1984 Super Bowl of Poker
Encyclopedia
The Super Bowl of Poker was the second most prestigious poker tournament in the world during the 1980s. While the World Series of Poker
was already drawing larger crowds as more and more amateurs sought it out, the SBOP "was an affair limited almost exclusively to pros and hard-core amateurs."
Prior to 1979, the only high dollar tournament a person could enter was the WSOP. 1972 WSOP Main Event Champion and outspoken ambassador for poker Amarillo Slim
saw this as an opportunity. "The World Series of Poker was so successful that everybody wanted more than one tournament," he said. Slim called upon his connections and friendships with poker's elite to start a new tournament in the February 1979. Before the SBOP had developed a reputation of its own, many of the most respected names in poker attended the tournament "more to support Slim and take advantage of the very fat cash games the event would obviously inspire." Slim modelled his SBOP after the WSOP with several events and a $10,000 Texas Hold'em Main Event.
One of the principal differences between the WSOP and the SBOP was the prize structure. The WSOP's prize structure was flat ensuring more people received smaller pieces of the prize pool. The SBOP typically used a 60-30-10 payout structure. In other words, only the first three places received money and generally in the ratio of 60% to first place, 30% to second place, and 10% to third. This payment schedule predominated the SBOP for the first 5 years of the event, but as the event grew the number of payouts increased while keeping the payout schedule top heavy.
who would be one of only two people to win 3 WSOP Main Events, won the first of his three SBOP Main Events in 1984. With his victory, he brought more respect and prestige to the event. Prior to this victory, poker's elite players went to the tournament more with the notion of playing in the associated cash games and to support their friend Amarillo Slim. Stu's victory made the title one that poker's elite sought.
Lyle Berman
, who now serves as the Chairman of the Board of the World Poker Tour
and is a member of the Poker Hall of Fame
, won the $500 Pot Limit Omaha event.
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
was already drawing larger crowds as more and more amateurs sought it out, the SBOP "was an affair limited almost exclusively to pros and hard-core amateurs."
Prior to 1979, the only high dollar tournament a person could enter was the WSOP. 1972 WSOP Main Event Champion and outspoken ambassador for poker Amarillo Slim
Amarillo Slim
Thomas Austin Preston, Jr. , known as Amarillo Slim, is an American professional gambler known for his poker skills and proposition bets...
saw this as an opportunity. "The World Series of Poker was so successful that everybody wanted more than one tournament," he said. Slim called upon his connections and friendships with poker's elite to start a new tournament in the February 1979. Before the SBOP had developed a reputation of its own, many of the most respected names in poker attended the tournament "more to support Slim and take advantage of the very fat cash games the event would obviously inspire." Slim modelled his SBOP after the WSOP with several events and a $10,000 Texas Hold'em Main Event.
One of the principal differences between the WSOP and the SBOP was the prize structure. The WSOP's prize structure was flat ensuring more people received smaller pieces of the prize pool. The SBOP typically used a 60-30-10 payout structure. In other words, only the first three places received money and generally in the ratio of 60% to first place, 30% to second place, and 10% to third. This payment schedule predominated the SBOP for the first 5 years of the event, but as the event grew the number of payouts increased while keeping the payout schedule top heavy.
1984 tournament
The 1984 tournament was the first year that a WSOP Main Even Champion won the SBOP main Event. Stu UngarStu Ungar
Stuart Errol "Stu" Ungar was a professional poker and gin rummy player, widely regarded to have been the greatest Texas hold 'em and gin rummy player of all time....
who would be one of only two people to win 3 WSOP Main Events, won the first of his three SBOP Main Events in 1984. With his victory, he brought more respect and prestige to the event. Prior to this victory, poker's elite players went to the tournament more with the notion of playing in the associated cash games and to support their friend Amarillo Slim. Stu's victory made the title one that poker's elite sought.
Lyle Berman
Lyle Berman
Lyle Arnold Berman is a professional poker player and business executive.-Business:Berman grew up in Minnesota and attended the University of Minnesota where he graduated in 1964 with a degree in business administration. He then went to work for his father's leather business, Berman Buckskin. ...
, who now serves as the Chairman of the Board of the World Poker Tour
World Poker Tour
The World Poker Tour is a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting the final table of each tournament. It was started in the United States by attorney/television producer Steven Lipscomb, who served as CEO of WPT Enterprises , the firm that...
and is a member of the Poker Hall of Fame
Poker Hall of Fame
The Poker Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional poker playing in the United States. Founded and located in Las Vegas, Nevada, it was created in 1979 by Benny Binion, the owner of the Horseshoe Casino, to preserve the names and legacies of the world's greatest poker players and to serve...
, won the $500 Pot Limit Omaha event.
Key
| * | Elected to the Poker Hall of Fame Poker Hall of Fame The Poker Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional poker playing in the United States. Founded and located in Las Vegas, Nevada, it was created in 1979 by Benny Binion, the owner of the Horseshoe Casino, to preserve the names and legacies of the world's greatest poker players and to serve... . |
| † | Denotes player who is deceased. |
| Place | The place in which people finish. |
| Name | The name of the player |
| Prize (US$) | Event prize prize money |
Event 1: $ 10,000 No Limit Hold'em
- Number of buy-ins: Unknown
- Total prize pool: $525,000
- Number of payouts: 6
- Reference:
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Stu Ungar Stu Ungar Stuart Errol "Stu" Ungar was a professional poker and gin rummy player, widely regarded to have been the greatest Texas hold 'em and gin rummy player of all time.... * |
$275,000 |
| 2nd | Ralph Morton | $110,000 |
| 3rd | Richard Klamian | $55,000 |
| 4th | Chip Reese Chip Reese David Edward Reese , more commonly known as Chip Reese, was an American professional poker player and gambler from Centerville, Ohio... * |
$27,500 |
| 5th | Ken Flaton | $27,500 |
| 6th | Austin Squatty | $27,500 |
Event 2: Ace-to-Five Lowball
- Number of buy-ins: Unknown
- Total prize pool: Unknown
- Number of payouts:
- Reference:
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Gabe Kaplan Gabe Kaplan Gabriel W. "Gabe" Kaplan is an American comedian, actor, poker commentator, and professional poker player.He was born in Brooklyn, New York... |
Unknown |
Event 3: $ 500 Ladies Limit Seven Card Stud
- Number of buy-ins: Unknown
- Total prize pool: Unknown
- Number of payouts: 6
- Reference:
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Barbara Lewis | $10,500 |
Event 4: $ 500 Pot Limit Omaha
- Number of buy-ins: Unknown
- Total prize pool: Unknown
- Number of payouts: 2
- Reference:
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Lyle Berman Lyle Berman Lyle Arnold Berman is a professional poker player and business executive.-Business:Berman grew up in Minnesota and attended the University of Minnesota where he graduated in 1964 with a degree in business administration. He then went to work for his father's leather business, Berman Buckskin. ... * |
$97,750 |
| 2nd | Ralph Morton | $39,100 |
Event 5: $ 500 Limit Hold'em
- Number of buy-ins: Unknown
- Total prize pool: Unknown
- Number of payouts: Unknown
- Reference:
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Jim Craig | $43,000 |
Event 6: $ 5,000 Seven Card Stud - Championship Event
- Number of buy-ins: Unknown
- Total prize pool: Unknown
- Number of payouts: Unknown
- Reference:
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Mickey Appleman Mickey Appleman Mickey L. Appleman is an American professional poker player, sports bettor, and sports handicapper now living in Fort Lee, New Jersey... |
Unknown |