Tournaments, and coverage of the Main Event began October 11 and ended November 15. All events were held at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino with the exception of the two days of the Main Event which were held at Binions Horseshoe. This marked the last time the Main Event final table was held at Binions Horseshoe, there were 5,619 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter what was the largest poker tournament ever played in a brick, many entrants won their seat in online poker tournaments. NB, This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry
2.
Graham, Texas
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Graham is a city in north central Texas. It is the county seat of Young County, and as of the 2010 Census had a population of 8,903. The site was first settled in 1871 by brothers Gustavus A. and Edwin S. Graham, primary shareholders in the Texas Emigration and Land Company of Louisville, Kentucky. During that same year as when Graham was settled, the Warren Wagon Train Raid occurred about 12 miles north of the city, in 1872 the Graham brothers purchased a local saltworks and established the town of Graham and set up the Graham Land Office. The saltworks was not a profitable venture as the salt was too expensive to ship and was closed in a few years, New families started to arrive, and the brothers began promoting the sale of homesites and doing civic improvements. A post office opened in 1873, and after Young County reorganized the following year, the towns newspaper, known as the Leader and still in existence today, was first printed in 1876, the same year that the first temporary courthouse was built. Other businesses from these years included a gristmill, sawmill, cotton gin. Founding officers included pioneer ranchers James C, loving, Col. C. L. Carter, and C. C. A three-story limestone courthouse was built in 1884, and it was replaced by a new courthouse in the early 1930s, the 1884 structures east door still stands on the courthouse square. From 1879-1896, Graham was the seat of a Federal District Court overseen by Judge A. P. McCormick, his jurisdiction extended over all of Texas north, Edwin Graham had married Addie Mary Kintner in 1865. Throughout the 1870s they divided their time between Texas and their families back north, but in 1879, with the flourishing, they moved their wives. Edwin and Addie lived there until 1891, then moved to Spokane, Washington and his body was brought back to Graham for burial. Addie moved back to Graham and became a leading civic booster, in 1921, with her son Malcolm, she set up the Graham Foundation as a continuing fund for the citys growth and improvement. Addie died in 1929 and was responsible for the establishment of the Eden Home for the aged and it was later a stop on the since defunct Chicago, Rock Island and Texas, which reached Graham from Fort Worth. The population of Graham grew slowly until 1917, when oil was discovered nearby, by 1966, Graham had seventeen churches, seven schools, a hospital, a radio station, two libraries, three parks, and two newspapers. The population peaked at 9,170 in 1980 and has gradually declined. According to a mural on the courthouse depicting the arrival of the Graham brothers, Graham is also one of only a handful of towns in Texas that remains a Dry County and still has an operational drive-in theater. Graham, the County seat of Young County, Texas 33°6′3″N 98°34′45″W. is located in the southeast portion of the county and has an area of 5.592 square miles, geographically, Graham is located in the Western Cross Timbers area of North Texas
3.
World Series of Poker
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The World Series of Poker is a series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Caesars Entertainment Corporation. The winner of each event receives a World Series of Poker bracelet, over the years, the tournament has grown in both the number of events and in the number of participants. Each year, the WSOP culminates with the $10,000 no-limit holdem Main Event, the victor receives a multi-million dollar cash prize and a bracelet, which has become the most coveted award a poker player can win. The winner of the World Series of Poker Main Event is considered to be the World Champion of Poker, as of 2014, the WSOP consists of 65 events, with most major poker variants featured. However, in recent years, over half of the events have been variants of Texas hold em, Events traditionally take place during one day or over several consecutive days during the series in June and July. However, starting in 2008, the Main Event final table was delayed until November, the 2012 Main Event final table commenced in October because of the United States presidential election. Since 1971, all WSOP events have been tournaments with cash prizes, in 1973, a five-card stud event was added. Since then, new events have added and removed. Since 1976, a bracelet has been awarded to the winner of every event at the annual WSOP, later on, the tournament grew slowly for over a decade, reaching 52 participants in 1982. In the early 1980s, satellite tournaments were introduced, allowing people to win their way into the various events, by 1987, there were over 2,100 entrants in the entire series. At the 2006 World Series of Poker, there were 45 events, participation in the Main Event peaked that year, with 8,773 players. Currently, Texas hold em, Omaha hold em and Seven-card stud, H. O. R. S. E. has been played in the past and returned in 2006. Also, S. H. O. E. has been played in the past, other events played in the past include Chinese poker, Five card stud, and many others. Like most tournaments, the sponsoring casino takes a fee and distributes the rest. In the 2005 Main Event, US$52,818,610 in prize money was distributed among 560 players, with US$7.5 million as the first prize. The 2006 Main Event, won by Jamie Gold, is the largest single poker tournament by prize pool or by entrant numbers in history, in July 2010, it was announced that the winner of the 2010 Main Event would receive just under US$9 million. 11% of the went to Lalibertés charity, the One Drop Foundation. At the time of the announcement,15 of the maximum 48 seats had been taken
4.
World Series of Poker bracelet
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The World Series of Poker bracelet is considered the most coveted non-monetary prize a poker player can win. Since 1976, a bracelet has been awarded to the winner of every event at the annual WSOP, even if the victory occurred before 1976, WSOP championships are now counted as bracelets. During the first years of the WSOP only a handful of bracelets were awarded each year, in 1990, there were only 14 bracelet events. By 2000, that increased to 24. As the popularity of poker has increased during the 2000s, the number of events has likewise increased, in 2011,58 bracelets were awarded at the WSOP, seven at the World Series of Poker Europe, and one to the WSOP National Circuit Champion. This brought the number of bracelets awarded up to 959. Five additional bracelets were awarded for the first time in April 2013 at the inaugural World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific in Melbourne, Australia. Since Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 Main Event, only two players have won and followed it up with a win in another event, Jonathan Duhamel. The 1976 bracelet looked like gold nuggets kind of hammered flat, the bracelet in 1976 cost approximately $500. In the 1980s, Las Vegas jeweler Mordechai Yerushalmi became the manufacturer of WSOP bracelets until Harrahs Entertainment bought the rights to the WSOP in 2004. According to 2003 WSOP Champion Chris Moneymaker, the design of the bracelet remained relatively unchanged under Yerushalmi, in 2005, Gold and Diamond International based in Memphis, TN won the bid from Harrahs Entertainment to manufacture the 2005 World Series of Poker bracelets. The company also manufactures the WSOP circuit rings, in 2006, Frederick Goldman, Inc. made the WSOP bracelets while luxury watch maker Corum introduced some commemorative watches as part of the prize package. In 2006, the Champions bracelet had 259 stones including 7.2 carats of diamonds,120 grams of white and it also used rubies to represent the heart and diamond suits, a sapphire to represent the spade and three black diamonds to represent the clubs. In 2007, Corum became the official bracelet manufacturer for the WSOP, some of the 2007 World Series of Poker champions received both a watch and a bracelet from Corum. Corum designed four variations for the 2007 World Series of Poker Bracelets, the standard version that is presented to 53 winners features 53 diamonds. The Ladies World Champion receives a bracelet that is adorned with four black diamonds, the $50,000 HORSE Champion Bracelet has 91 black diamonds and two rubies. The World Series of Poker Main Event Bracelet has 120 diamonds on 136 grams of 18 carat white gold, the value of the 2007 bracelets have not been released, but the typical price of a Corum watch ranges from $1, 500–$30, 000+. In 2008, the Main Event Bracelet had 291 diamonds, totalling 2.81 carats set in 168 grams of 18kt white gold, the other 54 event bracelets consisted of 55 diamonds, totalling 0.25 carats set in 80 grams of 14kt yellow gold
5.
