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Jack Binion: The Man Behind the World Series of Poker
Jack Binion, the son of legendary casino owner Benny Binion, recently shared his family's history in the gambling industry and the origins of the World Series of Poker (WSOP).
Benny Binion founded the Horseshoe casino in Las Vegas in 1951. However, in 1953, he was arrested and sentenced to 5 years in prison for tax evasion. During his absence, Benny sold his share of the Horseshoe to Joe Brown. Jack Binion became president of Horseshoe casino in 1964, after his father's release from prison.
The World Series of Poker began in 1969 at the Horseshoe casino. The first WSOP had no official winner, but Johnny Moss was voted the best player by his peers. The format of freezeout tournaments, where players pay a fixed buy-in and compete until one player remains, was invented by Amarillo Slim. The first official winner of the WSOP was Johnny Moss in 1971. Jack Binion coined the name World Series of Poker, and the first mention of the WSOP in the press was in 1971.
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