WSOP 1992
A whole heck of lot was happening on the global stage in 1992 and it seemed like the stunning headlines just kept coming on a daily basis. Many of us who were paying attention to geopolitical maneuvering found ourselves wondering if the apparent truce between the United States and the former Soviet Socialist Republic was going to be a lasting affair, or simply a brief glimmer of hope followed by renewed hostility.
Therefore, we are all absolutely thrilled when George H. W. Bush and Boris Yeltsin proclaimed a formal end to the Cold War on February 1st. As a way of celebrating this momentous occasion for peace, I threw a particularly outstanding weenie roast in the trailer park which I called home at the time. All of my fellow RV residents showed up, the kids played on my homemade Slip 'n' Slide (crafted from two dozen Hefty bags and some rubber bands), I judged an eye-popping wet tank top contest and the Pabst flowed like champagne.
Furthermore, the peace vibe was spreading of all the way to China, because on February 21st the U.S. lifted trade sanctions against that throbbing hotbed of communism. Alas, domestic affairs were not so calm. Rodney King asked the question: "Can't we all just get along?" Apparently, the answer was no. Los Angeles erupted into violence as a result of the acquittal of the police officers who whaled on King after pulling him over months before.
However, I am happy to report that things were much rosier at the World Series of Poker in '92. For the 23rd year in a row, Benny Binion hosted this greatest of all poker tournaments in his beloved Horseshoe casino in downtown Vegas. As was suspected, all of the best poker players in the world arrived to try their luck at the tables.
There was an added a level of excitement in 1992, because just the previous year Brad Daugherty became the first WSOP champion ever to take home a $1,000,000 prize. Once the seven-figure barrier had been broken, it was clear there was no turning back. Therefore, every player in competition had their eyes on taking home a cool mil of their own.
It was an extraordinarily heated tournament. The field was a bigger than ever, topping out at a whopping total of 201 entrants at the main event. It was a marathon of high-level poker that was exhausting just to watch, much less participate in.
Yet only one player would come on top and his name was Hamid Dastmalchi. Playing his way through the tournament with a tremendous amount of grace and verve, he became only the second man in WSOP history to win $1,000,000. It was one hell of a year for all of us.
by Mason Raymond