Entrepreneurship
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What appears as a real opportunity ex ante might actually be a non-opportunity or one that cannot be actualized by entrepreneurs lacking the necessary business skills, financial or social capital. Traditionally, an entrepreneur has been defined as a person who starts, organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk. Rather than working as an employee, an entrepreneur runs a business and assumes all the risk and reward of a given business venture, idea. The entrepreneur is commonly seen as a leader and innovator of new ideas. They act as the manager and oversee the launch and growth of an enterprise, Entrepreneurship is the process by which an individual identifies a business opportunity and acquires and deploys the necessary resources required for its exploitation. For Schumpeter, the changes and dynamic disequilibrium brought on by the innovating entrepreneur, the ‘norm’ of a healthy economy. Entrepreneurial spirit is characterized by innovation and risk-taking, for example, in the 2000s, the field of social entrepreneurship has been identified, in which entrepreneurs combine business activities with humanitarian, environmental or community goals. In the 2010s, entrepreneurship can be studied in college or university as part of the disciplines of management or business administration, Entrepreneur, is a loanword from French. First used in 1723, today the term entrepreneur implies qualities of leadership, initiative, economist Robert Reich has called team-building, leadership, and management ability essential qualities for the entrepreneur. Historically the study of entrepreneurship reaches back to the work in the late 17th and early 18th centuries of Richard Cantillon and Adam Smith, which was foundational to classical economics. In the 20th century, entrepreneurship was studied by Joseph Schumpeter in the 1930s and other Austrian economists such as Carl Menger, Ludwig von Mises, the term entrepreneurship was coined around the 1920s, while the loan from French of the word entrepreneur dates to the 1850s. According to Schumpeter, an entrepreneur is willing and able to convert a new idea or invention into a successful innovation, thus, creative destruction is largely responsible for long-term economic growth. The idea that leads to economic growth is an interpretation of the residual in endogenous growth theory. For Schumpeter, entrepreneurship resulted in new industries and in new combinations of currently existing inputs, Schumpeters initial example of this was the combination of a steam engine and then current wagon making technologies to produce the horseless carriage. In this case the innovation, the car, was transformational and it did not immediately replace the horse-drawn carriage, but in time, incremental improvements reduced the cost and improved the technology, leading to the modern auto industry. Despite Schumpeters early 20th-century contributions, traditional microeconomic theory did not formally consider the entrepreneur in its theoretical frameworks, in this treatment, the entrepreneur was an implied but unspecified actor, consistent with the concept of the entrepreneur being the agent of x-efficiency. For Schumpeter, the entrepreneur did not bear risk, the capitalist did, Schumpeter was of the opinion that entrepreneurs shift the Production Possibility Curve to a higher level using innovations. Cantillon emphasized the willingness of the entrepreneur to assume risk and to deal with uncertainty, thus, he draws attention to the function of the entrepreneur, and distinguishes clearly between the function of the entrepreneur and the owner who provides the money
6.
Poker
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Poker is a family of card games that combine gambling, strategy, and skill. Poker games vary in the number of cards dealt, the number of shared or community cards, the number of cards that remain hidden, and the betting procedures. In most modern games, the first round of betting begins with one or more of the players making some form of a forced bet. In standard poker, each player bets according to the rank they believe their hand is worth as compared to the other players. The action then proceeds clockwise as each player in turn must either match, or call, a player who matches a bet may also raise, or increase the bet. The betting round ends when all players have called the last bet or folded. If all but one player folds on any round, the player collects the pot without being required to reveal their hand. If more than one remains in contention after the final betting round, a showdown takes place where the hands are revealed. By the 1990s some gaming historians including David Parlett started to challenge the notion that poker is a derivative of As-Nas. There is evidence that a game called poque, a French game similar to poker, was played around the region where poker is said to have originated. The name of the game likely descended from the Irish Poca or even the French poque, yet it is not clear whether the origins of poker itself lie with the games bearing those names. It is commonly regarded as sharing ancestry with the Renaissance game of primero, the English game brag clearly descended from brelan and incorporated bluffing. It is quite possible that all of these earlier games influenced the development of poker as it exists now, the unique features of poker have to do with the betting, and do not appear in any known older game. In this view poker originated much later, in the early or mid-18th century and it was played in a variety of forms, with 52 cards, and included both straight poker and stud. 20 card poker was a variant for two players, the development of poker is linked to the historical movement that also saw the invention of commercial gambling. English actor Joseph Crowell reported that the game was played in New Orleans in 1829, with a deck of 20 cards, and four players betting on which players hand was the most valuable. As it spread north along the Mississippi River and to the West during the gold rush, soon after this spread, the full 52-card French deck was used and the flush was introduced. The draw was added prior to 1850, during the American Civil War, many additions were made including stud poker, and the straight
7.
Poker Hall of Fame
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The Poker Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional poker in the United States. Binion was known for the ways in which he marketed his casino. In 1949, he convinced Johnny Moss and Nick The Greek Dandolos to play high-stakes poker heads up where the public could watch them, in 1970, he invited a group of poker players to compete in what would be the first World Series of Poker. When Harrahs Entertainment, now known as Caesars Entertainment, acquired the rights to the WSOP in 2004, currently, membership in the Poker Hall of Fame is handled directly by the WSOP. As of 2016,52 people have been inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame,21 of whom are still living. Before the 2009 World Series of Poker, then-WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack announced that the process for becoming a member into the Poker Hall of Fame would undergo a slight modification, starting in 2009, the Poker Hall of Fame started accepting nominations from the public. This move was intended to increase interest in the Hall, almost immediately after this decision was announced, Party Poker started an online campaign to get its representative and World Poker Tour commentator Mike Sexton elected to the Hall. Other poker sites, namely PokerStars Tom McEvoy, followed suit by pushing their own poker professionals, or, for non-players, contributed to the overall growth and success of the game of poker, with indelible positive and lasting results. In 2009, 23-year-old online poker professional Tom Dwan was a finalist for the Poker Hall of Fame because of public balloting, as a result, a new age requirement was added in 2011. This rule, known as the Chip Reese Rule, established an age of 40 to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. This new requirement eliminated some players who were regular nominees over the years, such as Phil Ivey. Admission into the Poker Hall of Fame is considered one of the biggest honors in poker, in his acceptance speech, T. J. Cloutier declared, Its one of two things Ive always wanted to win. Barbara Enright, the first woman inducted into the Hall, considers her induction to be a lifetime achievement honor, before being acquired by Harrahs Casino, R. S. Owens & Company was commissioned to design an award for Poker Hall of Famers. The award was an 8-inch-tall piece of glass with a hand of cards sandblasted at the bottom, the name. The circle had a gold emblem bonded to the glass and had the Binions Horseshoe Casino logo in it, there was a gold plated base with three gold-plated stacks of chips. World Poker Tour Walk of Fame Poker Hall of Fame Doyle Room Poker Hall of Fame Legends Jack Binion & Crandell Addington Accessed March 3,2008
8.
Reno, Nevada
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Reno is a city in the U. S. state of Nevada. It is in Northern Nevada, approximately 22 miles from Lake Tahoe, known as The Biggest Little City in the World, Reno is famous for its casinos and as the birthplace of Caesars Entertainment Corporation. It is the county seat of Washoe County, in the part of the state. The city sits in a desert at the foot of the Sierra Nevada. Archaeological finds place the border for the prehistoric Martis people in the Reno area. As early as the mid 1850s a few settled in the Truckee Meadows. Gold was discovered in the vicinity of Virginia City in 1850, and a modest mining community developed, to provide the necessary connection between Virginia City and the California Trail, Charles W. Fuller built a log toll bridge across the Truckee River in 1859. A small community that would service travelers soon grew up near the bridge, after two years, Fuller sold the bridge to Myron C. Lake, who continued to develop the community with the addition of a grist mill, kiln, in 1864, Washoe County was consolidated with Roop County, and Lakes Crossing became the largest town in the county. Lake had earned himself the founder of Reno. Lake deeded land to the CPRR in exchange for its promise to build a depot at Lakes Crossing, once the railroad station was established, the town of Reno officially came into being on May 9,1868. CPRR construction superintendent Charles Crocker named the community after Major General Jesse Lee Reno, in 1871, Reno became the county seat of the newly expanded Washoe County, replacing the previous county seat, located in Washoe City. However, political power in Nevada remained with the communities, first Virginia City and later Tonopah. The extension of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad to Reno in 1872 provided a boost to the new citys economy. Despite this, Nevada is still the third-largest gold producer in the world, after South Africa and Australia, the Reno Arch was erected on Virginia Street in 1926 to promote the upcoming Transcontinental Highways Exposition of 1927. The arch included the words Nevadas Transcontinental Highways Exposition and the dates of the exposition. After the exposition, the Reno City Council decided to keep the arch as a permanent downtown gateway, no acceptable slogan was received until a $100 prize was offered, and G. A. Burns of Sacramento was declared the winner on March 14,1929, with Reno, The Biggest Little City in the World
9.
