1976 - This Year in WSOP History

May 5

Johnny Moss Wins $500 Seven-Card Stud for Record Sixth Bracelet
Defeats field of 52 for $26,000 in opening event of the 1976 WSOP.

$500 Seven-Card Stud (Event #1, 3 days [5/3 start])

Winner: Johnny Moss ($13,000 & 6th bracelet)

Entries: 52 (5 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 6

$1,000 Seven-Card Stud Split (Event #3, 1 day)

Winner: Doc Green ($12,750 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 17 (2 paid)

After a mere 75 minutes, the prizes were split 75%-25% by rule when heads-up play was reached, with Green (some sources, including WSOP.com, spell it "Greene") ahead of Artie Cobb 8,825 to 8,175. Date is approximate.

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 7

Walter Smiley Becomes First Black Player to Earn a Bracelet
Wins $5,000 Seven-Card Stud for $35,000 after defeating Eric Drache heads up.

$5,000 Seven-Card Stud (Event #2, 2 days [5/5 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Walter Smiley ($35,000 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 11 (3 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 10

Doyle Brunson Wins $5,000 Deuce-to-Seven Draw for First Bracelet
Defeats field of 14 (6 rebuys) for $90,250.

$5,000 Deuce-to-Seven Draw (Event #4, 3 days [5/7 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Doyle Brunson ($90,250 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 14 [6 rebuys] (3 paid)

Brunson's prize consisted of 75% of the value of his chips when play reached 3-way plus all of the remaining 25% ($57,570 + $32,500).

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,500 Non-Professional No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #5, 2 days [5/9 start])

Winner: Howard Andrew ($23,750 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 25 (4 paid)

This was a "non-professional" tournament that explicitly prohibited poker pros.

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 12

$10,000 Ace-to-Five Draw (Event #6, 2 days [5/11 start])

Winner: Perry Green ($68,300 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 5 [3 rebuys] (2 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 13

Howard Andrew Wins $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em for Second Bracelet of Year
Defeats record field of 56 for $28,000 just three days after beating a field of 25 for $23,750 in the $2,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em. At 41, Andrew becomes the youngest multiple bracelet winner.

$1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #7, 2 days [5/12 start])

Winner: Howard Andrew ($28,000 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 56 (5 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 17

Doyle Brunson Wins 1976 WSOP Main Event
Defeats field of 22, including Jesse Alto heads up, for $220,000 and second bracelet.

$10,000 Main Event - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #8, 3 days [5/14 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Doyle Brunson ($220,000 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 22 (1 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 22

Martin Staszko [] b. in Trinec, Czech Republic
2011 WSOP Main Event 2nd place ($5,433,086).
Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

August 10

Jimmy Casella d. 1976 [age 52] (b. 6/3/1924)
Three unpaid Top 10 WSOP Main Event finishes: 1972 8th, 1973 7th, & 1974 10th. Won 1971 $1,000 Razz ($10,000), 1974 $10,000 Seven-Card Stud ($41,225), & 1974 $1,000 Razz ($25,000).
Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

August 11

Erick Lindgren [] b. in Burney, California as Erick Allan Lindgren
Won 2008 $5,000 Mixed Hold 'Em ($374,505) & 2013 $5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em Shootout ($606,317). 2008 WSOP Player of the Year. WPT Player of the Year 2003-04 (Season 2).
Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

December 20

Michael Binger [] b. in Delray Beach, Florida
2006 WSOP Main Event 3rd place ($4,123,310).
Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon