Benny Binion and the World Series of Poker

Sky Poker at the WSOP in Las Vegas

The 2016 WSOP is well underway now. A few weeks ago I previewed it on here by calling it the "Biggest, baddest and best poker festival in the world."

I have been asked by a good few people why I described it as "baddest." It was, in truth, part me trying to be cool - "bad" is good in street lingo these days (see "sick", which can be sick good, or sick bad).

However, it certainly qualifies for bad - really bad - if we take a quick look at the history of the WSOP. And yes, I know how boring history can be, but believe me, the backstory to the WSOP is an absolutely fascinating tale, involving murder, racketeering, bribery, corruption, and money laundering. Think that justifies the "bad", don't you?

This, of course, was way back in the days when Las Vegas was run by the mob. These days, it's been cleaned up, and the WSOP itself is squeaky clean. The original venue was The Horseshoe in Fremont Street, Downtown Las Vegas.

The place was run by a chap named Benny Binion, who relocated in Las Vegas after being run out of Dallas for running numbers rackets, the occasional alleged murder, and assorted other illegal enterprises. He was struggling to escape the law, so upped sticks and started over in Vegas.

In the next 30 years, he was implicated in some 12 murders, either by his own hand, or via hired killers. This sounds a little far-fetched, but it's true, he admitted so frequently, and it is a matter of record. In fact he was twice convicted of murder. One enemy of Benny's, Herbert Noble, survived no less than 12 murder attempts by Benny and his henchman, including one occasion when Mrs Noble was blown to smithereens one day when she borrowed Herbert's car and it exploded when she turned the ignition key. Right car, wrong victim. Herbert was eventually murdered when his car was blown up a few years later. Try reading "Blood Aces - the Wild Ride of Benny Binion, the Texas Gangster who created Vegas Poker." It's an absolutely incredible tale, and the book is a real page turner which you'll struggle to put down.

Before Benny retired - in fact he was forced to take a back seat as his past caught up with him and he lost his casino licence - he came up with the idea of the WSOP.

The very first WSOP was a weird affair - the players had to vote for the winner. Of course, being poker players, they each voted for themselves, so that never worked. The next year, they came up with the idea of a knockout tournament, and so began the WSOP proper.   

His past eventually caught up with Benny, he served time in jail for tax evasion, and eventually, his son Teddy took over. Teddy Binion had his own problems, drug abuse, loose women, and association with shady characters, so much so that he was eventually banned from his own casino, and, soon after, either died of a drug overdose, or was murdered - it depends what version you read. Suffice to say, it was a messy do.

The Horseshoe then began a gentle decline. At one stage it was said to be worth $100 million or more, but by 2003, it was in serious money trouble, and could not always honour gambling debts owed to winners. Things came to a head when they failed to pay employees union dues, and a court order was swerved on the casino demanding $1 million, which they were unable to pay.

At this point, enter a business called "Harrahs," later known as Caesars Entertainment. Harrahs purchased the Horseshoe for a pittance, paid the $1 million debt, then promptly sold The Horseshoe within a few days. In selling it, however, they retained just one crucial asset - the rights to the name "World Series of Poker," and with it, the rights to run the WSOP annually.

Since then the Horseshoe (subsequently re-named) has changed hands again, and I'm happy to report that it is strictly street legal these days. And if you find yourself in Las Vegas, you must go visit Binions Gambling Hall, as it is known these days. Don't expect a floor show - uniquely for a Vegas casino, they have never offered "entertainment," and the place is shabby at best, with threadbare carpets, and huge swathes of the building closed and in total disrepair. But that is the charm of Binions Gambling Hall - it a unique combination of Las Vegas and poker history, all under one, albeit leaky, roof. Please try and experience it, you won't regret it. Make sure you view the Poker Hall of Fame on the walls of the cardroom, too.

Meanwhile, since Caesars took over the WSOP, it has been staged at the Rio All Suite Hotel, which is off-strip, and it has grown out of all recognition. The 2016 renewal contains nearly 70 different events of every shape, size, buy-in, and format. It is televised in over 80 different countries, thanks to a deal with ESPN, and the main event these days gets between 6,000 and 7,000 thousand players every year.

Oddly, the Main Event buy-in is the one thing that has never changed - it remains at $10,000.

Amazing story, really, how the WSOP was born, sold, and eventually prospered. And it all began with a Texas cowboy by the name of Benny Binion.

We can't deny Benny Binion was a wrong 'un - he was, but he, more than anyone, founded Las Vegas as we know it these days, and crucially for poker, came up with the idea of the WSOP. And for that, we should be grateful. Or, bearing in mind all of Benny's misdemeanours, maybe not.

Villain, or hero? It's hard to say. Either way, if you enjoy poker, and Las Vegas, tip your hat to Benny Binion - without him, neither would have prospered. And for that, perhaps we can forgive the occasional murder.

God bless Benny Binion.*

* Terms and conditions apply.