Nevada
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Nevada is a state in the Western, Mountain West, and Southwestern regions of the United States of America. Nevada is the 7th most extensive, the 34th most populous, nearly three-quarters of Nevadas people live in Clark County, which contains the Las Vegas–Paradise metropolitan area where three of the states four largest incorporated cities are located. Nevada is officially known as the Silver State because of the importance of silver to its history and economy. It is also known as the Battle Born State, because it achieved statehood during the Civil War, as the Sage-brush State, for the plant of the same name. Nevada borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, Nevada is largely desert and semi-arid, much of it located within the Great Basin. Areas south of the Great Basin are located within the Mojave Desert, while Lake Tahoe, about 86% of the states land is managed by various jurisdictions of the U. S. federal government, both civilian and military. Before European contact, Native Americans of the Paiute, Shoshone, the first Europeans to explore the region were Spanish. They called the region Nevada because of the snow covered the mountains in winter. The area formed part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, the United States annexed the area in 1848 after its victory in the Mexican–American War, and it was incorporated as part of Utah Territory in 1850. The discovery of silver at the Comstock Lode in 1859 led to a boom that became an impetus to the creation of Nevada Territory out of western Utah Territory in 1861. Nevada became the 36th state on October 31,1864, as the second of two added to the Union during the Civil War. Nevada has a reputation for its libertarian laws, in 1940, with a population of just over 110,000 people, Nevada was by far the least-populated state, with less than half the population of the next least-populated state. However, legalized gambling and lenient marriage and divorce laws transformed Nevada into a major tourist destination in the 20th century, Nevada is the only U. S. state where prostitution is legal, though it is illegal in Clark County, Washoe County and Carson City. The tourism industry remains Nevadas largest employer, with mining continuing as a sector of the economy. The name Nevada comes from the Spanish nevada, meaning snow-covered, most Nevadans pronounce the second syllable of their state name using the vowel of trap. Many from outside the Western United States pronounce it with the vowel of father, although the latter pronunciation is closer to the Spanish pronunciation, it is not the pronunciation preferred by most Nevadans. State Assemblyman Harry Mortenson proposed a bill to recognize the alternate pronunciation of Nevada, though the bill was not supported by most legislators, the Nevadan pronunciation is the de facto official one, since it is the one used by the state legislature. Nevada is almost entirely within the Basin and Range Province, and is broken up by many mountain ranges
10.
Johnny Moss
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Johnny Moss was a gambler and professional poker player. He was one of the inductees into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1979. Moss was born on May 14,1907 in Marshall, Texas and grew up in Dallas, Texas, a group of cheaters taught him how to cheat in games, but Moss put this knowledge to good use. As a teenager he was hired by a saloon to watch over games. While he was keeping games safe from cheaters, he was learning the strategy behind playing poker, two years later, he became a rounder, a player who travels the country looking for gambling action. In 1949, Moss played with Nick the Greek in a heads up poker marathon set up by Benny Binion. At the conclusion of the game, Nick the Greek uttered what has one of the most famous poker quotes ever, Mr. Moss. This game is cited as the inspiration behind the WSOP. This game became the foundation for Al Alvarezs book The Biggest Game in Town and is one of the best known stories in poker. Despite being one of the best-known poker stories, a soon to be released book, Showgirl Stories, according to Fischer, there were no stories or reports of this tournament until six years after Nicks death. Binion never spoke of the game even when providing a history of Las Vegas and avoided answering questions about the game by saying, Well. While Nick the Greek was often covered by the national media, Fischer says that nearly every version of the story is virtually identical to the version first told by Moss beginning circa 1971. The story is said to have taken place in 1949 at the Horseshoe Casino, a casino that did not exist for another year. Fischer also points out that during the time that Binion supposedly set up the game, because of his past, Binion lost his license to run a gambling establishment in 1948 and did not regain it until April 13,1950. He was not granted a license to open the Horseshoe Casino until December 5,1952, Fischer believes that the notion of Binion sponsoring a poker game, in front of a window, of a casino that hasnt opened, while fighting extradition is absurd. An authorized autobiography on Moss, which is called Champion of Champions, was written by Don Jenkins, Moss won the 1970,1971, and 1974 World Series of Poker Main Events. For the 1970 WSOP Main Event, Moss was actually elected champion by his peers, during Mosss career he won $834,422 in WSOP tournament play. *In 1970, Moss was voted champion by his peers, **Moss set the, as of the end of the 2016 World Series of Poker, still-standing record of oldest bracelet winner in WSOP history
11.
Bobby Baldwin
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Bobby Baldwin is a professional poker player, and casino executive. As a poker player, Baldwin is best known as the winner of the 1978 World Series of Poker Main Event, Baldwin was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and attended Oklahoma State University in 1970. He currently resides in Las Vegas and he married Audra Hendley on August 2,2012 at their Southern Highlands home. Baldwin won his first two bracelets at the 1977 World Series of Poker, first winning the $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw event, then winning the $5,000 Seven Card Stud event. Baldwin won his largest tournament prize in 1978 when he won the WSOP world championship event, earning the title, in 1979, he won the $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw event again, earning his fourth and most recent bracelet at the WSOP. Baldwin also competed in the Super Bowl of Poker tournaments, organized by 1972 world champion Amarillo Slim, Baldwin cashed in several SBOP events and won the $5,000 Seven Card Stud event in 1979. His major wins include four WSOP bracelets, all won from 1977 to 1979 and he won WSOP bracelets in three consecutive years which only a small number of players have done in the history of the WSOP. In addition to his 1978 victory, Baldwins other WSOP Main Event cashes are,1981,1986,1987,1991,1992,1994, in 2003, Baldwin was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. His last live cash came in the 2012 World Series of Poker in the Big One for One Drop, in 1982, he became a consultant for the Golden Nugget casino, and in 1984 was named the president. He was selected to head The Mirage in 1987, and was named as the president of the Bellagio hotel, Baldwin now oversees additional resorts added through the Mandalay Resort Group buyout as well as the previous Wynn properties. In addition to poker, Baldwin is also known as a world class billiards player, Baldwin and his playing style are the subject of a book entitled Bobby Baldwins Winning Poker Secrets, which was written by Mike Caro. Baldwin has written columns on poker and he authored a section for Doyle Brunsons Super/System. His own book Tales Out of Tulsa, a guide for novices, was published in 1985. The high-stakes signature poker room in the Bellagio is named Bobbys Room after Baldwin, as of 2012, his total live tournament winnings exceed $2,300,000. His 20 cashes at the WSOP account for $2,100,311 of those winnings
12.
Doyle Brunson
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Doyle F. Brunson is an American poker player who has played professionally for over 50 years. He is a two-time World Series of Poker Main Event champion, a Poker Hall of Fame inductee, and he is also one of only four players to have won the Main Event at the World Series of Poker multiple times, which he did in 1976 and 1977. He is also one of two players, along with Bill Boyd, to have won WSOP tournaments in four consecutive years. In addition, he is the first of five players to win both the WSOP Main Event and a World Poker Tour title, in January 2006, Bluff Magazine voted Brunson the most influential force in the world of poker. Brunson was born in Longworth, Fisher County, Texas, one of three children and he was part of the All-State Texas basketball team. In the 1950 Texas Interscholastic Track Meet, he won the event with a time of 4,43. Despite receiving offers from colleges, he attended Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene. The Minneapolis Lakers showed interest in Brunson but an injury ended his hopes of becoming a professional basketball player. He still occasionally requires a crutch because of the injury, Brunson earned a bachelors degree in 1954 and a masters degree in administrative education the following year. Brunson had begun playing poker before his injury, playing five-card draw and he played more often after being injured and his winnings paid for his expenses. After graduating, he took a job as a business machines salesman, on his first day, he was invited to play in a seven-card stud game and earned over a months salary. He soon left the company and became a poker player. Brunson started off by playing in games on Exchange Street in Fort Worth with friend Dwayne Hamilton. Eventually, they began traveling around Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, playing in bigger games, the illegal games Brunson played in during this time were usually run by criminals who were often members of organized crime, so rules were not always enforced. Brunson has admitted to having a gun pulled on him several times, Hamilton moved back to Fort Worth, while the others teamed up and travelled around together, gambling on poker, golf and, in Doyles words, just about everything. They pooled their money for gambling and after six years, they made their first serious trip to Las Vegas and lost all of it and they decided to stop playing as partners, but remained friends. Brunson finally settled in Las Vegas and he made some WSOP championship event final tables before his back-to-back wins, but since this was when the event was winner-take-all, they are not counted as cashes. Besides his two wins in 1976 and 1977, Brunsons other main event cashes are,1972,1980,1982,1983,1997,2004 and 2013
13.
Southwestern University
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Southwestern University is a private, four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Georgetown, Texas, United States. Formed in 1873 from a revival of collegiate charters granted in 1840, the school is affiliated with the United Methodist Church with a nonsectarian curriculum. Southwestern offers 40 bachelors degrees in the arts, sciences, fine arts, the university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the National Association of Schools of Music. In 2015, Southwestern celebrated its 175th Anniversary, the university is a member of the Annapolis Group, the Associated Colleges of the South, the Council of Independent Colleges, and is a signatory of the Talloires Declaration. In 1873, the union of four institutions opened in Georgetown as Texas University. The university considers its founding date to be 1840, when Rutersville College opened, Southwestern thus claims to be the oldest university in Texas and the second oldest coeducational liberal arts college west of the Mississippi. Southwestern was a member of the Southwest Conference in 1915. When SMUs student population became larger, students at Southwestern began considering Trinity University. Southwestern has a history of drawing prolific lecturers to campus, including William Jennings Bryan, Helen Keller, Bell hooks, orators traveling by train often stopped off on their way to or from Austin, giving their lectures and catching the next train. Speakers at the annual Brown Symposium have included author Isaac Asimov in the early 1980s, in 2002, The Writers Voice series presented Pulitzer Prize winning author Michael Chabon. The Writers Voice has also welcomed such authors as Joyce Carol Oates, Margaret Atwood, Amy Tan, in 1998, Southwestern faculty, students, alumni, staff and trustees identified the university’s core purpose and core values. The core purpose was identified as Fostering a liberal arts community whose values, a sixth core value, cultivating academic excellence, was added in 2008. This deal makes Southwestern the first university in Texas to get all its power from renewable sources, the university offers 40 majors and 36 minors divided between the Brown College of Arts and Sciences and the Sarofim School of Fine Arts. In addition to traditional majors, Southwestern offers interdisciplinary, independent, and paired majors as well as pre-professional programs in Engineering, Law, Medicine. In the 2013-2014 school year, total student enrollment was at 1,536, of the entering first-year students in Fall 2013,37 percent were in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating class with an average SAT score of 1166. While the majority of students come from Texas, the remaining 11 percent come from 23 other states and 6 countries, minority students constitute 33 percent of the student body. The student to faculty ratio is 11,1, with a class size of 15 students. Ninety-nine percent of the tenured or tenure-track faculty hold doctorate or highest degree in their fields, collaborative research and publication with students is common
14.
Economics
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Economics is a social science concerned chiefly with description and analysis of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work, consistent with this focus, textbooks often distinguish between microeconomics and macroeconomics. Microeconomics examines the behaviour of elements in the economy, including individual agents and markets, their interactions. Individual agents may include, for example, households, firms, buyers, macroeconomics analyzes the entire economy and issues affecting it, including unemployment of resources, inflation, economic growth, and the public policies that address these issues. Economic analysis can be applied throughout society, as in business, finance, health care, Economic analyses may also be applied to such diverse subjects as crime, education, the family, law, politics, religion, social institutions, war, science, and the environment. At the turn of the 21st century, the domain of economics in the social sciences has been described as economic imperialism. The ultimate goal of economics is to improve the conditions of people in their everyday life. There are a variety of definitions of economics. Some of the differences may reflect evolving views of the subject or different views among economists, to supply the state or commonwealth with a revenue for the publick services. Say, distinguishing the subject from its uses, defines it as the science of production, distribution. On the satirical side, Thomas Carlyle coined the dismal science as an epithet for classical economics, in this context and it enquires how he gets his income and how he uses it. Thus, it is on the one side, the study of wealth and on the other and more important side, a part of the study of man. He affirmed that previous economists have usually centred their studies on the analysis of wealth, how wealth is created, distributed, and consumed, but he said that economics can be used to study other things, such as war, that are outside its usual focus. This is because war has as the goal winning it, generates both cost and benefits, and, resources are used to attain the goal. If the war is not winnable or if the costs outweigh the benefits. Some subsequent comments criticized the definition as overly broad in failing to limit its subject matter to analysis of markets, there are other criticisms as well, such as in scarcity not accounting for the macroeconomics of high unemployment. The same source reviews a range of included in principles of economics textbooks. Among economists more generally, it argues that a particular definition presented may reflect the direction toward which the author believes economics is evolving, microeconomics examines how entities, forming a market structure, interact within a market to create a market system
15.
Accounting
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Accounting or accountancy is the measurement, processing and communication of financial information about economic entities such as businesses and corporations. The modern field was established by the Italian mathematician Luca Pacioli in 1494, practitioners of accounting are known as accountants. The terms accounting and financial reporting are often used as synonyms, Accounting can be divided into several fields including financial accounting, management accounting, external auditing, and tax accounting. Accounting information systems are designed to support accounting functions and related activities, Accounting is facilitated by accounting organizations such as standard-setters, accounting firms and professional bodies. Financial statements are audited by accounting firms, and are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. GAAP is set by various standard-setting organizations such as the Financial Accounting Standards Board in the United States, as of 2012, all major economies have plans to converge towards or adopt the International Financial Reporting Standards. The history of accounting is thousands of old and can be traced to ancient civilizations. By the time of the Emperor Augustus, the Roman government had access to detailed financial information, double-entry bookkeeping developed in medieval Europe, and accounting split into financial accounting and management accounting with the development of joint-stock companies. The first work on a double-entry bookkeeping system was published in Italy, both the words accounting and accountancy were in use in Great Britain by the mid-1800s, and are derived from the words accompting and accountantship used in the 18th century. In Middle English the verb to account had the form accounten, which was derived from the Old French word aconter, which is in turn related to the Vulgar Latin word computare, meaning to reckon. The base of computare is putare, which meant to prune, to purify, to correct an account, hence, to count or calculate. The word accountant is derived from the French word compter, which is derived from the Italian. Accountancy refers to the occupation or profession of an accountant, particularly in British English, Accounting has several subfields or subject areas, including financial accounting, management accounting, auditing, taxation and accounting information systems. Financial accounting focuses on the reporting of a financial information to external users of the information, such as investors. It calculates and records business transactions and prepares financial statements for the users in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. GAAP, in turn, arises from the agreement between accounting theory and practice, and change over time to meet the needs of decision-makers. This branch of accounting is also studied as part of the exams for qualifying as an actuary. It is interesting to note that two professionals, accountants and actuaries, have created a culture of being archrivals
16.
Nick Dandolos
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Nicholas Andrea Dandolos commonly known as Nick the Greek was a professional gambler and high roller from Rethymnon, Crete. Dandolos was the son of wealthy parents and he attended the Greek Evangelical College and earned a degree in philosophy. When he was 18 years old, his grandfather sent him to the U. S. A. with an allowance of $150 per week, although Dandolos settled down in Chicago he eventually moved to Montreal where he began gambling on horse races. Dandolos was known throughout his life for winning and losing large sums of money, after winning over $500,000 on horse racing, he moved back to Chicago where he lost it all on card and dice games. He quickly became a master of these games, however, from January 1949 to May 1949, Dandolos played a two-person heads up poker match against poker legend Johnny Moss where the two played virtually every variation of the game that existed at the time. The game, set up by Benny Binion as a tourist attraction, is credited as being the inspiration for the modern day World Series of Poker. At the end of this five-month poker marathon, down an estimated $2–4 million, Dandolos uttered what has one of the most famous poker quotes ever, Mr. Moss. One urban legend claims that Dandolos once had the opportunity to escort Albert Einstein around Las Vegas. According to Dandolos own testimony in Gambling Secrets of Nick the Greek, just before the end of World War II, the caller said that there was someone who was looking for a poker game on a weekend in Manhattan. Dandolos reminded his friend that gambling is illegal in New York, at the game, according to Dandolos, he introduced Albert Einstein as little Al from Jersey. Another urban legend has him winning one million dollars against a Texan, in the early hours of the morning, Nick felt tired and called an end to the game. The Texan accused him of chickening out while the going was good, Nick the Greek then called for a new deck of cards, shuffled them and asked the Texan if he wanted to cut the cards one time, for double or quit. The Texan declined and they went home, nobel Prize–winning physicist Richard Feynman also met Nick the Greek, according to the autobiographical Surely Youre Joking, Mr. Feynman. Nick explains how he wins big not by playing the tables and he then relies on his reputation to bet against others. In Eliot Asinofs Eight Men Out, the author attributes this gambling wisdom to Nick the Greek, near the end of his life, Dandolos was near-broke and playing $5 limit draw poker games in Gardena, California. When asked by a fellow player how he could play for millions and now be playing for such small stakes, Dandolos supposedly replied, Hey, its action. He died on Christmas Day in 1966 and was an inductee of the Poker Hall of Fame in 1979. Its estimated that he won and lost over $500 million in his lifetime and he himself claimed that he went from rags to riches over 73 times
17.
Wild Bill Hickok
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He earned a great deal of notoriety in his own time, much of it bolstered by the many outlandish - often fabricated - tales he told about his life. Some contemporary reports of his exploits are known to be fictitious but, along with his own stories, remain the basis for much of his fame and reputation. Hickok was born and raised on a farm in northern Illinois, at a time when lawlessness and he fought and spied for the Union Army during the American Civil War and gained publicity after the war as a scout, marksman, actor, and professional gambler. Over the course of his life, he was involved in several notable shootouts, in 1876, Hickok was shot from behind and killed while playing poker in a saloon in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, by Jack McCall, an unsuccessful gambler. The hand of cards which he held at the time of his death has become known as the dead mans hand. Hickok remains a figure in frontier history. His father was said to have used the house, now demolished. He was the fourth of six children, William Hickok died in 1852, when James was 15. Hickok was a shot from a young age and was recognized locally as an outstanding marksman with a pistol. Photographs of Hickok appear to depict dark hair, but all contemporaneous descriptions affirm that it was red, in 1855, at age 18, James Hickok fled Illinois following a fight with Charles Hudson, during which both fell into a canal. Hickok moved to Leavenworth in the Kansas Territory, where he joined General Jim Lanes Free State Army, a vigilante group active in the new territory. While a Jayhawker, he met 12-year-old William Cody, who despite his youth served as a scout just two years later for the U. S. Army during the Utah War. While in Nebraska, James Hickok was derisively referred to as Duck Bill for his long nose and he grew a moustache following the McCanles incident and in 1861 began calling himself Wild Bill. He was also known before 1861 by Jayhawkers as Shanghai Bill because of his height, Hickok used the name William Hickok from 1858 and William Haycock during the Civil War. He was arrested using the name Haycock in 1865. He afterward resumed using his name, James Hickok. Most newspapers referred to him as William Haycock until 1869, military records after 1865 list him as Hickok but note that he was also known as Haycock. In 1857, Hickok claimed a 160-acre tract in Johnson County, on March 22,1858, he was elected one of the first four constables of Monticello Township
18.
Edmond Hoyle
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Edmond Hoyle was a writer best known for his works on the rules and play of card games. Little is known about Hoyles life, he is known through his books. Much of what is written about him is untrue or exaggerated, the suggestion that he trained at the bar seems unfounded. By 1741, Hoyle began to members of high society at the game of whist. Hoyle expanded the manuscript and published A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist in 1742, selling it for the high price of one guinea. When the book sold out, rather than publish a new edition, Hoyle sold the rights to Whist to bookseller Francis Cogan for 100 guineas. Before Cogan was able to publish an edition, two printers pirated the work, giving the author as A Gentleman rather than Hoyle. The printers disguised their identities by publishing under false names, one as Webster, Cogan published second and third editions of Whist and two months later, obtained an injunction against the pirates which he announced in a fourth edition. To distinguish the genuine editions from the piracies, Cogan paid Hoyle twopence per copy to autograph the genuine works. Ironically, the piracies were profitable to Hoyle, though a disaster for Cogan who was forced to lower the price of the book to match the pirates and to pay for Hoyles signature. Cogan published other works by Hoyle, A Short Treatise on the Game of Backgammon, the curious An Artificial Memory for Whist, Cogan became bankrupt in 1745 and sold the Hoyle copyright to Thomas Osborne, who published Hoyle with much more success. Hoyle wrote a treatise on the game of brag, a book on probability theory, in 1748, Osborne stopped publishing the individual treatises, but instead sold a collected edition under the title Mr. Hoyles Treatises of Whist, Quadrille, Piquet, Chess and Back-Gammon. The Whist treatise was described as the eighth edition, the fourteenth edition was the last published during Hoyles lifetime. Fifteenth and sixteenth editions appeared after his death with the autograph reproduced by woodblock print, the books were frequently reprinted in Ireland, something that was permitted as the English copyright statute, the Statute of Anne, did not extend to Ireland. One edition was printed in Edinburgh, Hoyles writing was translated into many continental languages, first Portuguese, then German, French, Italian, Russian and Dutch. Many modern card game rule books contain the word Hoyle in the title, because of his contributions to gaming, he was a charter inductee into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1979 – even though he died 60 years before poker was invented
19.
Puggy Pearson
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Walter Clyde Puggy Pearson was an American professional poker player. He is best known as the 1973 World Series of Poker Main Event winner, Pearson was born and raised in Tennessee in a family with nine siblings. He got his nickname Puggy from an accident that left him with a disfigured nose at the age of twelve. He dropped out of school in the grade, and at the age of 17 he joined the United States Navy. He strengthened his skills at poker and gambling while in the Navy, prior to 1949, all poker games were cash games, a player could cash out his chips and leave at any time. Pearson originated the idea of a tournament and shared his idea with fellow gambler Nick the Greek Dandolos in the early 1950s. Dandalos later brought the idea to legendary casino owner Benny Binion, after further urging by Pearson, Amarillo Slim, and Doyle Brunson, all of whom felt that such a tournament would create great side game action, Binion founded the World Series of Poker in 1970. Pearson won the 1973 World Series of Poker main event when his A♠ 7♠ defeated Johnny Mosss K♥ J♠ and he won four bracelets, two of which were in seven-card stud and two of which were No limit holdem. Pearson was known as a man who would seek out the biggest game in town. He owned a RV, which he called the Roving Gambler, with this painted on the side, Ill play any man from any land any game he can name for any amount I can count, Pearson was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1987. Pearson, who had a history of heart problems, died on April 12,2006. Guardian article by Victoria Coren CardPlayer article by Jeff Shulman Hendon Mob tournament results http, //www. wnypoker. com/forums/showthread. php. p=81528
20.
Jack Straus
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Jack Treetop Straus was an American professional poker player. In addition, Straus is known for pulling off one of the best bluffs in the history of poker. Straus began playing in World Series of Poker events in the early 1970s and he finished in fourth place in the 1972 Main Event. He won his first bracelet in 1973 in the $3,000 Deuce to Seven Draw event and he won the 1982 World Series of Poker Main Event, earning $520,000 and a second WSOP bracelet. His appearances at the table of the Main Event in 1972,1973. Other players to have done this include Main Event champions like Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar, Johnny Chan, and Dan Harrington. Famously, Strauss 1982 win was a comeback after being down to a single $25 chip, supposedly the origin of the common tournament poker aphorism, a chip and a chair. Although accounts vary, the most common story is that he pushed his chips into the pot, was called, Straus had thought he was eliminated from the tournament, but when he got up, he discovered he had one chip left under a napkin on the table. Because he didnt declare himself all-in, the tournament directors allowed him to continue playing, Straus is credited with one of the most celebrated bluffs of all time. While playing in a no limit Texas Holdem cash game, Straus had won several large pots in a row. When he looked down he found that he had been dealt 7-2 offsuit, the worst starting hand in Texas Holdem, Straus raise was called by a single opponent and the flop came 7-3-3. This was a flop for a 7-2, so Straus bet out. However his tight opponent made a raise, indicating a likely overpair to the board. Straus knew he was almost certainly behind, but he decided that he might be able to beat his opponent by representing trip threes, so he called the large raise. The turn was a 2, for a board of 7-3-3-2, which was no help to Straus with a pair already on the board. This set his opponent thinking deeply, Straus knew that he was desperate to avoid a call, as his chances of drawing out to win on the river were very slim. After a few minutes, Straus offered his opponent a proposition and he told him that for $25, he could choose either one of Strauss hole cards and Straus would show it to him. The guy considered for a while, then tossed Straus $25, after another long pause, his opponent eventually figured that Straus would only make such an offer if both his hole-cards were deuces, therefore giving him a full house, deuces over threes
21.
Benny Binion
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Lester Ben Benny Binion was an American gambling icon and mob boss. Benny Binion was born and raised in Pilot Grove, Texas in Grayson County and his parents initially kept him out of school due to poor health. His father, a trader, let him accompany him on trips. While the outdoor life restored his health, Benny Binion never had any formal education, as he traveled with his father, the young Benny learned to gamble, a favorite pastime when horse traders met up with farmers and merchants during county fair trade days. Binions FBI file reveals a history dating back to 1924, listing offenses such as theft, carrying concealed weapons. Binion moved to El Paso when he was 18, a year later, at age 19, Binion moved to Dallas where he set up moonshining operations, for which he was twice convicted. In addition to his moonshining, in 1928, Binion opened up a more lucrative numbers game. In 1931, Binion was convicted of shooting and killing an African American rum-runner, Frank Bolding and this was the origin of Binions Cowboy nickname. Binion received a suspended sentence. In 1936, Binion established a network of private dice games at several Dallas hotels and this came to be known as the Southland Syndicate. By the end of 1936, Binion had gained control of most gambling operations in Dallas, in 1936, Binion and a henchman killed a numbers operator and competitor, Ben Frieden, emptying their pistols into him. Binion then apparently shot himself in the shoulder and turned himself in to police, Binion was indicted, but the indictment was later dismissed on the grounds that Binion had acted in self-defense. In 1938, Binion and another henchmen allegedly killed Sam Murray, Binion was never indicted for this murder, and charges were dropped against his henchmen. By the early 1940s, Binion had become the reigning mob boss of Dallas and he then sought to take over the gambling rackets in Fort Worth. The local mob boss of that city, Lewis Tindell, was murdered shortly afterwards, the Chicago Outfit made a successful move into Dallas after World War II. With the 1946 election of a Dallas County Sheriff Steve Gutherie, Binion lost his fix with the local government, while in Dallas, Binion had begun a long-running feud with Herbert Noble, a small-time gambler in Dallas, which continued after Binion moved to Las Vegas. Binion demanded that Noble increase his payoff to Binion from 25 to 40 percent, Binion posted a reward on Nobles scalp that eventually reached $25,000 and control of a Dallas crap game. Noble survived numerous attempts on his life, sometimes narrowly escaping with gunshot wounds, in November 1949, Nobles wife was killed in a car bombing intended for him
22.
Chip Reese
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David Edward Reese, more commonly known as Chip Reese, was an American professional poker player and gambler from Centerville, Ohio. He is widely regarded as having been the greatest cash game poker player, Reese suffered from rheumatic fever during his years at elementary school and had to stay at home for almost a year. During this time, his mother taught him how to play several board and card games, Reese later described himself as a product of that year. By the age of six, he was regularly beating fifth-graders at poker, in high school, he was a football player and was on the debate team, winning an Ohio State Championship and going to the National Finals. He attended Dartmouth College after turning down an offer from Harvard University, at Dartmouth, he became a member of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, played freshman football briefly, participated in debate, and majored in economics. He also had success in poker games against students and some of his professors. He taught his fraternity brothers to play a variety of card games and he played bridge at the Grafton County Grange. His fraternity later named their chapter card room, the David E. Reese Memorial Card Room in his honor and he was admitted to Stanford Law School, but decided instead to play poker professionally after winning $60,000 in a tournament in Las Vegas. By the time he would have started at Stanford, he had made $100,000 and his first visit to Las Vegas was so financially rewarding and so much fun, that he never left. He called his day job in Arizona several days later to quit and hired someone to fly to Arizona to clean out his apartment, shortly afterwards, Reese collaborated on the seven-card stud section for Doyle Brunsons Super/System, the best-selling poker book of all time. In it, Brunson describes Reese as one of the two finest young … poker players in the world and the best seven-card stud player he had ever played. He won the $1,000 Seven Card Stud Split event at the World Series of Poker in 1978, Reese decided to concentrate his efforts on cash games, however. He later became the card room manager at the Dunes casino, in 1991, Reese became the youngest living player to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. By 2006, he was playing poker, also betting on sports. At the 2006 World Series of Poker, Reese won the inaugural $50,000 H. O. R. S. E. Event, taking home the $1,716,000 first prize when his A♣ Q♣ held up against Andy Blochs 9♣ 8♠ in the final hand, on a board of J♠ 7♣ 7♠ 4♥ 4♠. This event was notable for having the largest buy-in in WSOP history, as well as the longest heads-up battle with Reese, by comparison, the final table of the 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event lasted for a total of 232 hands. As a tribute, the David Chip Reese Memorial Trophy was inaugurated in 2008 as a prize for the winner of the $50,000 H. O. R. S. E
23.
Amarillo Slim
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Thomas Austin Preston, Jr. known as Amarillo Slim, was an American professional gambler known for his poker skills and proposition bets. Preston won the 1972 World Series of Poker Main Event and was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1992, before becoming a well-known tournament player, Preston was a rounder, touring the United States looking for gambling action along with Doyle Brunson and Sailor Roberts. Following his WSOP victory, he appeared on talk shows, including The Tonight Show. He appeared on Ive Got a Secret, where his secret involved losing $190,000 in one night of poker, Preston won four WSOP bracelets including two in Omaha. Prestons final WSOP win was in 1990, in the $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha event at the 2000 WSOP, he came in second to Phil Ivey. In January/February 1980, Amarillo Slim hosted the Second Annual Poker Classic and this series eventually came to be called the Super Bowl of Poker and continued until 1991. Gabe Kaplan became the first winner of this tournament series and Stu Ungar won the three times. Prestons lifetime tournament earnings totaled more than $587,000, in 1973, Preston and Bill G. Cox wrote Play Poker to Win which was published by Grosset and Dunlap. A revised edition was published by HarperCollins in 2005 entitled Amarillo Slims Play Poker to Win. In May 2003, Preston published his autobiography Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People, where he wrote of playing poker with Larry Flynt, Lyndon Johnson, in addition to his poker exploits, Preston wrote about his exploits in proposition betting. In April 2007, Preston created a website and released an E-Book called All In, the book was written by Preston along with Joe Brent Riley. Thomas Austin Preston, Jr. was born on December 31,1928, in Johnson, Arkansas, after they divorced, his mother returned to Johnson, while his father moved to Amarillo. Slim is quoted as saying, Its a good thing he did, Preston was divorced, had three children, and lived in Amarillo, Texas. In August 2003, Preston was indicted in Randall County, Texas on charges of indecency with a 12-year-old grandchild. The charges were reduced to misdemeanor assault in a bargain and on February 10,2004, Preston pleaded no contest to the reduced charges. Preston received a $4,000 fine, two years probation and was ordered to undergo counseling, in a 2009 interview, he stated that he was innocent of any wrongdoing, but chose to take the plea bargain in order to spare his family from a court trial. Early on the morning of October 4,2006, Preston was the victim of an armed robbery. The armed robber fired three bullets into Prestons car as he sped away, on January 28,2007, Preston was robbed at gunpoint while in his home
24.
Stu Ungar
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Stuart Errol Stu Ungar was a professional poker, blackjack, and gin rummy player, widely regarded to have been the greatest Texas hold em and gin player of all time. He is one of two people in history to have won the World Series of Poker Main Event three times. He is also the person to win Amarillo Slims Super Bowl of Poker three times, the worlds second most prestigious poker title during its time. He is one of four players in history to win consecutive titles in the WSOP Main Event, along with Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson. Ungar was born to Jewish parents Isidore and Faye Ungar and he was raised on Manhattans Lower East Side. His father, Isidore Ungar, was a shark who ran a bar/social club called Foxes Corner that doubled as a gambling establishment. Despite Idos attempts to keep his son from gambling after seeing its effects on his customers, Stu began playing underground gin. Ungar was gifted at school and skipped seventh grade, but then dropped out of school in tenth grade, ido died of a heart attack on July 25,1967. Romano was regarded as one of the best card players of his time and he had the ability to recite the spelling and definition of all of the words in the dictionary and apparently shared a penchant and interest for calculating odds while gambling as Ungar did. By many accounts the two developed a close relationship with Romano serving as a mentor and protector. Ungar was infamous for his arrogance and for routinely criticizing aloud the play of opponents he felt were beneath him, One of Ungars most famous quotes sums up his competitiveness, I never want to be called a good loser. Show me a loser and Ill just show you a loser. However, his relationship with Romano gave Ungar protection from gamblers who did not take his crass attitude. One man reportedly tried to hit him in the head with a chair in a bar after Ungar soundly defeated him. Ungar would claim later that the man was found shot to death a few days after the incident. Ungar won a local gin tournament at age 10, by 1976, he was regarded as one of the best players in New York. Ungar eventually had to leave New York due to gambling debts at local race tracks and he later moved to Miami, Florida, to find more action. In 1977, he left for Las Vegas, Nevada, where he reunited with Madeline Wheeler, One of the reasons Ungar eventually took up poker exclusively was because gin action had dried up due to his skilled reputation
25.
Lyle Berman
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Lyle Arnold Berman is a professional poker player and business executive. Berman grew up in Minnesota and attended the University of Minnesota where he was graduated in 1964 with a degree in business administration and he then went to work for his fathers leather business, Berman Buckskin. When the business was sold to W. R. Grace in 1979, he stayed on as president, the company was then later sold to the Melville Corporation where it became Wilsons Leather. From 1994 to 2000 he was the chairman and CEO of the Rainforest Cafe chain of restaurants, Berman also played an important role in gaming companies. In 1990 he was a co-founder of Grand Casinos, a company sought to create gambling establishments outside of Las Vegas. Grand Casinos Native American casino holdings were spun off into a new company, Lakes Entertainment, additionally, Berman is the chairman of the board of the World Poker Tour and Pokertek. He won the Bnai Brith Great American Traditions award in 1995, Berman was one of the many investors victimized by the massive Ponzi scheme of Bernie Madoff, though his actual losses are unknown. Berman has won 3 World Series of Poker bracelets and is a member of the Poker Hall of Fame, in 2005, Lyle Berman competed in the National Heads Up Championship. He finished in fifth place losing to eventual champion Phil Hellmuth Jr. in the quarterfinals, although he prefers high-stakes cash games, he has as of 2009 won over $2,500,000 in live poker tournaments. His 16 cashes at the WSOP account for $1,446,317 of those winnings and he was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2002. According to the James McManus book Positively Fifth Street, Berman has bankrolled T. J. Cloutier in numerous tournaments, including the 2000 WSOP main event. The book All-In is about Bermans life, Berman currently resides in Plymouth, Minnesota and has 4 children. Berman co-authored Im All In, Lyle Berman and the Birth of the World Poker Tour with Marvin Karlins, World Poker Tour profile Casino City Times book review Hendon Mob tournament results
26.
Johnny Chan
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Johnny Chan is a Chinese-born American professional poker player. He has won 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, including the 1987 and 1988 World Series of Poker main events consecutively. Chan moved with his family in 1962 from Guangzhou to Hong Kong, then in 1968 to Phoenix, Arizona, and later in 1973 to Houston, Texas, where his family owned restaurants. When he was 21, Chan dropped out of the University of Houston, where he was majoring in hotel and restaurant management, Chan won the World Series of Poker in. A videotape of the 1988 WSOP final heads up match is featured in the movie Rounders and he almost won a third consecutive title, but finished in 2nd place in 1989 to Phil Hellmuth. He is the last player to win back-to-back WSOP Main Events, jerry Buss, who was an avid poker player and owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, promised Chan an NBA championship ring if he could win three in a row. In 2005, Chan became the first player to win ten World Series of Poker bracelets and he is currently tied with Doyle Brunson and Phil Ivey for second place with 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, behind Phil Hellmuth. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2002, in 2008, Chan cashed for the first time in the Main Event since 1992, earning $32,166 for his 329th-place finish. In 2010, Chan cashed in the Main Event taking 156th place for $57,102, Chan competed in the $400,000 Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament in February 2005. He came back from having $20,000 chips out of $3,200,000 in play to finish in place to Gus Hansen. Chan later competed in Poker Superstars II during the summer of 2005 and he defeated 22 players to make it to the finals. He defeated Todd Brunson in the finals after three matches to win the $400,000 first prize, Chan appeared in Poker Superstars III where he made it as far as the semi finals but was defeated by Todd Brunson after three matches. On NBCs late-night show Poker After Dark, a six-person $20,000 buy-in winner-takes-all tournament and he came in second and fifth when he did not win. His appearances in which he made it to heads-up were, WSOP Champions — originally aired Jan. 1,2008 — Won heads-up against Patrik Antonius Dream Table III — originally aired Mar. 23-27,2009 — Won heads-up against Jennifer Tilly Chan won Bob Stupaks 1981 American Cup poker tournament and he defeated all 9 other players at the final table in less than an hour. As a result, Stupak gave Chan the nickname The Orient Express, Chan has never made a final table on the World Poker Tour. Chan played in the 2004 and 2005 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions events, as of 2014, his total live tournament winnings exceed $8,600,000. His 45 WSOP cashes account for $4,355,464 of those winnings, in addition to playing poker, Chan owns a fast-food franchise in the Las Vegas Stratosphere Hotel and is a consultant for casinos and game makers
27.
Berry Johnston
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Berry Enfield Johnston is an American professional poker player. He is best known as the 1986 World Champion, but he has won four other bracelets at the World Series of Poker in addition to cashes. Johnston won the 1986 World Series of Poker Main Event, and placed third in 1983 and 1985 and fifth in the 1990 World Series and he has made at least 29 final tables at the WSOP and has finished in the money on at least 66 occasions. He has also cashed ten times in the WSOP Main Event and his most recent cash in the Main Event came in 2007, when he finished in 113th place in a field of over six thousand players, for which Johnston won $58,570. Having cashed in at least one event every year from 1982–2010, Johnston cashed three times in the 2008 World Series of Poker, including tenth place in an Omaha Hi/Lo event, and he is currently 42nd on the WSOP all time money list. He is also ranked in fourth place for the WSOP all-time cashes list with 57 cashes as of the end of the 2009 series. Johnston is still competing at high levels of poker today, Johnston has also played on the NBC Poker After Dark Series, most recently in 2008 among some of his fellow World Series of Poker Main Event Champions. Berry finished fourth in the tournament, which was won by Johnny Chan, the other world champions in the tournament were Phil Hellmuth, Huck Seed, Chris Ferguson, and Jamie Gold. He was inducted into the Seniors Poker Hall of Fame in the early 1990s, Johnston was the only inductee in the 2004 class. As of 2010, his live tournament winnings exceed $3,450,000. His 60 cashes as the WSOP account for $2,075,527 of those winnings, official site pokernews. com – Legends of Poker, Berry Johnston
28.
Jack Binion
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Jack Benny Binion is an American businessman. Binion is the son of casino magnate Benny Binion and worked for his father at Binions Horseshoe, Binion became president of the Horseshoe in 1963 at the age of 26. His fame grew following his 1970 hosting of the first World Series of Poker at the Horseshoe which became the largest set of tournaments in the world. Privately held, Binions Horseshoe became renowned as one of Nevadas most successful casino operations and he also acquired the rights to the Horseshoe brand outside of Nevada. Binion went on to form Horseshoe Gaming Holding Corporation which developed and operated several riverboat casinos under the Horseshoe name, Binion continued to promote the casinos for Harrahs Entertainment following his sale of the company in 2004 to Harrahs. that originated before the Harrahs acquisition. While running Horseshoe Gaming, Binion started the World Poker Open which at one time was a feeder tournament for the World Series of Poker. Binion was inducted into the American Gaming Associations Gaming Hall of Fame on June 11,2004, the following year on July 6,2005 the World Series of Poker, inducted him into the Poker Hall of Fame. In July 2006, Binion became chairman of Wynn International and his responsibilities included opening the Wynn Macau. He has since resigned the position but has remained with Wynn Resorts in a consulting role
29.
T. J. Cloutier
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Cloutier is a professional poker player from Richardson, Texas. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2006, Cloutier was born in Albany, California, and attended the University of California, Berkeley on an athletic scholarship for American football and baseball and played in the 1959 Rose Bowl. However, he dropped out of college because of family financial hardship. Cloutier was drafted into the United States Army, after the Army, he played football in the Canadian Football League for the Toronto Argonauts and Montreal Alouettes, but an injury cut his career short. After his football career ended, Cloutier started a food company, on his off days, he began to play poker, and quit his job after realizing that he was winning more money playing poker than working. He started playing poker when he was a caddy at a golf course, in addition to poker, Cloutier is well known for his high-stakes craps sessions. Cloutier specializes in playing tournament poker, especially no-limit and pot limit holdem, Cloutier has won a total of six WSOP bracelets in his career, in addition to many other titles in various kinds of poker games. He has placed four times in the top five in the Main Event of the World Series of Poker, Cloutier also finished in fifth place in 1988, won by Johnny Chan, and in third place in 1998, won by Scotty Nguyen. In 2009, he was one of numerous players turned away from the Main Event, Cloutier is currently second to Phil Hellmuth for the most all-time WSOP final table finishes record, with 39. His 55 WSOP cashes rank him fifth overall, Cloutier also plays in World Poker Tour events, where his highest finish is third in the 2003 Legends of Poker event, won by fellow professional Mel Judah. He has also featured in the Ultimate Poker Challenge, the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament. As of 2016, his live tournament winnings exceed $10,300,000. In January 2010, The Plano Pawn Shop auctioned off Cloutiers 2005 bracelet on eBay for $4,006, Cloutier is the co-author of four books on poker, Championship Tournament Practice Hands Championship Holdem Championship Omaha Championship No-Limit and Pot Limit Holdem. In May 2006, Cloutier released How To Win The Championship, Holdem Strategies For The Final Table, Cloutier formerly wrote for Card Player magazine. He features in the computer game World Class Poker with T. J and he appears in the Prince of Poker episode of the History Channel series Breaking Vegas
30.
