1989

Poker Omnibus W50P

February 23

Dan Smith [], b. Manalapan Township, NJ
Won 2022 $25,000 Head Up No-Limit Hold 'Em ($509,717). 2016 High Roller for One Drop 2nd place ($3,078,974). 2018 Big One for One Drop 3rd place ($4,000,000). Four cashes for $500,000+ and ten for $100,000+.
Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

March 10

Dan Kelly [], b. Fairfax, VA
Two bracelets: 2010 $25,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max ($1,315,518) & 2014 $1,500 Limit Hold 'Em ($195,167). 10 final tables.
Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

March 12

Sarge Ferris d. 1989 [age 60] (b. 12/1/1928)
Won 1980 $10,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw ($150,000) from which he staked Stu Ungar for his WSOP Main Event victory. Poker Hall of Fame 1989.
Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

April 11

Bryan Piccioli [], b. Allegany, NY
2017 WSOP Main Event 6th place ($1,675,000); Two bracelets: 2013 WSOP Asia-Pacific $1,100 No-Limit Hold 'Em Accumulator ($211,575) & 2021 Online $500 No-Limit Hold 'Em Turbo Deepstack ($83,332).
Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

April 16

Austin Squatty d. 1989 [age 49] (b. 3/22/1940)
1983 WSOP Main Event 7th place ($21,600).
Obituary | WSOP.com | Hendon

May 3

Dewey Tomko Reaches Decade-High 12th Final Table of 1980s
Finishes 8th in $1,000 Limit Hold 'Em for $8,980. [Tomko would end the decade one ahead of Berry Johnston and Jack Keller.]

WSOP Awards 200th Bracelet
George Allen Shaw defeats record field of 449 in $1,000 Limit Hold 'Em for $179,600 and the historic bracelet.

$1,000 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #1, began 5/2)

Winner: George Allen Shaw ($179,600)

Entries: 449 (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 4

Pius Heinz [], b. Odendorf, Germany
2011 WSOP Main Event winner ($8,715,638).
Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Seven-Card Razz (Event #2, began 5/3)

Winner: John Laudon ($95,400)

Entries: 159 (16 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 5

$1,500 Seven-Card Stud Split (Event #3, began 5/4)

Winner: Mike Sexton ($104,400)

Entries: 174 (16 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 6

$500 Women's Seven-Card Stud (Event #4, began 5/5)

Winner: Alma McClelland ($18,600)

Entries: 93 (8 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 7

$1,500 Limit Ace-to-Five Draw with Joker (Event #5, began 5/6)

Winner: Harry Madoff ($119,400)

Entries: 199 (16 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 8

$1,500 Seven-Card Stud Is 200th Event in WSOP History
The milestone comes six events after the 200th bracelet due to one chop and five Mixed Doubles events.

$1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #6, began 5/7)

Winner: Blacky Blackburn ($108,000)

Entries: 180 (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 9

Mel Judah Wins $1,500 Seven-Card Stud for Australia's First Bracelet
Defeats field of 218 for $130,800.

$1,500 Seven-Card Stud (Event #7, began 5/8)

Winner: Mel Judah ($130,800)

Entries: 218 (16 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$5,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw (Event #8, began 5/9)

Winner: Bob Stupak ($139,500)

Entries: 34$ (28 rebuys) (5 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 10

Stephen Chidwick [], b. Deal, Kent, England
Won 2019 $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller ($1,618,417). 20 final tables.
Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

May 11

Gabe Kaplan Finishes Fifth in $5,000 Seven-Card Stud
Earns $23,100 in event won by Don Holt.

$5,000 Seven-Card Stud (Event #9, began 5/10)

Winner: Don Holt ($154,000)

Entries: 77 (8 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 12

$1,500 Limit Omaha (Event #10, began 5/11)

Winner: Lyle Berman ($108,600)

Entries: 181 (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 13

$2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #11, began 5/12)

Winner: Frank Henderson ($184,000)

Entries: 99$ (85 rebuys) (9 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 14

Norman Keyser Wins $2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em for South Africa's First Bracelet
Defeats field of 305 for $244,000.

$2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #12, began 5/13)

Winner: Norman Keyser ($244,000)

Entries: 305 (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 15

Robin Brown Wins Female Record $53,000
Finishes third in $2,000 Limit Hold 'Em, while Thomas Chung wins his first bracelet and $212,000.

$2,000 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #13, began 5/14)

Winner: Thomas Chung ($212,000)

Entries: 265 (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 19

Phil Hellmuth Wins 1989 WSOP Main Event
Defeats field of 178, including double defending title holder and Last Champ Standing Johnny Chan heads up, for $755,000 to become the youngest Main Event champion at 24. For the first and only time in WSOP history, no tournament winner in 1989 had previously won a bracelet.

$10,000 Main Event - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #14, began 5/15)

Winner: Phil Hellmuth ($755,000)

Entries: 178 (36 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 7

Benny Glaser [], b. Southampton, UK
Four bracelets: 2015 $1,500 Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw ($136,215), 2016 $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo ($244,103), 2016 $10,000 Omaha Hi/Lo ($407,194), & 2021 Razz ($274,693).
Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

July 13

Gordon Vayo [], b. Connecticut
2016 WSOP Main Event 2nd place ($4,661,228).
WSOP.com | Hendon

September 19

Loni Harwood [], b. Staten Island, NY as Loni Harwood
Won 2013 $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (609,017) and 2015 $10,000 Circuit National Championship ($341,599). Tied women's record with three final tables in 2013. Holds women's record of 5 open Circuit rings (La Sengphet has six but two were Ladies events) and is the only female with multiple bracelets and multiple rings. [estimated birthdate]
Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

November 14

Daniel Cates [], b. Virginia
Two bracelets: 2021 & 2022 $50,000 Poker Players Championship ($954,020 & $1,449,103).
Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

December 23

Sarge Ferris Inducted Into Poker Hall of Fame
Ferris, who won the 1980 WSOP Deuce-to-Seven and used some of his profit to stake Stu Ungar for the Main Event, joins the Hall nine months after passing away.

December 25

Benny Binion d. 1989 [age 85] (b. 11/20/1904)
Founder of Binion's Horseshoe Casino and the World Series of Poker. Poker Hall of Fame 1990 & Seniors Poker Hall of Fame 1995.
Obituary | Wikipedia

[Go to 1990]

{ Data is current through January 1, 2023. }