Pearson won one of the first WSOP preliminary events in 1971 when he won the Limit Seven Card Stud event.  This win won him $10,000.  His greatest achievement happened in the 1973 World Series of Poker Main Event.  The Main Event that year drew 13 players who put up $10,000 each to try and capture the world championship.  The final table of six came down to Puggy Pearson, Johnny Moss, Jack Straus, Bobby Brazil, Bob Hooks, and Sailor Roberts.  The final table worked its way down until Pearson and Moss was heads up for the title.  The final hand of the event put Johnny Moss all in with Kh-Js against Pearson’s As-7s.  Pearson’s hand held up and the 1973 World Title and $130,000 in cash went his way.

Puggy Pearson won four WSOP bracelets.  Three of his bracelets came in 1973.  Besides his main event win, Pearson won the $1,000 no limit holdem event and the $4,000 Limit Seven Card Stud titles.  He took home $17,000 for the nl holdem win and $32,000 for the stud win.  After 1973, Pearson made three other final tables.  Two were in 1981 and one in 1982.  Two of the final tables were in razz and the other in seven card stud.  Stud was considered Pearson’s best game.  In addition to his final tables, Pearson cashed in the 1987 and 1989 Main Event.

Pearson is the only player to play in every World Series of Poker from 1970 to 2005.  One reason is that for a few years, several of the top poker players considered tournament poker a waste of their time and focused on cash games.  Later in life, Pearson bought a tour bus with “Puggy Pearson – Roving Gambler” painted on the side.  Up until the time of his death in 2006, Pearson traveled around the country playing poker.  Pearson was also remembered by many people to be a man that gave a lot back to people.  It was said that if someone was ill or had a death in the family, Pearson would be one of the first people to help them.

Puggy Pearson started out as a high stakes gambler, but over time became a legend of the game.  His idea of the freezeout tournament was a contribution to poker that will likely be remembered as long as tournament poker is played.  While his heyday in poker may have been in the early years of the World Series of Poker, his legend will continue for many years to come.

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Amarillo Slim was one of the first seven original players that started the World Series of Poker in 1970. However, it wasn’t until 1972 that Slim took down his first title. The 1972 World Series of Poker Main Even had eight entrants that year. $5,000 per player was added to the prize pool. This was done as a publicity stunt to try and draw spectators into the Horseshoe.

Puggy Pearson, Doyle Brunson, Crandall Addington, Jack Straus, Johnny Moss, Roger Van Ausdall, Jimmy Casella, and Preston battled it out for the $80,000 top prize. Doyle Brunson, Puggy Pearson, and Slim were the last three remaining in the event when Brunson struck a deal to “cash out” his chips for $20,000. Then Puggy Pearson and Amarillo Slim battled it out for the adjusted top prize of $60,000. Pearson held a 2 to 1 chip lead, but Slim was able to battle back and win his first Main Event title.

According to Barry Greenstein, the Main Event went down slightly differently than history portrays it. Apparently Doyle Brunson, Puggy Pearson, and Amarillo Slim struck a deal to where they would throw the event and let Slim have the win. In exchange for the win, Slim agreed to let them have the prize money.
After winning the Main Event, Amarillo Slim went on various talk shows to talk about his win at the World Series of Poker. He garnered a lot of fame and even picked up a part in a Robert Altman movie entitled California Split. If Greenstein’s story about the 1972 Series being thrown is true, then Slim made a very wise business decision. Giving up $80,000 was well worth the publicity he received as a result of his win.

In all, Amarillo Slim won 4 bracelets at the World Series of Poker. Two were in Pot Limit Omaha and two were in No Limit Holdem. Even at 79, Slim is still playing at a high level. He has cashed in the Seniors event at the 2007 and 2008 World Series of Poker. He also plays in a few selected events. Whenever he is at the table, players take note. It is still a big thrill for a player to be able to say that they took a pot of Amarillo Slim.

Amarillo Slim is a classic example of an old school gambler. He bets on anything that you can wager on and likes the thrill of chasing the dollar. If the story of how he won the 1972 World Series of Poker is true, than that just adds one more legend to the man that has so many legendary tales.
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Last years winners will be trying to defend there titles and make history by becoming the first player to win two World Series of Poker Europe bracelets. Thomas Bihl won last years HORSE event when he beat Jennifer Harman heads up. Last year the HORSE final table was littered with poker superstars like Jennifer Harman, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson and Kirk Morrison, no doubt the event directors will be looking for a similar showing. You can expect the HORSE tournament to be full of poker greats again this year because it will be the hardest bracelet to win in my opinion. Last years Pot Limit Omaha event was won by Dario Alioto, he also managed to make a final table in Pot Limit Omaha at the World Series in Las Vegas this year. Omaha last year brought out some big names who made big cashes Tony G finished third and Roland De Wolfe had a respectable eleventh place finish.