Billy Baxter (poker player)
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William E. Baxter, Jr. is an American professional poker player and sports bettor. He has won tournament titles in his career as a professional poker player. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2006, born in Augusta, Georgia, Baxter started his gambling career like many others of his age by gambling in the pool halls. When he was 14 he discovered he had a talent for hustling pool games. By the time he was 16, he had saved $5,000 from his money, and when he turned 18 he was old enough to head to the taverns. In 1975, he took a trip to Hawaii and ended up in the Las Vegas Valley. He and his new bride lived in a hotel there for nine months while Baxter played poker for a living and it was there that he met fellow legends Doyle Brunson, Puggy Pearson and eventually Stu Ungar. Baxter has won seven World Series of Poker bracelets, all of Baxters bracelets are in lowball games, notably Razz, Deuce-to-Seven and California Lowball. He ranks second all-time in non-Holdem bracelets behind Phil Ivey, Baxter is known for staking Stu Ungar to the buy-in for Ungars victory in the main event of the 1997 WSOP. Thereafter, he entered into an arrangement to stake Ungar in tournaments, as of 2017, his total live tournament winnings exceed $2,600,000. His 35 cashes at the WSOP account for $1,093,044 of those winnings, although Baxter is best known for his on-table poker accomplishments and staking Stu Ungar, he is also known for the case of William E. Baxter Jr. vs. the United States. It was the ruling that Baxters poker winnings should be classified as earned income. Thus, in the process, Baxters victory in this case has helped all American poker players by providing equal tax status to those earning a living as professional poker players
31.
Barbara Enright
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Barbara Enright is an American professional poker player, motivational speaker, and Editor-in-Chief of Woman Poker Player magazine. She has won three bracelets at the World Series of Poker and has made it to the US$10,000 No-Limit Holdem Main Event final table, Enright began playing poker at home at the age of 4, playing five card draw against her older brother. She started playing in cardrooms in 1976, Enright worked as a hairstylist, bartender, and cocktail waitress, often holding down three jobs at once to support her family. Soon she was making more money playing poker part-time than all of her jobs combined so she quit working, Enright is best known as the only woman to have reached the final table of the World Series of Poker US$10,000 no limit holdem Main Event. She achieved this in 1995, finishing in 5th place after her pocket eights were outdrawn by a suited 6-3 and she also finished in the money in the 2005 Main Event, having qualified through a US$10 online satellite. Enright was the first woman to win two WSOP bracelets, the first woman to win three bracelets and the first woman to win an event at the World Series of Poker. On July 6,2007, Barbara Enright was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame along with Phil Hellmuth and she was the first woman to be inducted, followed only by Linda Johnson in 2011 and Jennifer Harman in 2015. Enright received the All Around Best Player Award at the 2000 Legends of Poker tournament and was awarded along with her prize money and she had eight money finishes and six final tables. She is the highest finisher among women in the TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS held at the Orleans Hotel and she finished in 11th place and just missed winning a car by one player. She also took part in the televised poker series Poker Royale, Battle of the Ages, as of 2010, Enrights total live tournament winnings exceed US$1,350,000. Her 13 cashes at the WSOP account for US$417,006 of those winnings, Enright is in a relationship with poker player and author Max Shapiro. Woman Poker Player magazine Motivational Speaking
32.
Phil Hellmuth
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Phillip Jerome Hellmuth, Jr. is an American professional poker player who has won a record fourteen World Series of Poker bracelets. He is the winner of the Main Event of the 1989 World Series of Poker and the Main Event of the 2012 World Series of Poker Europe, Hellmuth is also known for his temperamental poker brat personality. Since 1992, he has lived in Palo Alto, California with his wife Katherine Sanborn, who is a psychiatrist at Stanford University, as of 2016, his total live tournament winnings exceed $20,900,000. He is ranked seventh on the money list. Hellmuth is known for taking his seat at poker tournaments long after they begin. On October 18,2015, Hellmuth is ranked #119 on the Global Poker Index, Hellmuth holds the records for most WSOP cashes and most WSOP final tables, overtaking T. J. Cloutier. As of March 2015, Hellmuth has won over $12,000,000 at the WSOP and ranks fourth on the WSOP All Time Money List, behind Antonio Esfandiari, Daniel Colman, and Daniel Negreanu. Hellmuth also is tied for all time in number of times cashed in the WSOP Main Event. He has eight Main Event cashes, placing him behind Berry Johnston, and Humberto Brenes, Doyle Brunson, of those 22 events, Hellmuth has finished runner-up six times. At the 1993 World Series of Poker, Hellmuth became the player in WSOP history to win three bracelets in one WSOP. At the 1997 World Series of Poker, Hellmuth won his 5th bracelet of the decade, at the conclusion of the 1999 World Series of Poker, his five bracelets would stand to lead the decade for most WSOP bracelets won by one player in the 1990s. At the 2006 World Series of Poker, Hellmuth captured his 10th World Series of Poker bracelet in the $1,000 No Limit Holdem with rebuys event, at the time, it tied him with Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan for most bracelets. At the 2007 World Series of Poker, Hellmuth won his record-breaking 11th bracelet in the $1,500 No Limit Holdem Event, Hellmuths sponsor arranged for him to arrive at the 2007 WSOP Main Event in a race car. Hellmuth lost control of the car in the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino parking lot and he gave up the car for a limo, arriving at the Main Event two hours late. At the 2008 WSOP Main Event, Hellmuth verbally abused another player, after a private meeting with WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack the penalty was overruled and Hellmuth finished the tournament in 45th place. On June 11,2012, Hellmuth won his 12th World Series of Poker bracelet in the $2,500 Seven-Card Razz event, defeating Don Zewin, Zewin had finished third to Chan and Hellmuth when Hellmuth won his first bracelet in 1989. Hellmuth also collected $2,645,333 for his finish in the $1,000,000 buy-in Big One for One Drop tournament. This win also made Hellmuth the first player in WSOP history to win multiple bracelets in three different years, also, Hellmuth finished runner-up in the WSOP Player of the Year race for a record third time
33.
Dewey Tomko
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Duane Dewey Tomko is an American former kindergarten teacher turned professional poker player, based in Winter Haven, Florida. Tomko was born and raised in Glassport, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh and he began playing poker profitably as a 16-year-old in Pittsburgh pool halls which allowed him to finance his education. He worked as a teacher for several years, but often played poker through the night. After Tomko realised that poker was more profitable than his job, he invested a sum of his winnings into businesses while choosing to play poker full-time, Tomko won his first WSOP bracelet in 1979 in the $1,000 No Limit Holdem event. He defeated Duanne Hammrich heads-up to win the title and $48,000 cash prize, at the 1984 WSOP, Dewey won two bracelets. First, he won the $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw event, the next day he went back-to-back, winning the $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha with re-buys event. In addition to his WSOP success, Tomko has made two World Poker Tour final tables, Tomko took third place in the 2005 WSOP Deuce-to-seven lowball event worth $138,160. He also made the table of the first WSOP $50,000 buy-in H. O. R. S. E. Tournament in 2006 which featured some of the best tournament and cash game players in the world. He finished in 7th place earning a $343,200 payday, as of 2010, his total live tournament winnings exceed $4,960,000. Just over half of his tournament winnings, $2,641,573, have come at the WSOP and he is a 2008 inductee into the Poker Hall of Fame. Tomko is married with three children and his son, Derek, encouraged him to return to playing poker tournaments. Tomko is an excellent golfer, spending much of his time on the course when he is not playing poker. He has played many of his fellow high-stakes poker players like Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey. One of his most frequent golf partners is poker player Hilbert Shirey who also lives in Tomkos hometown of Winter Haven, rick Reilly chronicles a day with Dewey on a golf course in his book Whos Your Caddy. In it, he contends that Tomko is not interested in competition if there is not a wager riding on it, Dewey is just as good a gambler on the golf course as he is sitting at a poker table. He notes that many PGA professionals will refuse to play him for money. Dewey has now opened Deweys Golf and sports grill in Orlando Florida, it opens officially on 2/4/2014. On NBCs Poker After Dark, Greg Raymer noted that pro golfer Rocco Mediate has said if he had one person to putt for his life
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