WSOP highlights throughout the years: 2000's the internet era

[Steve Ruddock]

2000 - Chris Ferguson uses an old time 'cowboy' look, but wins in a very new way. Ferguson was the first analytical champion the WSOP had seen; combining poker skill with a PHD in computer science, and using his background in game theory; Ferguson ushered in a new way of playing poker using math as the basis for every decision.



2002 - Robert Varkonyi's win forces Phil Hellmuth to shave his head. Phil was so adamant that Varkonyi couldn't win he declared he would shave his head if he pulled it off. Well, Varkonyi won, Phil shaved his head, and amateur poker players from around the world realized you don't need to be the best player in the world to win the WSOP: You just need to have a decent understanding of the game, and run like molten lava.



2003 - Something important happened this year.... Oh yeah, a fellow by the name of Chris Moneymaker parlayed a $39 online satellite into $2.5million. This was also the first year the hole card camera was used at the WSOP (it had been tinkered with before, but never used to the extent it was in 2003). Catchy name, good back story, and a personality that screamed underdog sent millions of people rushing to online sites to start playing poker... Lord knows we love a good name, a good story, and an underdog!



2006 - the WSOP tops 8,700 entrants, and the winner is considered among the least skilled champions of all time. If Varkonyi ran like molten lava, Gold ran like a star going supernova! Gold is perhaps the most criticized champ, because of his table antics that stretched and broke many rules (flashing cards and verbally revealing his hand) however he was never penalized. The following year he was issued a warning for his tactics -too little too late-.



I would say that the 2003 WSOP was poker's crowning moment. Until Moneymaker's win in 2003 the WSOP field roughly doubled in size every decade from 1980 on -73 entrants in 1980, 194 in 1990, and 512 in 2000- and was on pace to continue that trend (there were 839 entrants in 2003). However, in 2004 the number of entrants tripled from the previos year and by 2006 had reached its apex of 8,773 entrants.

[4tun8]

I love your news articles and I read them every day. I rarely post on them but I wanted you to know that I read them and absolutely enjoy them.

[Steve Ruddock]

slides 4tun8 $100

[KRE8R]

Ahem...I read them all too Steve....