Monday, August 3, 2009

Grasping the World Series of Poker Payout Structure

By Brian Garvin

Poker payouts can be very confusing whether its the amount of spots paid, or the percent paid to the players. Learning how poker payouts came about, you have to know where it all started. If you go to Las Vegas you certainly will come across a casino called Binions Horseshoe. Binions is the venue at which the World Series of Poker or simply "WSOP" is held. The owner of the casino Benny Binion was a marketing genius, coming up with an idea to have a winner-take-all poker tournament.

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.

25% usage of previous chips and 75% exchanged for cash was the standard operation procedure and prize distribution until 1977. The idea of a winner-take-all event was fabricated and the prize distribution and standing operating procedures where grounds for a legal investigation. The federal broadcasting law wasn't enforced even though such a practice like the scandal of the quiz show "Twenty One" was rigged. This law wasn't even outlawed.

Popular television network CBS was put in a rather odd position, after it drummed up its own version of the winner-take-all tournament. This tournament was in tennis, and featured tennis stars Jimmy Conners and Rod Laver in the finals. Connors and Laver would play a great final match only split the prize money. With Conners and Laver splitting the spoils, CBS was fined by the FCC and required to issue a public apology.

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.

A new payout structure was introduced at the 1978 World Series of Poker tournament by Benny Binion. The top five players who participated in the main event of that year all received a payout. Binion paid the top five players in the World Series of Poker main event until 1981. He began to pay the last nine players. Paying the last nine players lasted until 1986. The number of entrants entering the World Series of Poker tournament was 141. It forced Benny Binion to expand his payout structure again.

With the field on the rise, the WSOP would set records in upcoming years in not only attendance but payouts as well. Chris Moneymaker was the first to set the new standard in winnings, in 2003. In 2004, Binion paid out 225 players. In 2005, 560 were paid, and in 2006, 873 cashed in.

Pretty hard to imagine 873 players back in the 1970's when the World Series of Poker was "winner-take-all". The World Series of Poker payout structure has grown over the years, just like the game's popularity. The World Series of Poker is broadcasted on ESPN and has garnered a huge fan base. Learn More About the World Series of Poker Payout Structure Celebrity tournaments are also played throughout the year. The World Series of Poker is a phenomenon.

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