Today, there are poker tournaments being held all over the globe but the largest and the most prestigious would still be the WSOP or The World Series of Poker. Held in Las Vegas, the first WSOP was in 1970. Since then, it has been held annually and has attracted both amateur and professional poker players worldwide. It features a series of poker variations and has multiple winners each year. The ultimate prize would be the “Main Event” for Texas Hold ‘Em.

In the early 2000s, the WSOP tournament became a cultural phenomenon due to the showing of the tournament on ESPN networks. Since then, the prize winnings have exponentially multiplied and the sizes of the tournament grew significantly. Numerous celebrities and poker superstars joined the WSOP which helped the tournament gain even more fame.

Aside from Texas Hold ‘Em, the WSOP poker championship also features 55 other poker variations. Some of the smaller events of the tournament include the five-card stud, the Omaha Hold ‘Em, the seven-card stud, Chinese poker and S.H.O.E. All of these poker tournaments lead to the Main Event.

The tournament for Texas Hold ‘Em basically defined the WSOP and has featured some of the biggest names in the world of poker. Some of the winners of the main event include poker legends such as Johnny Chan, Phil Helmuth, Doyle Brunson, Crandell Addington and Johnny Moss. In 2005, the Main Event has a US$10,000 buy-in and has awarded more than US$52 million to over 500 players, with the winner receiving more than US$7.5 million.