1986 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.
rs, won the Pot Limit Omaha in the 1986 SBOP. But it was the Deuce-to-Seven Lowball event that may have had the toughest final three competitors ever. Doyle Brunson
, a Poker Hall of Famer, has won ten WSOP bracelets and won this event. In order to win, he had to defeat two other Poker Hall Famers. Billy Baxter
, who own 7 bracelets, came in second place while Johnny Chan
, the third place finisher, is tied with Doyle for the second most bracelets at 10. T.J. Cloutier, another member of the Hall, and Jack Keller both won separate $500 Limit Hold'em events.
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.
1986 Tournament
Jack Keller, a member of Poker Hall of FamePoker 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...
rs, won the Pot Limit Omaha in the 1986 SBOP. But it was the Deuce-to-Seven Lowball event that may have had the toughest final three competitors ever. Doyle Brunson
Doyle Brunson
Doyle F. Brunson is an American professional poker player who has played professionally for over 50 years. He is the first two-time World Series of Poker main event champion to win consecutively, a Poker Hall of Fame inductee, and the author of several books on poker.Brunson is the first player to...
, a Poker Hall of Famer, has won ten WSOP bracelets and won this event. In order to win, he had to defeat two other Poker Hall Famers. Billy Baxter
Billy Baxter (poker player)
William E. Baxter, Jr. is an American professional poker player and sports bettor. He has won numerous tournament titles in his career as a professional poker player, including seven World Series of Poker bracelets....
, who own 7 bracelets, came in second place while Johnny Chan
Johnny Chan (poker player)
Johnny Chan rather than his Chinese birth name. born in Guangzhou, China in 1957) is a Chinese American professional poker player. He has won 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, including 1987 and 1988 World Series of Poker main events consecutively....
, the third place finisher, is tied with Doyle for the second most bracelets at 10. T.J. Cloutier, another member of the Hall, and Jack Keller both won separate $500 Limit Hold'em events.
Key
| * | Elected to the Poker Hall of Fame Poker Hall of Fame The Poker Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional poker playing in the United States. Founded and located in Las Vegas, Nevada, it was created in 1979 by Benny Binion, the owner of the Horseshoe Casino, to preserve the names and legacies of the world's greatest poker players and to serve... . |
| Place | The place in which people finish. |
| Name | The name of the player |
| Prize (US$) | Event prize prize money |
Event 1: $500 Limit Hold'em
- Number of buy-ins: 164
- Total prize pool: $82,000
- Number of payouts: 7
- Reference:
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Jack Keller* | $41,000 |
| 2nd | Eddie Schwettman | $16,400 |
| 3rd | Ralph Morton | $8,200 |
| 4th | John Esposito John Esposito (poker player) John Esposito Jr is an American professional poker player who won a World Series of Poker bracelet in Limit Hold'em.Esposito a veteran professional poker player who has 25 money finishes at the World Series of Poker including five final tables and six cashes in the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Main... |
$4,100 |
| 5th | Ronnie Willis | $4,100 |
| 6th | Charles Wright | $4,100 |
| 7th | Mike Catherwood | $4,100 |
Event 2: $1,000 Ace-to-Five Lowball
- Number of buy-ins: 45
- Total prize pool: $45,000
- Number of payouts: Unknown
- Reference:
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Dale Conway | $23,000 |
| 2nd | Brad Martin | $9,200 |
Event 3: 7 Card Stud
- Number of buy-ins: 45
- Total prize pool: $45,000
- Number of payouts: Unknown
- Reference:
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | John Yarmosh | $21,500 |
| 2nd | Eugene Lang | $8,600 |
Event 4: $500 Limit Hold'em
- Number of buy-ins: 97
- Total prize pool: $48,500
- Number of payouts: Unknown
