The WSOP was originally started in 1968 by Tom Moore in the southern section of the United States. That first year, a gentleman by the name of Cranny Addington garnered the top spot, which earned him the unofficial title of the World Champion of Poker and, probably, a sip of a soft drink at the bar. Actually, it was a noted casino owner and poker player, Mr. Benny Binion, who conceived of the idea of the World Series of Poker. Benny realized that in order for the sport to get the recognition it deserved, it needed an ultimate event upon which the spotlight of the world could shine. Heck, the sports of baseball, basketball, football, ice hockey, world soccer, tennis, horse racing and golf all had events that culminated in the crowning of a champion, so why not the wonderful world of poker?

The WSOP developed slowly at first. When it finally received national attention through television and the commentating work of Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder, the event took off. As a matter of comparison, the number of entrants to the WSOP in 1971 was 6; in 1972, the number was 8; in 1973, the number was 13. Although the number of participants grew slowly over that period of time, with many deciding not to participate due to the $10,000 entry fee, the winning pot went from $30,000 in 1971 to $130,000 in 1973. Since 1973, both the number of entrants into the WSOP and the top prize money has increased. In 2007, the WSOP just completed its tournament at Harrah's, which bought out the old Binion's Horseshoe Casino in 2004. There were 6,358 entries and the champion, Jerry Yang, took home a tight bundle amounting to $8,250,000. The WSOP now is held in rotating Harrah-owned properties.

Since the inception of the WSOP, there have been four WSOP winners who have captured the Title on more than one occasion. Johnny Moss and Stu Unger are the only three-time champs with Moss taking top honors in 1970, 71 and 74 and Unger in 1980, 81 and 97. The other two time winners are as follows: Doyle Brunson, in 1977-78 and Johnny Chan in 1987-88.

The WSOP winners are men of special character and they are acknowledged as the best in their class.