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1976 World Series of Poker
The 1976 World Series of Poker was the seventh annual World Series of Poker. It was held at Binnions Horseshoe in May of 1976. There were seven preliminary events, up from four the previous year, and a $10,000 buy-in no-limit Texas Hold ‘Em Main Event.
The preliminary events included $2,500 No Limit Holdem, $1,000 No Limit Holdem, $5,000 Deuce to Seven Draw with Rebuys, $1,000 Ace to Five Draw, $1,000 Seven Card Stud Split, $500 Seven Card Stud, and $5,000 Seven Card Stud.
The big winners of the preliminary events were Howard Andrew and Doyle Brunson. Andrew won both the $2,500 No Limit Holdem and the $1,000 No Limit Holdem tournaments for a combined total of $51,600. Doyle Brunson walked away from the $5,000 Deuce to Seven Draw with Rebuys as the winner of an $80,250 cash prize.
Poker legend Johnny Moss had an impact on the WSOP yet again. The 3-time world champion won the $500 Seven Card Stud for a cash prize of $13,000. He struggled in the Main Event though. It was played on his 69th birthday, and the aging legend was out of the tournament after two hours. He was the third man out.
Brunson wasnt done after the preliminary events. He was one of 22 players to participate in the Main Event, up from 21 in 1975. All but 3 of the 22 were full-time gamblers and 13 of them were Texans. Each player needed $10,000 to enter the tournament, and when the players stock was gone, so was he. The last man standing would end up with all the cash $220,000 to be exact.
Brunson had been a staple of the WSOP since its inception. His two friends, Thomas “Amarillo Slim” Preston and Brian “Sailor” Roberts, had both won the Main Event, but Brunson had yet to win it.
After 20 players were eliminated, Brunson was left in the final two along with Jesse Alto. Alto was one of the three players in the Main Event who wasnt a full-time gambler. At first, Alto held the chip lead, but the experienced Brunson knew it was only a matter of time before he started to let his emotions get the best of him.
Brunson ended up winning the tournament on a very unlikely hand. Eventually, Brunson was dealt a 10 of spades and a 2 of spades. Prior the river card being flipped, Brunson had a pair of 10s and a pair of 2s. Alto, however, had a pair of aces and a pair of jacks. With Alto all in, the river card was flipped to reveal another 10. Brunson had miraculously pulled off a 10s over 2s full house to win the tournament and $220,000.
The ten-deuce hand would later come to be known as “the Doyle Brunson.” Reportedly, it didnt take long for Alto to get back to playing cards. He is rumored to have been playing in a new game of Texas Holdem just a half hour later. “Why not?” he asked. “I came to play. That game is over.”