1978

Poker Omnibus W50P

February 15

Tuan Le [], b. Paris, France
Two bracelets: 2014 & 2015 $10,000 Limit Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw ($355,324 & $322,756). 2 WPT titles.
Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

April 26

Lakewood Louie Wins Debut $5,000 Limit Draw for First Bracelet
Defeats field of seven for $21,000 in opening event of the 1978 WSOP.

$5,000 Limit Draw High (Event #1, began 4/25)

Winner: Lakewood Louie ($21,000)

Entries: 7 (3 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

April 27

Total WSOP Entries Top 1,000
32 players enter $1,000 Razz to reach the milestone.

April 28

$1,000 Ace-to-Five Draw (Event #2, began 4/27)

Winner: Henry Young ($19,200)

Entries: 32 (3 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

April 30

Gary Berland Wins $1,000 Razz for Second Bracelet
Defeats field of 32 for $19,200. Joe Macchiaverna finishes 3rd for $3,200, the 100th prize awarded in WSOP history.

$1,000 Seven-Card Razz (Event #3, began 4/29)

Winner: Gary Berland ($19,200)

Entries: 32 (3 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 2

$1,000 Seven-Card Stud Split (Event #4, began 5/1)

Winner: David Reese ($19,200)

Entries: 32 (3 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 4

Gary Berland Wins $500 Seven-Card Stud for Third Bracelet, Second of Year
Defeats field of 57 for $17,100 and second bracelet in a week.

$500 Seven-Card Stud (Event #5, began 5/3)

Winner: Gary Berland ($17,100)

Entries: 57 (3 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 6

Doyle Brunson Wins $5,000 Seven-Card Stud for Fifth Bracelet
Defeats field of 23, including Bobby Baldwin heads up, for $69,000.

$5,000 Seven-Card Stud (Event #6, began 5/5)

Winner: Doyle Brunson ($69,000)

Entries: 23 (3 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 8

Billy Baxter Wins $10,000 Deuce-to-Seven Draw for Second Bracelet
Defeats field of 15, including Byron Wolford heads up, for $90,000.

$10,000 Deuce-to-Seven Draw (Event #7, began 5/7)

Winner: Billy Baxter ($90,000)

Entries: 15 (3 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 9

$5,000 Pot-Limit Five-Card Stud With 32-Card Deck Cancelled
Four years after a 52-card Five-Card Stud tournament was last held at the WSOP, attempt to resurrect the game with a short deck abandoned.

May 12

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #8, began 5/11)

Winner: Hans Lund ($46,800)

Entries: 52 (3 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 14

$200 Women's Seven-Card Stud (Event #9, began 5/13)

Winner: Terry Windham ($10,080)

Entries: 84 (3 paid)

Terry Windham later remarried and became Terry King, and Starla Thompson became Starla Brodie.

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 15

$1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #10, began 5/14)

Winner: Aubrey Day ($42,600)

Entries: 71 (3 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 16

Barbara Freer Becomes First Woman to Play in WSOP Main Event
The El Cajon, California saloon owner survives until late on Day 2, outlasting over half of the field to finish 18th of 42 players.

Gabe Kaplan Becomes First Celebrity to Play in WSOP Main Event
Busts after only four hours after claiming he just learned how to play Hold 'Em.

May 19

Bobby Baldwin Wins 1978 WSOP Main Event
Defeats field of 42, including Crandell Addington heads up, for $210,000 and third bracelet as he becomes youngest Main Event champion at age 28. Tournament is first WSOP bracelet event to pay five places at CBS's request (the television network wanted to prevent secret deals).

$10,000 Main Event - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #11, began 5/16)

Winner: Bobby Baldwin ($210,000)

Entries: 42 (5 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 26

Sid Wyman d. 1978 [age 68] (b. 6/1/1910)
1974 WSOP Main Event 5th place (not paid). High-stakes player who owned the Sands, Riviera, Royal Nevada, and Dunes casinos. Voted "Most Respected Player" at the 1974 WSOP, where he finished 3rd in the $10,000 Seven-Card Stud. Poker Hall of Fame 1979.
Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

July 4

Fatima Moreira de Melo [], b. Rotterdam, Netherlands
Last Celebrity Standing in 2015 WSOP Main Event (286th for $34,157).
Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

November 24

Robert Mizrachi [], b. Sunny Isles Beach, FL
Four bracelets: 2007 $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha ($768,889), 2014 $1,500 Dealer's Choice 6-Max ($147,092), 2015 $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo ($251,022), & 2016 $10,000 Seven-Card Stud ($242,662).
Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

December 8

Antonio Esfandiari [], b. Tehran, Iran as Amir Esfandiari
Three bracelets: 2004 $2,000 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em ($184,860), 2012 Big One for One Drop ($18,346,673; biggest WSOP prize ever), & 2012 WSOP Europe €1,100 No-Limit Hold 'Em (€126,207).
Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

December 12

Brandon Adams [], b. New Orleans, LA as George Brandon Adams
Won 2019 Online $3,200 No-Limit Hold 'Em High Roller ($411,561). Published Broke: "A Poker Novel" in 2008. Numerous television appearances on "High Stakes Poker" and "Poker After Dark".
Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

December 16

"The Gambler" Reaches Number One on Billboard Country Chart
Kenny Roger's song would stay there three weeks, cross over to reach #16 on the Billboard Hot 100, and win songwriter Don Schlitz a Grammy for Best Country Song. Rogers would sing the hit live at the 1979 WSOP, with CBS featuring it on its broadcast.

[Go to 1979]

{ Data is current through January 1, 2023. }