1970 World Series of Poker

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1970 was the first year that the World Series of Poker was held. Unlike the WSOP events which followed it which are decided using a freeze-out tournament, the 1970 champion was decided by voting. Jack Binion invited the best seven poker players in America to his casino in Las Vegas to decide whom America's best poker player was. Johnny Moss was voted the best in the world by "Amarillo Slim" Preston, Brian "Sailor" Roberts, Doyle "Texas Dolly" Brunson, Walter "Puggy" Pearson, Crandall Addington and Carl Cannon. He walked away with a silver cup.

According to an apocryphal legend, two votes were taken to determine the best player in the world. In the first, the players were asked to vote for the best player, and, the story goes, each voted for himself. In the second vote, they were asked to vote for the second-best player, and Moss won the vote.

Major poker tournaments