1997 - This Year in WSOP History

April 23

$2,000 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #1, began 4/22)

Winner: Kevin Song ($397,120)

Entries: 544 (28 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

April 24

Linda Johnson Wins $1,500 Razz for First Bracelet
Defeats field of 160 for $96,000.

$1,500 Seven-Card Razz (Event #2, began 4/23)

Winner: Linda Johnson ($96,000)

Entries: 160 (16 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

April 25

$1,500 Limit Omaha (Event #3, began 4/24)

Winner: Claude Cohen ($110,400)

Entries: 184 (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

April 26

Maria Stern Wins $1,500 Seven-Card Stud for Costa Rica's First Female Bracelet
Defeats field of 257 for $140,708 just two days after Linda Johnson to make this the first year two women capture open events (3rd and 4th ever). Maria and her husband Max Stern become the first married couple to both win open bracelets.

$1,500 Seven-Card Stud (Event #4, began 4/25)

Winner: Maria Stern ($140,708)

Entries: 257 (24 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

April 27

Chris Bjorin Wins $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha for Sweden's First Bracelet
Defeats field of 140 (142 rebuys) for $169,200.

$1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #5, began 4/26)

Winner: Chris Bjorin ($169,200)

Entries: 140$ (142 rebuys) (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

April 28

$1,500 Seven-Card Stud Split (Event #6, began 4/27)

Winner: Doug Saab ($130,305)

Entries: 238 (24 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

April 29

$2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #7, began 4/28)

Winner: John Anthony Cernuto ($259,150)

Entries: 355 (27 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

April 30

Scotty Nguyen Wins $2,000 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo for First Bracelet
Defeats field of 215, including Mike Matusow heads up, for $156,950.

$2,000 Limit Omaha 8 or Better (Event #8, began 4/29)

Winner: Scotty Nguyen ($156,950)

Entries: 215 (27 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 1

$2,000 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #9, began 4/30)

Winner: Dave Ulliott ($180,310)

Entries: 247 (27 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 2

$2,500 Seven-Card Stud (Event #10, began 5/1)

Winner: Vasilis Lazarou ($169,000)

Entries: 169 (16 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 3

Matthias Rohnacher Wins $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha for Germany's First Bracelet
Defeats field of 87 (96 rebuys) for $183,000.

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

Winner: Matthias Rohnacher ($183,000)

Entries: 87$ (96 rebuys) (9 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 4

Max Stern Wins $2,500 Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo, With Wife Maria First Spouses to Win Bracelets in the Same Year
Defeats field of 217 for $237,615 and third bracelet a week after Maria wins $1,500 Seven-Card Stud.

$2,500 Seven-Card Stud Split (Event #12, began 5/3)

Winner: Max Stern ($117,000)

Entries: 117 (16 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 5

$3,000 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #13, began 5/4)

Winner: Louis Asmo ($231,600)

Entries: 193 (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 6

$3,000 Limit Omaha 8 or Better (Event #14, began 5/5)

Winner: Dean Stonier ($145,200)

Entries: 121 (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 7

Phil Hellmuth Wins $3,000 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em for Sixth Bracelet
Defeats field of 170, including Tom McEvoy heads up, for $204,000 and his decade-leading fifth bracelet of the 1990s.

Johnny Chan Wins $5,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw for Fifth Bracelet
Defeats field of 32 (41 rebuys) for $164,250. Chan beat Lyle Berman heads up for the second time (1985 $1,000 Limit Hold 'Em).

$3,000 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #15, began 5/6)

Winner: Phil Hellmuth ($204,000)

Entries: 170 (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$5,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw (Event #16, began 5/7)

Winner: Johnny Chan ($164,250)

Entries: 32$ (41 rebuys) (5 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 9

Max Stern Wins $3,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em for Third Bracelet, Second of Year
Defeats field of 217 for $237,615 and record three bracelets by a husband and wife (Maria) in a single year.

$3,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #17, began 5/8)

Winner: Max Stern ($237,615)

Entries: 217 (27 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 10

$5,000 Seven-Card Stud (Event #18, began 5/9)

Winner: Mel Judah ($176,000)

Entries: 88 (8 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 11

$5,000 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #19, began 5/10)

Winner: Bob Veltri ($224,000)

Entries: 112 (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 12

Susie Isaacs Wins Second Consecutive Ladies Championship
Defeats field of 95 for $38,000 a year after collecting $42,000.

Roger Moore Inducted Into Poker Hall of Fame
Moore finished sixth in the 1986 Main Event and won the 1994 $5,000 Seven-Card Stud.

$1,000 Women's Seven-Card Stud (Event #20, began 5/11)

Winner: Susie Isaacs ($38,000)

Entries: 95 (8 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 14

Marsha Waggoner Last Woman Standing in WSOP Main Event
Finishes 12th for $33,920 and becomes the first two-time Last Woman Standing.

May 15

Stu Ungar Wins 1997 WSOP Main Event
Defeats field of 312, including John Strzemp heads up, for $1,000,000, third Main Event crown, and fifth bracelet as the Main Event final table is contested outside for the only time. Ungar becomes the second player to top $2,000,000 in WSOP winnings, now trailing only Johnny Chan on the all-time list.

$10,000 Main Event - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #21, began 5/12)

Winner: Stu Ungar ($1,000,000)

Entries: 312 (27 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

November 21

Bill Boyd d. 1997 [age 91] (b. 1/27/1906)
Four bracelets: every WSOP Five-Card Stud event from 1971 to 1974, leading to the discontinuation of the event. Poker Hall of Fame 1981 & Seniors Poker Hall of Fame 1995.
Obituary | Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon