The most famous poker event in the world is the World Series of Poker. Not only does the event provide a chance for the greatest poker players in the world to pit their skills against one another, it also draws an enormous number of spectators to Las Vega every year. The event is televised by ESPN, so even if a person cannot get to Vegas, they can still feel like a part of things.
The very first World Series of Poker was hosted by the Horseshoe Casino in 1970. The event was created by the owner of the Horseshoe who was hoping to add a touch of glamor and excitement to the game of poker. Six of the world’s best poker players were invited to come. It is doubtful that anyone foresaw how quickly the event would grow. By 1982, the event had 52 players.
During those early years, the even was not televised. No one even considered the idea of adding television cameras until the 1980′s. During that time ESPN did not carry the coverage but rather NBC. That was when things really started to get exciting. Before NBC started filming the event, the only people who really knew about it were serious poker players. Now that the event was televised, people all over the country were able to get hooked on the excitement of poker.
Since there are several different types of poker being played all over the world, it should come as no surprise that there are lots of different types of poker being played at the World Series as well. While just about every type of poker imaginable is represented, none are as popular as Texas Hold ‘em which more than have of the participants play.
The World Series is considered a cash event. Anyone who is interested in participating is more than welcome to; they just have to come up with the entry fee. A portion of this fee goes to the casino to help cover expenses. The rest is goes into a pool. The more participants the event attracts, the larger the pool is. This is the money that the players are competing for.
It is not easy to win the World Series. The person who does win, not only gets to take home the money and the bracelet, but they also earn the respect and envy of their peers. Everyone knows exactly how difficult it is to win this particular event. The world is full of awesome poker players who have yet to win.
Anyone who wants to participate in the World Series of Poker and possibly appear on ESPN can. The way to do this is to come up with the $10,000 entry fee and buy a spot at a table, or to win one of the qualifying tournaments. There are qualifiers all over the world and some are even hosted by online casinos. Playing in the World Series of Poker not only gives the player the opportunity to play against some of the biggest names in poker, but also celebrities like Matt Damon and Lou Diamond Phillips.