1979 Super Bowl of Poker

The Super Bowl of Poker (also known as Amarillo Slim's Super Bowl of Poker or SBOP) was the second most prestigious poker tournament in the world during the 1980s. While the World Series of Poker was already drawing larger crowds as more and more amateurs sought it out, the SBOP "was an affair limited almost exclusively to pros and hard-core amateurs."[1]

Prior to 1979, the only high dollar tournament a person could enter was the WSOP. 1972 WSOP Main Event Champion and outspoken ambassador for poker Amarillo Slim saw this as an opportunity. "The World Series of Poker was so successful that everybody wanted more than one tournament," he said.[2] Slim called upon his connections and friendships with poker's elite to start a new tournament in the February 1979. Before the SBOP had developed a reputation of its own, many of the most respected names in poker attended the tournament "more to support Slim and take advantage of the very fat cash games the event would obviously inspire."[3] Slim modelled his SBOP after the WSOP with several events and a $10,000 Texas Hold'em Main Event.

One of the principal differences between the WSOP and the SBOP was the prize structure. The WSOP's prize structure was flat ensuring more people received smaller pieces of the prize pool. The SBOP typically used a 60-30-10 payout structure. In other words, only the first three places received money and generally in the ratio of 60% to first place, 30% to second place, and 10% to third.[4] This payment schedule predominated the SBOP for the first 5 years of the event, but as the event grew the number of payouts increased while keeping the payout schedule top heavy.[4]

1979 Tournament

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As one of the original participants in the WSOP, the 1979 tournament was built upon Amarillo Slim's popularity and reputation. Many of the biggest names showed up at the event. Despite the limited number of cash prizes offered at the SBOP, Poker Hall of Famer Johnny Moss succeeded in making it to the cash 4 times. Doyle Brunson, another Hall of Famer, finished in second place in the $1,000 Ace to five Lowball event. 2003 Poker Hall of Fame inductee Bobby Baldwin won the $5,000 Seven card Stud event.[5]

* Elected to the Poker Hall of Fame.
Place The place in which people finish.
Name The name of the player
Prize (US$) Event prize money

Event 1: $ 10,000 No Limit Hold'em

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  • Number of buy-ins: 30
  • Total prize pool: $300,000
  • Number of payouts: 7
  • Reference:[6]
Final table
Place Name Prize
1st George Huber $150,000
2nd Robert Bone $60,000
3rd Charles Dunwoody $30,000
4th Junior Whited $15,000
5th Louis Hunsucker $15,000
6th George Malooly $15,000
7th Johnny Moss* $15,000

Event 2: $ 10,000 No Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw

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  • Number of buy-ins: Unknown
  • Total prize pool: Unknown
  • Number of payouts: 2
  • Reference:[7]
Final table
Place Name Prize
1st Byron Wolford Unknown
2nd Johnny Moss* Unknown

Event 3: $ 200 Ladies Seven Card Stud

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  • Number of buy-ins: 53
  • Total prize pool: $10,600
  • Number of payouts: 3
  • Reference:[8]
Final table
Place Name Prize
1st Jane Drache $6,460
2nd Nell Kelly $2,180
3rd Jean Mattox $1,060

Event 4: $ 1,000 Ace to five Lowball

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  • Number of buy-ins: 45
  • Total prize pool: $45,000
  • Number of payouts: 3
  • Reference:[9]
Final table
Place Name Prize
1st Jack O'Diamonds $27,000
2nd Doyle Brunson* $13,500
3rd Clyde Hill $4,500

Event 5: $ 1,000 Seven card Stud

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  • Number of buy-ins: 44
  • Total prize pool: $44,000
  • Number of payouts: 3
  • Reference:[10]
Final table
Place Name Prize
1st Bruce Hershenson $26,400
2nd Dick James $13,200
3rd Lakewood Louie $4,400

Event 6: $ 5,000 Seven card Stud

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  • Number of buy-ins: 11
  • Total prize pool: $55,000
  • Number of payouts: 3
  • Reference:[5]
Final table
Place Name Prize
1st Bobby Baldwin* $26,400
2nd Eric Drache $13,200
3rd A Meyers $4,400

Event 7: $ 1,000 Razz

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  • Number of buy-ins: 33
  • Total prize pool: $33,000
  • Number of payouts: 3
  • Reference:[11]
Final table
Place Name Prize
1st David Sklansky $26,400
2nd Gary Berland $13,200
3rd S Said $4,400

Event 8: $ 5,000 Razz

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  • Number of buy-ins: 11
  • Total prize pool: $55,000
  • Number of payouts: 3
  • Reference:[12]
Final table
Place Name Prize
1st Doc Thomas $33,000
2nd Gary Berland $16,500
3rd S Said $5,500

Event 9: $ 2,500 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo Split

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  • Number of buy-ins: 15
  • Total prize pool: $37,500
  • Number of payouts: 3
  • Reference:[13]
Final table
Place Name Prize
1st Dan Robison $22,500
2nd Jess Jackson $11,250
3rd Gary Berland $3,750

Event 10: $ 10,000 Deuce to Seven Lowball

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  • Number of buy-ins: 11
  • Total prize pool: $55,000
  • Number of payouts: 3
  • Reference:[14]
Final table
Place Name Prize
1st Byron Wolford $78,000
2nd Johnny Moss* $37,000
3rd Carl Rouss $13,000

Event 11: $ 1,000 Hold'em

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  • Number of buy-ins: 130
  • Total prize pool: $130,000
  • Number of payouts: 3
  • Reference:[15]
Final table
Place Name Prize
1st George Malooly $78,000
2nd Johnny Moss* $37,000
3rd Hal Thomas $13,000

References

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  1. ^ "1981 SBOP: Doubling Up". Hand of the Day. Poker Listing. Archived from the original on June 28, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
  2. ^ Reback, Storm (March 5, 2009). "From the Poker Vaults: Amarillo Slim's Super Bowl of Poker, Part I". PokerNews. Archived from the original on May 14, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
  3. ^ Wise, Gary. "1982 SBOP: A Win For the Longshot Doc". Poker Hand of the Day. Poker Listing. Retrieved June 19, 2009.
  4. ^ a b Reback, Storm (March 12, 2009). "From the Poker Vaults: Amarillo Slim's Super Bowl of Poker, Part II". PokerNews. Archived from the original on May 15, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
  5. ^ a b "1979 Super Bowl of Poker $5,000 Seven card Stud". Tournament Results. The Hendon Mob. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
  6. ^ "1979 Super Bowl of Poker $10,000 No Limit Hold'em". Tournament Results. The Hendon Mob. Archived from the original on June 11, 2008. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
  7. ^ "1979 Super Bowl of Poker $10,000 No Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw". Tournament Results. The Hendon Mob. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
  8. ^ "1979 Super Bowl of Poker $200 Ladies Seven Card Stud". Tournament Results. The Hendon Mob. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
  9. ^ "1979 Super Bowl of Poker $1,000 Ace to five Lowball". Tournament Results. The Hendon Mob. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
  10. ^ "1979 Super Bowl of Poker $1,000 Seven card Stud". Tournament Results. The Hendon Mob. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
  11. ^ "1979 Super Bowl of Poker $1,000 Razz". Tournament Results. The Hendon Mob. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
  12. ^ "1979 Super Bowl of Poker $5,000 Razz". Tournament Results. The Hendon Mob. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
  13. ^ "1979 Super Bowl of Poker $2,500 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo Split". Tournament Results. The Hendon Mob. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
  14. ^ "1979 Super Bowl of Poker $10,000 Deuce to Seven Lowball". Tournament Results. The Hendon Mob. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
  15. ^ "1979 Super Bowl of Poker $1,000 Hold'em". Tournament Results. The Hendon Mob. Retrieved June 16, 2009.