Fancy a trip to Las Vegas to participate in the World Series of Poker at Binion’s Horseshoe annually? In 1949, the famous gambler Nick ‘The Greek’ asked owner Benny Binion to stage a high stakes poker marathon. Benny belled Johnny Moss, a friend and a professional player, five months on, plus sleep breaks every few days. Eventually, after losing $2m, Nick Dandolos stood up and said “Mr Moss, I have to let you go”.
Binion’s only law for hosting the showdown had been that the game be played in public view and he deliberately stationed the card table near the casino entrance in order to draw in the punters. Benny was impressed by the crowds that gathered and, in 1970, decided to re-stage a battle of poker giants and the World Series of Poker was born. About 2,000 poker players are expected to pay the $10,000 entry fee to take part in this year’s tournament, with the winner taking home more than $2m. Johnny Moss and Stu Ungar have each won the World Series three times.
Last year’s World Champion was an amateur, Chris Moneymaker, (destiny) a 27yr old accountant who won the $2,500,000 prize. He won his seat by winning a $40 online poker tournament. The most expensive tournament is the Five Star World Poker Classic in Las Vegas costing $25,000. Viva Las Vegas!
Millions of punters mourn the demise of attheraces - no more live racing every afternoon, we had it made. So what happened? According to the suits, the channel’s business plan was overblown especially the vital betting cash flow. Attheraces thought that bettors would bet with them but no. Punters bet by phone or net with their usual bookmakers or betting exchanges. Channel 4 is leaving the attheraces consortium and don’t intend to bid for terrestrial rights. That means a further round of negotiations between racecourses, Channel 4, BBC and maybe ITV. Nobody knows.
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