Johnny Moss
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Nickname(s) | The Grand Old Man of Poker |
|---|---|
| Hometown | Dallas, Texas |
| Born | May 14, 1907 |
| Died | December 16, 1995 (aged 88) |
| World Series of Poker | |
| Bracelet(s) | 9 |
| Money finishes | 25 |
| Highest ITM Main Event finish |
Winner, 1970 ,1971, 1974 |
| Information accurate as of 30 January 2010. | |
Johnny Moss (May 14, 1907 – December 16, 1995)[1] was a long-time gambler and professional poker player.
Contents |
[edit] Learning the game
Moss was born in Marshall, Texas in 1907 and grew up in Dallas, Texas where he learned how to gamble as a young boy. A group of cheaters taught him how to cheat in games, but Moss put this knowledge to good use. As a teenager he was hired by a local saloon to watch over games and make sure they were played fairly. While he was keeping games safe from cheaters, he was also learning the strategy behind playing poker. Two years later he became a rounder, a player who travels the country looking for gambling action.
[edit] Heads up with Nick The Greek
In 1949, Moss played with Nick the Greek in a five month long "heads up" poker marathon set up by Benny Binion, winning between $2 and $4 million. At the conclusion of the game, Nick the Greek uttered what has become one of the most famous poker quotes ever: "Mr. Moss, I have to let you go."[1] This game is often cited as the inspiration behind the WSOP[1][2] This game became the foundation for Al Alvarez's book The Greatest Game in Town and is one of the best known stories in poker. Despite being one of the best known poker stories, a soon to be released book, Showgirl Stories, by Steve Fischer claims the game never took place.[3] According to Fischer, there were no stories or reports of this tournament until six years after Nick's death. Binion never spoke of the game even when providing a detailed history of Las Vegas and avoided answering questions about the game by saying, "Well, my memory ain't what it used to be."[3] While Nick the Greek was often covered by the national media, there are no news reports in any Vegas or national source. Fischer says that nearly every version of the story is virtually identical to the version first told by Moss begining around 1971. The story is consistently said to have taken place in 1949 at the Horseshoe Casino, a casino that did not exist for another year and a half. Fischer also points out that during the time that Binion supposedly set up the game, he was fighting off a request from Texas to have him extradited. Because of his past, Binion lost his license to run a gambling establishment in 1948 and did not regain it until April 13, 1950. He was not granted a license to open the Horseshoe Casino until December 5, 1952. Fischer believes that the notion of Binion sponsoring a poker game, in front of a window, of a casino that hasn't opened, while fighting off extradition is "absurd."[3]
[edit] The World Series of Poker
Moss won the 1970, 1971, and 1974 World Series of Poker main events. For the 1970 WSOP, Moss was actually elected champion by his peers and received a silver cup as his prize. A (possibly apocryphal) story about that election which has appeared in print several times has every one of the eight players voting for himself as the best player, and that it was only when the players were asked to vote for the second best player that Moss emerged. He played at every WSOP from 1970 through the 1995 World Series, and during his career he won nine WSOP bracelets, placing him fourth overall, behind Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson (10 each) and Phil Hellmuth (11). During his career he won $824,922 in WSOP tournament play.[4]
[edit] World Series of Poker bracelets
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | World Series of Poker Championship* | n/a |
| 1971 | $5,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship | $30,000 |
| 1971 | Limit Ace to 5 Draw | $10,000 |
| 1974 | $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship | $160,000 |
| 1975 | $1,000 Seven Card Stud | $44,000 |
| 1976 | $500 Seven Card Stud | $13,000 |
| 1979 | $5,000 Seven Card Stud | $48,000 |
| 1981 | $1,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo | $33,500 |
| 1988 | $1,500 Ace to Five Draw | $116,400 |
*In 1970, Moss was voted champion by his peers.
[edit] Legacy
Moss was sometimes called the "Grand Old Man" because of his longevity and superior play. He was one of the charter inductees to the Poker Hall of Fame in 1979.
The Texas Hold'em starting hand Ace-Ten is named "the Johnny Moss" in his honor.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Template:1yer johnny-moss
- ^ "WSOP and WSOPE history". Betfair. http://wsope.betfair.com/index.php/page/index/178. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
- ^ a b c Fischer, Steve. "The Biggest Game Never Played" in Poker Pro Magazine" pages 36-43. December 2009.
- ^ World Series of Poker Earnings, worldseriesofpoker.com
[edit] External links
|
|||||