Last years Main Event in Europe looked as if a familiar face may win his first World Series bracelet ever in Europe. Gus Hansen was cruising, but he busted out tenth, the favorite was gone and it was anybody’s tournament. Up and coming superstar Annette Obrestad, showed her potential by taking home her first bracelet. Annette showed the world her aggressive bluffing style and may just have won the biggest tournament by a women in poker history. No doubt Obrestad will show up at this years World Series looking to build on the success she found last year. There were a lot of big names players in the top thirty last year and the event organizers will be looking for much of the same. Last year Patrik Antonius finished 29th, Erik Lindgren finished 26th, Annie Duke is 21st and Kenny Tran almost made the final table finishing in 16th.

Predictions

Event #1 – No Limit Hold’ em – The North American pros will be geared up and put a lot effort in to trying to win this event. Look for some good showing by top names players like Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu and Erik Lindgren. I think the North Americans will have to wait as Annette Obrestad wins her second World Series of Poker bracelet. Annette will be looking to prove that she is here to stay and be the first player to win two World Series of Poker will do just that.

Event #2 – HORSE – In my opinion the HORSE event is the most intriguing event at every World Series of Poker. The big names always show up and you can be assured that they will be at the final table. Scotty Nguyen won the HORSE world championship in Las Vegas at the World Series and I think you will see a lot of the same names fighting for the win in Europe. Look for another good result from Erik Lindgren, he is a great all around player and is confident after his player of the year at the World Series in Vegas. The first American to win a World Series of Poker Europe will be Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, and it will come in this event.

Event #3 – Pot Limit Omaha – Omaha has become a big game in the poker world, probably fits right behind Texas Hold’ em on the popularity scale. Europeans tend to be well rounded Omaha players and I think they will come away with another bracelet in this tournament. Last years winner Dario Alioto will have a good showing again, but I think he will come up short as Roland De Wolfe takes home the bracelet. Roland is an excellent Omaha player and I think he finally has a big win in this event.

Event #4 – Main Event No Limit Hold’ em – The main event will be everybody’s main goal, all the top pro’s want to win this title. Last year a lot of big names had big showings at this tournament, but I think you will learn a few new ones this year. Jennifer Harman will have a good showing in this tournament and Patrik Antonius will make the final table. With the bitter taste of last years bubble finish Gus Hansen will redeem himself and win the World Series of Poker Europe Main Event. Gus will be motivated and he will grind out the victory for his first bracelet.

Well we all know predictions are just that, predictions. I think Annette Obrestad, Chris Ferguson, Roland De Wolfe and Gus Hansen win the four bracelets. Of course there is the chance amateur players show up and win some tournaments, but there is no way for me to pick them. I truly enjoyed last years World Series of Poker Europe and I look for the same entertainment value this year. It all gets started on Friday September the 19th and without a doubt someone’s dreams will come true.

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According to legend, there were two votes conducted to determine the world champion.  The first time they voted, each player cast a vote for themselves, which naturally resulted in a 7 way tie.  Players were then asked to cast a vote for the second best player and the results of the voting placed Johnny Moss as the World Champion of poker.  The prize for being elected the World Champion of Poker was a silver cup.   Bracelets were not awarded as the top prize until 1976.

The following year, the World Series of Poker was expanded to a set of tournaments and the World Champion was decided by a freeze out tournament.  Six players entered the Main Event in 1971.  Each player put up $5,000 of their own money.  The top prize was $30,000 and was a winner takes all prize.  Head up saw Johnny Moss face Walter “Puggy” Pearson. In the end, Moss emerged the victor and took the $30,000 prize and his second straight world title.

By the time 1974 came around, the World Series of Poker was not at 5 preliminary events and the Main Event.  The Main Event saw 16 people put up $10,000 to take a shot at the world title.  The top prize for this event was $160,000 and was again a winner take all prize.  Johnny Moss and Crandell Addington faced each other heads up for the title.  Addington put up a fight but in the end Johnny Moss took his third World Series of Poker World Championship.

Johnny Moss would make three more final tables in the Main Event after his win in 1974 but the best he would finish is 4th in 1980.  Moss finished his career with 9 bracelets in all and is still only one of two players to win the Main Event three times.

