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World Series of Poker (WSOP) Champions then and now
The WSOP has created one of the most diverse collections of champions of any competitive event. Some former champions have become legends of the game; their names synonymous with poker –Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Amarillo Slim, and Phil Hellmuth.
Other former champions have settled back into ordinary life, never able to continue the success they saw at the WSOP – Bill Smith, Jim Bechtel, and Noel Furlong.
While other players have bucked all the trends and gone on to become famous for something other than their WSOP win (or infamous in some cases) – Russ Hamilton (infamous for his role in the UB cheating scandal), and Bobby Baldwin (famous for becoming CFO of the Mirage Entertainment Group) come to my mind.
Here is a look at five former Main Event Champions and what they are up to today.
Poker’s Old Guard
Amarillo Slim Preston – Slim was poker’s first ambassador, and one of the only poker players to ever break through and gain mainstream popularity. His mix of southern vernacular and his charisma propelled Amarillo Slim to the top of the poker food chain –even though his skills in the game were questionable at best.
Slim was able to use his 1972 WSOP win to legitimize his poker skills, and in later years was known for some very outlandish proposition bets.
The always affable Thomas “Amarillo Slim” Preston ran into a bit of legal trouble later in life and removed himself from the poker world; until things blew over. Slim faced accusations of sexually harassing a young family member. Nowadays, Slim can once again be found at the poker tables, although he is a bit more subdued after a very trying few years where he was vilified in the press.
Bobby Baldwin – If you’ve ever wondered why the high stakes area at Bellagio is known as “Bobby’s Room” it’s in honor of Bobby Baldwin. Baldwin, a world class poker player successfully made the move into the business world: Baldwin is currently the CEO of the Mirage Resorts subsidiary and oversees the operation of many of Las Vegas’ most famous casino properties.
Baldwin captured the 1978 WSOP crown, and in 1982 took a consulting job for the Golden Nugget. In 1980 he was named President! Baldwin can still be found playing high stakes poker in the room named after him.
The Rise of Poker
Dan Harrington – Harrington, the 1995 WSOP Champion, has stayed at the pinnacle of the tournament poker hierarchy for some two decades. Harrington pulled off one of the most remarkable accomplishments in WSOP history in the mid 2000’s, when he final tabled back-to-back Main Events in 03’ and 04’.
Harrington’s success led to a book deal, and the Harrington on Hold’ Em franchise was born. “Action Dan’s” books are considered the seminal tournament poker books on the market. And with their success he has gone on to write Harrington on Cash Games.
Russ Hamilton – Hamilton may go down as the most infamous figure in poker history (which is saying a lot!) and not for his 1994 WSOP Main Event win.
Hamilton is best known for being implicated in the largest online poker cheating scandal in history. Using his access as a consultant for Ultimate Bet, Hamilton was able to pass on hole card information to a team of players, who then fleeced the high-stakes games on UB.
Chris Moneymaker – Moneymaker’s improbable road, from $39 satellite winner to WSOP Champion, ushered in a new era of poker players. The stars were aligned in 2003; when an online qualifier with the name Moneymaker (yes, that’s his real name) outlasted over 800 other players (including several top pros at the final table) in the first year of the “Hole-Card Cam”.
Moneymaker is still a staple on the tournament circuit, and is one of the most recognizable names in poker. The PokerStars spokesman still displays that same stoic demeanor, and likeability that was evidenced in 2003.
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