“Nick the Greek” Dandolos

In 1949, the renowned gambler Nicholas “Nick the Greek” Dandolos decided he wanted a challenge: to beat the world’s best poker player at that time, Johnny Moss.

With the help of gaming icon Benny Binion, a high-stakes Poker tournament was arranged between the two players—under the condition that it was to be a public event.  After an incredible five months of non-stop playing (both players only took breaks to sleep and go to the bathroom), the marathon was over with Moss as the victor of the purse estimated at around $2 million.

Twenty one years later Binion recreated the tournament—entitled the “World Series of Poker”—a match between experts that would award the winner the honor of being recognized as the “World Champion”. Held in the summer of 1970, the winner was once again the now legendary Johnny Moss.

Since then, the World Series of Poker has been held every year. Last year’s tournament attracted over 2,500 players to the Championship event with a purse exceeding $49 million. It is, without a doubt, the most popular and biggest Poker tournament in the world.

The 36^th Annual World Series of Poker started right on schedule on June 2, 2005 at the Rio in Las Vegas. Unlike the epic 1949 Poker match that inspired the World Series, this year’s tournament is scheduled to run for about month. About 5,000 Poker experts are joining this year’s event, doubling the number of participants from last year.

The recent explosion of mainstream interest in the World Series is credited by many long-time observers of the game to the famous 2003 victory of Chris Moneymaker, an amateur and one-time accountant who sharpened his skills by playing online at PokerStars.com, winning his $10,000 seat at the 2003 World Series of Poker by beating his rivals in a $39 satellite match on the Internet. From anonymity and under the cover of a hat and dark sunglasses, Moneymaker bested a field of 829 players to win $2.5 million.

“The Moneymaker Effect” has captured the imagination of countless armchair card sharks. Everyone wants to be the next Chris Moneymaker and the business of online gambling sites has taken off. The 2004 World Series of Poker was won by another amateur—patent attorney Greg Raymer, who took away with him the top prize of $5 million. Old-timers who have followed the World Series of Poker since its early days welcome this infusion of new blood—fresh interest in the game has eliminated any worries that the game will die off anytime soon. The instant millionaire stories of Moneymaker and Raymer have elevated the two once-obscure amateurs to virtual rock-star status. This year’s participants compete in an internationally televised $10,000 buy-in, no-limit Texas hold’em Championship for a prize that is estimated to be equivalent to Moneymaker and Raymer’s winnings combined: a record-breaking $7.5 million for the winner of the final table that begins on July 15.

Right now, as the 2005 World Series are underway, the Rio’s 60,000 square foot convention center set aside for the event is filled with 200 Poker tables, each with ten players, with games often taking place simultaneously across the whole floor. Keeping up with the players are 450 of the industry’s best Poker dealers, taking turns working shifts around the clock

At the beginning of this year’s World Series, Phil Ivey was touted as the favorite, listed in Las Vegas sports books with 400-1 odds. Other early top picks include Phil Hellmuth, Howard Lederer, Annie Duke, legends Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan and winners from recent World Series such as 2000 victor Chris Ferguson and the player he faced at the final table, T.J. Cloutier. Young up and coming players Daniel Negreanu and Antonio Esfandiari are also favored by Poker analysts.

Amateurs are also still well-represented: like Chris Moneymaker before him, Bill Barnet the mayor of Naples, Florida won his $10,000 seat in this year’s World Series of Poker from an online game.