- Reference:
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | T.J. Cloutier* | $24,250 |
| 2nd | AJ Jackson | $9,700 |
Event 5: $500 Omaha
- Number of buy-ins: Unknown
- Total prize pool: Unknown
- Number of payouts: Unknown
- Reference:
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Jay Heimowitz Jay Heimowitz Jay B. Heimowitz is an American poker player from Bethel, New York. Heimowitz was one of the original players to help establish the Mayfair Club as a premier poker house.... |
$13,500 |
| 2nd | Bernie Salter | $5,400 |
Event 6: Seven-Card Stud
- Number of buy-ins: Unknown
- Total prize pool: Unknown
- Number of payouts: Unknown
- Reference:
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Don Williams Don Williams (poker player) Don Williams is an American poker player.Williams has won three bracelets at the World Series of Poker , and has cashed in many other WSOP events including the Main Event.... |
$14,400 |
| 2nd | Norman Jay | $7,200 |
Event 7: Deuce-to-Seven Lowball
- Number of buy-ins: Unknown
- Total prize pool: Unknown
- Number of payouts: Unknown
- Reference:
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Doyle Brunson Doyle Brunson Doyle F. Brunson is an American professional poker player who has played professionally for over 50 years. He is the first two-time World Series of Poker main event champion to win consecutively, a Poker Hall of Fame inductee, and the author of several books on poker.Brunson is the first player to... * |
$43,500 |
| 2nd | Billy Baxter Billy Baxter (poker player) William E. Baxter, Jr. is an American professional poker player and sports bettor. He has won numerous tournament titles in his career as a professional poker player, including seven World Series of Poker bracelets.... * |
$21,750 |
| 3rd | Johnny Chan Johnny Chan (poker player) Johnny Chan rather than his Chinese birth name. born in Guangzhou, China in 1957) is a Chinese American professional poker player. He has won 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, including 1987 and 1988 World Series of Poker main events consecutively.... * |
$7,250 |
Event 8: $200 No Limit Hold'em
- Number of buy-ins: Unknown
- Total prize pool: Unknown
- Number of payouts: Unknown
- Reference:
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Bill Smith | $51,200 |
| 2nd | Jesse Alto | $20,400 |
| 2nd | Jack Lindsay | $10,240 |
Event 9: $2,500 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo
- Number of buy-ins: Unknown
- Total prize pool: Unknown
- Number of payouts: Unknown
- Reference:
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Bob Massie | $24,000 |
| 2nd | Chuck Sharp | $12,000 |
Event 10: Pot Limit Omaha
- Number of buy-ins: Unknown
- Total prize pool: Unknown
- Number of payouts: Unknown
- Reference:
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Bob Massie | $24,000 |
| 2nd | unknown | unknown |
| 3rd | unknown | unknown |
| 4th | unknown | unknown |
| 5th | Betty Carey | $7,750 |
Event 11: $1,000 Hold'em
- Number of buy-ins: Unknown
- Total prize pool: Unknown
- Number of payouts: Unknown
- Reference:
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Mickey Appelbaum | $77,500 |
| 2nd | Bill Stewart | $18,200 |
Event 12: $10,000 No Limit Hold'em
- Number of buy-ins: Unknown
- Total prize pool: Unknown
- Number of payouts: Unknown
- Reference:
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Billy Walter | $175,000 |
| 2nd | Richard Klamian | $70,000 |
| 3rd | Dale Conway | $35,000 |
| 4th | Al Ethier | $17,500 |
| 5th | Jay Heimowitz Jay Heimowitz Jay B. Heimowitz is an American poker player from Bethel, New York. Heimowitz was one of the original players to help establish the Mayfair Club as a premier poker house.... |
$17,500 |
| 6th | Louis Hunsucker | $17,500 |
| 7th | Junior Prejean | $17,500 |
| 8th | Roger Can Ausdall | $17,500 |
| 9th | Chip Reese Chip Reese David Edward Reese , more commonly known as Chip Reese, was an American professional poker player and gambler from Centerville, Ohio... * |
$17,500 |