Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Understanding the World Series of Poker Payout Structure

By Jeff West

To learn more about the World Series of Poker Payout Structure, you have to know where it all began. 1970 to 1977 a marketing genius named Benny Binion promoted his poker tournament as "winner-take-all". World Series of Poker has never been winner-take-all and probably never will. Benny Binion took that concept, made his event a world championship caliber tournament, and the buzz caught on. World Series of Poker prize money was always negotiated by the players.

Those type of deals mentioned above, didn't always end up at the final table like it does today. Before the tournament started, the players voted on how the prize pool should be distributed and separated. Players resumed playing using 25% of their previous chips. 75% of the other chips were exchanged for cash at the cage.

A legal investigation ensued, because the winner-take-all tournament idea raised red flags. It raised the flags cause of the fabrication of prize money, and operating procedures were somewhat suspicious. If you have ever heard of the old quiz show, where the game was rigged called "twenty one", the federal broadcasting law wasn't enforced in this case, like it was there.

Suddenly, in the mid 1970's, CBS began to broadcast winner-take-all tennis tournaments in Las Vegas. These tennis tournaments were held in Caesars Palace. The winner would win $100,000. Tennis players Rod Lacer and Jimmy Conners were splitting the prize money. It was suppose to be winner-take-all. They both confessed to what they did. This left CBS with a hefty fine from the FCC and issuing a public apology. Sporting events were being shunned, especially the World Series of Poker.

It was only a matter of time before the FBI investigated the under-the table deals taking place during the World Series of Poker tournament. Benny Binion spoke to the poker players and told them he would pay the top five. Splitting the prize money between players was over in 1978.

In the 1978 WSOP Binion kept his word and paid out the top 5 spots. Binion soon realized that with an overwhelming growth in entrants that he was going to have to pay out more spots to keep new players coming in. The then current payout of the top 5 slots would last until 1981, when Binion then told players it would be paid the top 9 spots.

Players started pouring in from all over the world, and in the upcoming years would set attendance and payout records. This started with the Chris Moneymaker shocker in 2003, setting a new record for winnings in the WSOP. In 04' Binion paid out 225 spots. He was at it again in 2005 paying out 560 slots, and 873 in 06'.

As you can see the WSOP has payout structure has grown very rapidly over the years, just like the game's popularity. The game now is being shown on ESPN which is the largest sporting network in the world on television. The WSOP has become a huge phenomenon. Its pretty hard to imagine having these types of fields back in the 1970's, but it is growing every year and now is well over 1,000 entrants.

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