What are the top 10 most memorable moments in World Series of Poker history?
1. Chris Moneymaker’s win in 2003: Moneymaker, an amateur player who qualified online, won the Main Event and became a huge catalyst for the poker boom.
2. Stu Ungar’s comeback win in 1997: Ungar, a legendary poker player, made a remarkable comeback to win his third Main Event title after being nearly broke.
3. Phil Hellmuth’s record 15th bracelet win in 2018: Hellmuth surpassed Doyle Brunson’s record for most WSOP bracelets, solidifying his status as one of the greatest players of all time.
4. Johnny Chan’s back-to-back wins in 1987 and 1988: Chan became the first player to win back-to-back Main Event titles, cementing his status as a poker legend.
5. Jamie Gold’s record-setting win in 2006: Gold won the largest Main Event prize in history, taking home $12 million, and played an unconventional yet memorable style.
6. Jack Straus’ “chip and a chair” comeback in 1982: Straus famously thought he was eliminated when he pushed his remaining chip forward only for it to be discovered, making a huge comeback and winning the Main Event.
7. Greg Raymer’s fossil card protector in 2004: Raymer used a plastic toy dinosaur as his card protector, becoming one of the most iconic and memorable visuals in WSOP history.
8. Joe Hachem’s win in 2005: Hachem, an Australian player, became the first non-American to win the Main Event and popularized poker in Australia.
9. Scotty Nguyen’s “baby” quote in 1998: While heads-up in the Main Event, Nguyen famously said, “You call, gonna be all over baby,” which has become one of the most quoted phrases in WSOP history.
10. Phil Ivey’s near miss in 2009: Ivey narrowly missed out on winning his first Main Event title, finishing in 7th place, but his deep run and skillful play solidified his reputation as one of the best poker players in the world.