1979 World Series of Poker
Encyclopedia
The 1979 World Series of Poker
(WSOP) was held at Binion's Horseshoe
in Las Vegas, Nevada
, USA
.
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
(WSOP) was held at Binion's Horseshoe
Binion's Horseshoe
Binion's Horseshoe, also known as the Horseshoe Casino or simply The Horseshoe, was a hotel and casino located in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada on what is now the Fremont Street Experience. The casino was named for its founder, Benny Binion and had 366 rooms, three restaurants and a rooftop pool.The...
in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Preliminary events
| Event | Winner | Prize | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw Draw (poker) A poker player is drawing if they have a hand that is incomplete and needs further cards to become valuable. The hand itself is called a draw or drawing hand. For example, in seven-card stud, if four of a player's first five cards are all spades, but the hand is otherwise weak, they are drawing to... |
Bobby Baldwin Bobby Baldwin Bobby Baldwin is a professional poker player, off-road racer and casino executive. As a poker player, Baldwin is best known as the 1978 world champion, becoming the youngest main event champion at that time.... |
$90,000 | Byron "Cowboy" Wolford Byron Wolford Byron Wolford , also known as Cowboy Wolford, was an accomplished rodeo cowboy and professional poker player, who was the winner of a World Series of Poker bracelet in 1991 and runner-up of the 1984 WSOP Main Event.... |
| $500 Seven Card Stud | Gary Berland Gary Berland Gary "Bones" Berland was an American professional poker player who won five World Series of Poker bracelets.-Early Life:... |
$24,000 | Unknown |
| $1,000 Seven Card Stud Split | Gary Berland Gary Berland Gary "Bones" Berland was an American professional poker player who won five World Series of Poker bracelets.-Early Life:... |
$20,400 | Unknown |
| $600 Mixed Doubles | Doyle Brunson Doyle Brunson Doyle F. Brunson is an American professional poker player who has played professionally for over 50 years. He is the first two-time World Series of Poker main event champion to win consecutively, a Poker Hall of Fame inductee, and the author of several books on poker.Brunson is the first player to... & Starla Brodie Starla Brodie Starla Brodie is a two-time World Series of Poker champion having won the 1979 Mixed Doubles - No Limit Hold'em and the 1995 $1,000 Ladies - Limit 7 Card Stud.As of 2011, her total WSOP tournament winnings total $57,030.-World Series of Poker bracelets:... |
$4,500 | Unknown |
| $400 Ladies' Seven Card Stud | Barbara Freer Barbara Freer Barbara Freer was a World Series of Poker champion in the 1979 $400 Ladies - Limit 7 Card Stud.As of 2008, her total WSOP tournament winnings exceed $39,775.-World Series of Poker bracelets:-References:... |
$12,720 | Pat Sovoia |
| $1,500 No Limit Betting (poker) In the game of poker, the play largely centers on the act of betting, and as such, a protocol has been developed to speed up play, lessen confusion, and increase security while playing... Hold'em |
Perry Green | $76,500 | Jim Bechtel Jim Bechtel James Gary "Jim" Bechtel is an American cotton farmer and poker player, based in Gilbert, Arizona. He is best known for winning the 1993 Main Event at the World Series of Poker .- Poker career :... |
| $1,000 Ace to Five Draw | Lakewood Louie Lakewood Louie "Lakewood" Louie is an American poker player best known for his success at the World Series of Poker in the late 1970s and early 1980s.Louie started playing in tournaments at the World Series of Poker in the 1970s... |
$22,200 | Unknown |
| $2,000 Draw High | Lakewood Louie Lakewood Louie "Lakewood" Louie is an American poker player best known for his success at the World Series of Poker in the late 1970s and early 1980s.Louie started playing in tournaments at the World Series of Poker in the 1970s... |
$22,800 | Unknown |
| $1,000 Razz Razz (poker) Razz is a form of stud poker that is normally played for ace-to-five low . The object of Razz is to make the lowest possible five-card hand from the seven cards you are dealt. In Razz, straights and flushes do not count against the player for low, and the ace usually plays low... |
Sam Mastrogiannis Sam Mastrogiannis Stamatis A. "Sam" Mastrogiannis is an Greek American professional poker player who won two bracelets at the World Series of Poker.-Poker:Mastrogiannis cashed three times at the World Series of Poker and won two bracelets... |
$22,200 | Unknown |
| $5,000 Seven Card Stud | Johnny Moss Johnny Moss Johnny Moss was a gambler and professional poker player. He was the first winner of the World Series of Poker Main Event, at the time a cash game event in which he was awarded the title by the vote of his peers in 1970, He also twice won the current tournament format of the WSOP Main Event in... |
$48,000 | Unknown |
| $1,000 No Limit Hold'em | Dewey Tomko Dewey Tomko Duane "Dewey" Tomko is an American former kindergarten teacher turned professional poker player, based in Winter Haven, Florida.... |
$48,000 | Duanne Hammrich |
Main Event
There were 54 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament. Fowler was the first amateur to win the WSOP.Final table
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Hal Fowler Hal Fowler Harold Arthur "Hal" Fowler was an American poker player known for winning the 1979 World Series of Poker Main Event. He is considered the first amateur poker player to become poker's World Champion.... |
$270,000 |
| 2nd | Bobby Hoff Bobby Hoff Bobby "The Wizard" Hoff is an American professional poker player, based in Long Beach, California. According to Hoff, his nickname "The Wizard" refers to his ability to make mountains of chips disappear.-Early years:... |
$108,000 |
| 3rd | George Huber | $81,000 |
| 4th | Sam Moon | $54,000 |
| 5th | Johnny Moss Johnny Moss Johnny Moss was a gambler and professional poker player. He was the first winner of the World Series of Poker Main Event, at the time a cash game event in which he was awarded the title by the vote of his peers in 1970, He also twice won the current tournament format of the WSOP Main Event in... |
$27,000 |
| 6th | David "Chip" Reese Chip Reese David Edward Reese , more commonly known as Chip Reese, was an American professional poker player and gambler from Centerville, Ohio... |
None |
Fall of World Champions
- Day 1: Doyle BrunsonDoyle BrunsonDoyle F. Brunson is an American professional poker player who has played professionally for over 50 years. He is the first two-time World Series of Poker main event champion to win consecutively, a Poker Hall of Fame inductee, and the author of several books on poker.Brunson is the first player to...
, Brian "Sailor" RobertsSailor RobertsBryan W. "Sailor" Roberts was an American professional poker player.Before becoming a poker professional Roberts was a rounder and traveled the country looking for games along with other legends such as Doyle Brunson and Amarillo Slim...
, Thomas "Amarillo Slim" PrestonAmarillo SlimThomas Austin Preston, Jr. , known as Amarillo Slim, is an American professional gambler known for his poker skills and proposition bets...
, Jack StrausJack StrausJack Straus was an American professional poker player. He is best known for winning the poker world championship in 1982....
(first player eliminated) - Day 2: Walter "Puggy" PearsonPuggy PearsonWalter Clyde Pearson was an American professional poker player. He is best known as the 1973 World Series of Poker World Champion.-Early years:...
- Day 3: Bobby BaldwinBobby BaldwinBobby Baldwin is a professional poker player, off-road racer and casino executive. As a poker player, Baldwin is best known as the 1978 world champion, becoming the youngest main event champion at that time....
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