World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is a series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Caesars Entertainment Corporation (known as Harrah's Entertainment until 2010). It dates its origins to 1970, when Benny Binion invited seven of the best-known poker players to the Horseshoe Casino for a single tournament, with a set start and stop time, and a winner determined by a secret ballot of the seven players.
Bigger Deal: A Year Inside the Poker Boom
The main thrust of the book is the changes that poker has undergone since the game became immensely popular following the 2003 World Series of Poker and the advent of Internet casinos and cardrooms. When Holden played in the 1988 World Series of Poker, there were only 167 starters competing for a first prize of $270,000. At the 2006 World Series, where this book climaxes, there were almost nine thousand players and a first prize of $12 million, the richest in any sport.