The Top Ten Events in Poker History

Here are Faldo’s top ten. You can find the list that gave me the idea for this post at the 2p2 forum or The Poker Grind website. But here is my list and order:

10. The book “Super System” by Doyle Brunson
After winning the WSOP back to back in 1976/1977, Doyle grabbed some of the greatest poker minds in history and co-authored a book with them. Each was an expert at a particular game of poker, and they put their expertise down on paper. Doyle says to this day, it cost him millions of dollars more at the poker table, then he ever made with the book! The book originally sold for the outlandish price of $100, and is still worth every penny.

9. Western Movies
Unless your father played poker, as a boy you probably first saw poker being played by your cowboy heroes and the western villains of the day. Western saloon scenes nearly always contained a poker game. I think without the movie reminders of the ‘Gambling, Action, Bluffing, Power and, excuse me ladies - Man’s Game’ poker really is, the game might have went the way of Pinochle.

8. The life and times of Benny Binion
Benny founded the World Series of Poker and catered to the wants and needs of all the big time poker players. He was single-handedly responsible from pulling poker from the back rooms of pool halls and bars, and into the main floor of a casino.

7. William E. Baxter Jr. vs IRS/USA
Anyone who fights the government intruding on citizen’s lives, I just got to thank! Legendary sports bettor and poker player Billy Baxter single handedly took on the United States government over the way gambling income was taxed. After years of court battles, he won the case, and saved gamblers untold millions of dollars. You da man, Billy!

6. Televising of the World Series of Poker
CBS started televising it in 1973 and ESPN picked it up in 1988. As television does, it brings something right into people’s living room – safely. Many Bridge, Canasta, Euchre and Pinochle players took up poker, simply because it looked like fun – and there were no televised events of their current card game. Now that the game is on the boob tube, people could now have poker celebrities to watch, styles and looks to copy, and of course dream of being on TV themselves.

5. “Rounders”
I remember seeing this movie the first time and thinking “Cha-ching! This should get some new blood to the tables – both at home games and at the casinos.” By far, it was the most realistic movie of all time about poker, poker players and what they live thru. Yes, even what the golf pros, the frat boys and the Greek restaurant owners go thru. The movie is over a decade old and quotes from the movie are still remembered and said at poker tables daily. I know this movie sent millions of people back to the green felt and shuffling chips.

4. Invention of the Hole Card Camera
If televising poker gave it a much needed kick start, being able to see the hole cards while watching poker – kicked it thru the goal posts 70 yards away. Now, you could see what the players were betting and whether or not they were bluffing. You could root for ‘your favorite player’ to make the right decisions. It made it a spectator sport closer to a regular spectator sport, as now the viewer could see everything. Again, more viewers equals more new players.

3. Online Poker
Now that you have an influx of people wanting to learn the game, where do you go to learn? I think we all remember the first time we sat down at a private poker game and the first time we sat down at a casino poker game. You might get a little encouragement from your buddies at the ‘kitchen table’, but walking into a casino to play poker for the first time, makes you feel like a Hooter’s waitress in uniform standing in the lunch line at Jackson Prison. You know all eyes are on you. But now a newbie can sit down in the comfort, safety and anonymity of their own home and learn without the embarrassment, ridicule or scorn from other players. What was first seen as competition to casino poker, became their breeding ground for new customers!

2. Chris Moneymaker Winning the 2003 WSOP Main Event
I don’t think this needs much detail to explain. This single event - coupled with event numbers 6 thru 3 - became poker’s Perfect Storm. Online poker brought the player to the WSOP, the televised event with hole card cameras captured how a Rounder’s dreamer could win the top prize in poker and become rich and famous. Let the search for home poker chips, tables and cards begin! Along with nearly every casino opening poker rooms.

1. Dave the Dog and Faldo Starting Niks Poker Palace
You are here reading, so what would you expect the #1 event in poker to be? Duh?
Dave said one day after golf, while eating chicken wings at Hooters, and after many many beers and cigars, “You seem to know a lot about poker, and you can write a little. Why don’t we start a poker blog? I will set it up and be the webmaster, and you can be the writer.” I was drunk enough to say yes. Dave also came up with the idea for the NPP tournament on PokerStars, since he was just starting to suffer a 'kitchen pass' shortage from his wife-warden, and the NPP home games were no longer in his future.

As it has turned out golf and Hooters were no longer in 4Putt's future either. But I digress.

The rest as they say - is poker history.