Mark Rogers

Gary noted that the Leyser-Gold case had been settled recently. Sounds like Jamie Gold had to hand over a substantial portion of his $12M.(Couldn't have happened to a cooler guy.) The following lists some quick hits about past WSOP prizes.

2006: David Einhorn finished 18th in the Main Event, won $659,730, turned around and gave the entire sum to the Michael J. Fox Foundation. (Jamie Gold eliminated him.)

2005: Steve Dannenman finished runner-up to Joseph Hachem, won $4,250,000, and split half of the loot with Jerry Ditzell; a friend who bought half his entry fee. Even with no written agreement, Dannenman noted that "it was a gentleman's agreement - implied but not spoken."

2003: Before heads-up play commenced, Chris Moneymaker and Sammy Farha found themselves in the restroom together. Moneymaker proposed a split deal that Farha politely declined.

1999: After winning $1,000,000 in the Main Event, Irishman Noel Furlong was happy to inform everyone that there were no taxes on gaming in Ireland.

1991: Huck Seed bought 40% of the eventual winner Brad Daugherty. Seed not only cashed $400,000 for that investment but ended up winning the Main Event himself in 1996.

1989: The youngest Main Event winner, Phil Hellmuth, purchased a Benz for his dad, contributed to his siblings’ college funds and gave a good chunk to the University of Wisconsin.

1988: Johnny Moss won his last bracelet at the age of 80. The event was the Ace-to-Five draw and the $116,400 prize purse went straight to Virgie Moss as a 62nd anniversary gift.

1984: Jack Keller won the Main Event, won $660,000, paid out his backers and had $280,000 left to pay for his two sons’ school tuition.

1983: The first satellite winner to win the Main Event, Tom McEvoy, held on to less than $200,000. The remainder of the $540,000 went to his backers.

1982: Jack Straus gave $20,000 of his $520,000 Main Event money to the dealers and staff; some of the rest went to an African safari and an elephant for his friend Ray Miranda.

1981: After winning his second consecutive Main Event and collecting $375,000 for his efforts, Stu Ungar simply explained that his plans were to “Lose it.”

1977: Doyle Brunson used his $340,000 Main Event payday to start his own publishing company and produce his own book initially titled, "How I Made over $1,000,000 Playing Poker." And since the work has been renamed, "Super/System: A Course in Power Poker."

1973: Puggy Pearson took a portion of his Main Event $130,000 to purchase an Imperial Holiday Rambler. On the side of the mobile home in big letters read:

“I’LL PLAY ANY MAN FROM ANY LAND ANY GAME THAT HE CAN NAME FOR ANY AMOUNT THAT HE CAN COUNT.”

Followed in smaller letters with

“PROVIDED I LIKE IT.”

Mark Rogers is the author of 52 Greatest Moments, World Series of Poker
Find out more at www.52pokermoments.com