For the first 25 years of the World Series of Poker’s existence, Johnny Moss was a staple of the games.  He played all the games well and was a respected man at the poker tables.  In addition, Moss’ nickname of the “Grand Old Man of Poker” was not just a term of endearment, but also a fact.  Moss was 63 years old when he won his first main event title and was 81 years of age when he won his last bracelet in 1988.  The ace-ten is typically referred to as the Johnny Moss.  Moss was one of the original members of the Poker Hall of Fame.  He was inducted in 1979.

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The first bracelet came in 1989 and still is Phil’s biggest cash at the World Series of Poker. In 1989 Phil won the $10,000 No Limit Hold’ em Main Event, and took home $755,000. That seems like nothing compared to the fact that the Main Event winner these days can make more then $10,000,000. You need to realize that in those days the Main Event was filled with top professional players, although the field was no where near the size of today’s events. In 1989 Phil was only 24 years old and his first bracelet didn’t come easy, he had to defeat Johnny Chan heads up to take the title. At the time Johnny was going for his third straight title and may have been the best poker player in the world. The two years following Phil’s breakthrough win, he didn’t manage to win a bracelet, but in 1992 he took home the $5000 Limit Holdem poker bracelet.

1993 was the year that Phil Hellmuth officially began the talk that he might be the best player in the poker world. He showed up at the 1993 World Series of Poker with two bracelets on his wrist and left when it was all said and done he left with five. He won three events in 1993 including the $1500 No Limit Hold’ em, $2,500 No Limit Hold ‘em and the $5,000 Limit Hold’ em. Hellmuth walked away from the 1993 World Series of Poker with more then $450,000 in earning and three coveted bracelets. For the three years following Phil’s breakthrough in 1993 he didn’t manage to win a single bracelet, but broke through again in 1997. In 1997 Hellmuth won the $3000 Pot Limit Hold’ em tournament taking home more then $200,000. Heading into 2001 Phil Hellmuth was a poker legend, he had six bracelets and was looking for more. More he would get winning in 2001 and two more in 2003. In 2006 he tied poker legends Chan and Brunson winning his tenth bracelet in the $1,000 No Limit Hold’ em Rebuy tournament. In 2007 Phil captured his second best single tournament earning at the World Series when he won over $630,000 in the $1,500 No Limit Hold’ em event, his record breaking eleventh bracelet.

“The Poker Brat”, is Phil Hellmuth’s nickname when he is sitting at the poker table. As the World Series of Poker gained exposure on television, so did Phil. Hellmuth. He became as popular for his antics at the poker as he was for his excellent play. Phil is known to speak his feelings when he is at the tables, if he thinks you made a bad play he is going to tell you about it, maybe more then once. If you are at a table with Phil and you hit an inside straight to beat his set, you better watch out. This persona has taken Hellmuth along ways, the public want to see him play. Most because of his unpredictable attitude, but some even watch to see a great poker player in action. Look past the commercials and the tirades at the table and you will find an excellent poker mind. “The Poker Brat” has his own style, unique to him and was created through years of experience. If you play like Phil, it will be like walking on a tight rope, you never know when you are going to fall. His passive and slow play opens himself up to get sucked out on, or to win pots with monster hands. Try it play like that and you will find you might get a little upset from time to time at the tables to.

Texas Hold’ em is Phil Hellmuth’s game, all eleven of his bracelets won playing it. He has won bracelets playing Pot Limit, Limit and No Limit Hold’ em, but has never won playing another form of poker. People who criticize Phil tend to look directly at this stat, and I guess if you want to bash the guy that’s about all you got. I am not one of these people, Hellmuth has mastered hold’ em and why not play it as much as you can. I think one day Phil will win a bracelet in say Omaha, Seven Card or maybe he’ll even win the HORSE one day.

No matter what you personally think of Phil Hellmuth you cannot deny the guy the fact that he may just be the best Texas Hold’ em player to ever live. Of course that is something that we will never know, but Hellmuth has won eleven bracelets playing Hold’ em. “The Poker Brat” will always have his critics, but if you ask around the top pros in the world you find they have great respect for his game. People will hate on Phil because of his exposure, much like the way people hate on Tiger Woods in golf, but it is not warranted. Hellmuth is still in his prime and who knows how many bracelets he will win in his life time, but you can be assured that he will try to win them all. Over Five Million Dollars in career World Series of Poker earnings, a record eleven bracelets and more then sixty cashes, Phil Hellmuth is a legend at the World Series of Poker.

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