As you might expect, the amount of money the likes of Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu are playing for at the WSOP will differ from the amount the average grinder wagers at their favorite online casino. In reality, the games are the same; it’s just that the amount of money on the line is a little different.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the most famous casino stories that have emerged from the WSOP in recent years:
Ivey’s Baccarat Binge: Aside from being one of the best poker players in the world, Phil Ivey is also a casino fiend. Playing various games, including baccarat, he regularly wagers (and wins) millions of dollars in a single session. Every year during the WSOP, Ivey enjoys the high limit baccarat games at the Bellagio, but in 2012 he decided to visit Foxwoods casino and proceeded to win $9.6 million. Although it didn’t take place during the WSOP, the legendary session allowed the American pro to ante-up in various high profile tournaments, including the WSOP $1 million Big One for ONE DROP. Not only that, but it further cemented his reputation as one of the sickest gamblers in the game.
Negreanu’s Blackjack Blitz: When Daniel Negreanu isn’t winning WSOP bracelets, he likes to dabble in blackjack. Although not on a par with some of the world’s top card counters, the Canadian pro did manage to achieve a 90% win rate during the 2010 WSOP. Tweeting about his success on Twitter, Negreanu started that during a one-hour session he won 90% of the hands he played and “almost” felt bad about it. The exact amount of money Negreanu won is unclear, but conservative estimates (based on him betting around $5,000 to $25,000 per hand) are that he won somewhere in the region of $1-$2 million.
Brunson vs. Slim: While it may not technically be a casino game, a scooter race between Doyle Brunson and Amarillo Slim during the 2009 World Series of Poker certainly gave the community something to cheer about. Taking place inside the Rio Casino, the two poker veterans anted-up $20,000 and proceeded to race through the casino’s hallways. Brunson, who proved beyond any doubt that he’s the king of the WSOP, eventually won the close fought competition.
Casino games and the World Series of Poker have always been, and always will be, inextricably linked. Professional players are always looking for opportunities to enhance their bankroll and with the likes of blackjack, craps and roulette within touching distance of the largest poker event in the world, there’s always going to be a legendary story or two when the poker’s over.
Related Entries
- World Series of Poker 2014 Main Event – Final Table Heads-Up (11/13)
- World Series of Poker 2014 Main Event – Final Table Heads-Up (4/13)
- World Series of Poker 2014 Main Event – Final Table Heads-Up (8/13)
- Get Familiar With The 2014 November Nine!
- World Series of Poker 2014 Main Event – Final Table Heads-Up (1/13)
- Tagged: wsop facts, wsop history
- 0
- 2
Main Topics
From the Editor
World Series of Poker and WSOP are trademarks of Caesars Interactive Entertainment, Inc. ("CIE"). CIE does not sponsor or endorse, and is not associated or affiliated with pokerofworldseries.com.
There are no comments so far