The Unsung Hero of the World Series of Poker
Gaming Gurus takes a closer look at Binion’s Horseshoe Hotel -
the birthplace of WSOP.
When you’re reading this column the 2005 World Series of Poker (WSOP) main event champion will already have been crowned and because of poker’s popularity you will surely have been able to read all about it in your local newspaper. So instead of focusing on the poker players in this tournament, let’s take a closer look at another World Series of Poker legend – Binion’s Horseshoe Hotel.
This Las Vegas casino is nothing short of the Yankee Stadium of poker. All the 35 previous WSOP championships have been contested at this 128 Freemont Street address. Ben “Benny” Binion was also the mastermind behind the world’s biggest poker tournament. In 1970 Binion decided to stage a battle of poker geniuses and call it the World Series of Poker. The casino named after him has been the Mecca of poker ever since. “This is a place with all the history and where all the poker greats have played”, Binion’s General Manager Brian Eby told Las Vegas Review-Journal.
But poker is changing very rapidly and due to fantastic increase in the number of players and WSOP had to move into larger accommodations at the Rio. Instead of the worn 10,000-square-foot “Benny’s Bullpen” at Binion’s the majority of this year’s WSOP was played at a state-of-the-art 60,000-square-foot-space inside the Rio convention center. But for one final time there will be WSOP action at Binion’s as the event moves to its birthplace for the last two days of play.
Harrah’s Entertainment, owner of several Las Vegas casinos, including the Rio, bought the rights for WSOP along with Binion’s casino a little over a year ago. Since then the company has sold off Binion’s MTR Gaming Group. After the deal many observers believed that there wouldn’t be another WSOP at Binion’s. But as a favor to Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman and as a part of the city’s centennial celebration, Harrah’s decided to let the tournament go “home” one last time. “It kind of brings some closure to that era of the World Series of Poker and Harrah’s can move ahead with its future plans for the tournament,” Harrah’s spokesman Dave Curley told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
WSOP will never be quite the same again without the connection to Binion’s. It remains to be seen whether it’s for the better or for worse. The 54-year old casino will continue to try to capitalize on poker despite losing its biggest draw. Recently Binion’s increased the size of its poker room to 75 poker tables and it has daily tournaments.
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