James McManus's "Positively Fifth Street" Released Sent by Harper's Magazine to write about the sordid death of Ted Binion and the 2000 WSOP, McManus decides that playing would be good research, so he entered a satellite for the Main Event. His magazine article is then expanded into a full-length book.
Non-Smoking World Series of Poker Begins Thanks in large part to Tom McEvoy's efforts, smoking is banned at the poker table as the $500 Casino Employees Limit Hold 'Em opens this year's festival on the earliest date in WSOP history.
April 16
WSOP Awards 500th Bracelet David Lukaszewski defeats field of 208 in $500 Casino Employees Limit Hold 'Em for $35,800 and the historic bracelet.
$500 Casino Employees Limit Hold 'Em (Event #1, 2 days [4/15 start])
Winner: David Lukaszewski ($35,800 & 1st bracelet)
O'Neil Longson Gets Revenge on Allen Cunningham Less than a year after Cunningham defeated Longson in the $5,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw, Longson turns the table, defeating a field of 28 (40 rebuys) for $147,680 and his second bracelet in the 500th event in WSOP history.
$5,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw (Event #14, 1 day [4/28 start; ended past midnight])
Don Holt d. 2003 [age 76] (b. 4/15/1927) 1991 WSOP Main Event 2nd place ($402,500). Won 1989 $5,000 Seven-Card Stud ($154,000). Obituary | Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
Kathy Liebert Reaches Second Final Table of Year Finishes 9th in $2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em for $12,160 and 2nd in $1,500 Limit Hold 'Em for $91,700 to tie Annie Duke and Jen Harman's women's record. John Arrage wins the latter event for $178,600 and his first bracelet after finishing third in Casino Employees event, duplicating Mike Majerus's feat from 2002.
$1,500 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #17, 2 days [5/1 start])
Johnny Chan Wins $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha for Ninth Bracelet, Second of Year Defeats field of 85 for $158,100 to tie Moss and Brunson for the career bracelet lead.
$5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #24, 2 days [5/8 start])
Layne Flack Wins $1,500 Limit Hold 'Em Shootout for Fifth Bracelet Defeats field of 220 for $120,000. Annie Duke reaches her second final table of the year (6th in $2,500 Limit Hold 'Em for $10,960) for a record third time and finishes 2nd for $60,000.
$1,500 Limit Hold 'Em Shootout (Event #25, 2 days [5/9 start])
Jen Harman Reaches Second Final Table of Year Finishes 9th in $3,000 Limit Hold 'Em for $8,580 four weeks after finishing 5th in $1,500 Seven-Card Stud for $9,880 to become the second woman after Annie Duke to reach multiple final tables in multiple years.
$3,000 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #26, 2 days [5/10 start])
Byron Wolford d. 2003 [age 72] (b. 9/14/1930) 1984 WSOP Main Event 2nd place ($264,000). Won 1991 $5,000 Limit Hold 'Em ($210,000). Seniors Poker Hall of Fame 1995. Obituary | Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
$1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo Split (Event #29, 2 days [5/12 start])
Phil Hellmuth Wins $3,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em for Ninth Bracelet, Second of Year Defeats field of 398, including Daniel Negreanu heads up in only six hands, for $410,860 to tie Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson, and Johnny Chan for the bracelet lead.
$3,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #32, 2 days [5/15 start])
Annie Duke Last Woman Standing in WSOP Main Event Finishes 47th for $20,000 and becomes the first woman to cash in the Main Event three times (26th in 1994 for $16,800 and 10th in 2000 for $52,160). She also becomes the first woman to top a half-million dollars in open events.
Bobby Baldwin Joins Poker Hall of Fame Baldwin, the 1978 WSOP Main Event winner, owns three other bracelets and has worked in casino management for the Golden Nugget, Mirage, Mandalay Resort Group, and MGM Resorts.
Dan Harrington Last Champ Standing in Main Event Reaches final table seventh in chips before exiting in 3rd place for $650,000.
Chris Moneymaker Wins 2003 WSOP Main Event Online satellite winner defeats field of 839, including Sammy Farha heads up, for record $2,500,000. Moneymaker had won a PokerStars $86 one-table satellite and then a $650 satellite for his Main Event seat.
$10,000 Main Event - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #36, 5 days [5/19 start; ended past midnight])
Winner: Chris Moneymaker ($2,500,000 & 1st bracelet)
Jim Albrecht d. 2003 [age 53] (b. 12/8/1949) WSOP Tournament Director from 1988 to 1998 who invented the super satellite in 1990 and saved the 1992 World Series of Poker when the IRS wanted taxes withheld from all winnings, compromising by issuing W-2G forms instead. Announcer for ESPN coverage of the Main Event from 1993-95 & 1997-98. Obituary
December 5
Jack Keller d. 2003 [age 60] (b. 12/29/1942) 1984 WSOP Main Event winner ($660,000). Two other Main Event final tables: 1987 9th ($18,750) & 1992 8th ($20,200). 1995 Bubble Boy. Won 1984 $5,000 Seven-Card Stud ($137,500) & 1993 $1,500 Limit Omaha ($61,800). One of only two players to win both the WSOP and Super Bowl of Poker Main Events (Stu Ungar). Poker Hall of Fame 1993. Obituary | Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon