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. Slim modelled his SBOP after the WSOP with several events and a $10,000 Texas Hold'em Main Event.
One of the principal differences between the WSOP and the SBOP was the prize structure. The WSOP's prize structure was flat ensuring more people received smaller pieces of the prize pool. The SBOP typically used a 60-30-10 payout structure. In other words, only the first three places received money and generally in the ratio of 60% to first place, 30% to second place, and 10% to third.[3] This payment schedule predominated the SBOP for the first 5 years of the event, but as the event grew the number of payouts increased while keeping the payout schedule top heavy.[3]
1983 Tournament [ edit ] In 1983, 5 Poker Hall of Famers made it to the cash in various tournaments at the SBOP. Jack Straus lost to two time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Hans Lund in the SBOP Main Event.[4] Berry Johnston would finish third in one event[5] while Bobby Baldwin would make it to two cashes.[6] [7] Billy Baxter , who would later gain fame for suing the IRS in Baxter v United States , also made it to the cash in one event.[8] Sarge Ferris , a low-key but much respected professional player who was later inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, won the No Limit 2-7 Lowball.[7]
The 1983, tournament also witnessed Gabe Kaplan from Welcome Back, Kotter win his second SBOP tournament. When Welcome Back, Kotter went off the air in 1979, its lead character started a career in poker. During the early 1980s, Kaplan's success, particularly at the SBOP, led him to be considered among poker's elite.[2] Kaplan made money in two events and won one.
* Elected to the Poker Hall of Fame . † Denotes player who is deceased. Place The place in which people finish. Name The name of the player Prize (US$) Event prize money
Event 1: $ 10,000 No Limit Hold'em[ edit ] Number of buy-ins: 42 Total prize pool: $502,500 Number of payouts: 7 Reference: [4] Final table Place Name Prize 1st Hans Lund $275,000 2nd Jack Straus * $62,500 3rd Al Either $55,000 4th Gary Lundberg $27,500 5th Junior Whited $27,500 6th Ron Fielder $27,500 7th Fred Davis $27,500
Event 2: Ace-to-Five Lowball[ edit ] Number of buy-ins: Unknown Total prize pool: Unknown Number of payouts: 1 Reference: [9] Event 3: $ 500 Limit Hold'em[ edit ] Number of buy-ins: 144 Total prize pool: $72,000 Number of payouts: 3 Reference: [10] Final table Place Name Prize 1st J. C. Pearson $43,200 1st Dale Roback $21,600 1st Art Youngblood $7,200
Event 4: $ 1,000 Ace-to-Five Lowball[ edit ] Number of buy-ins: 35 Total prize pool: $35,000 Number of payouts: 3 Reference: [11] Final table Place Name Prize 1st Jack Niles $21,000 2nd Gabe Kaplan $10,500 3rd Bob Brooks $3,500
Event 5: $ 500 Limit Seven Card Stud[ edit ] Number of buy-ins: 78 Total prize pool: $39,000 Number of payouts: 3 Reference: [12] Final table Place Name Prize 1st Don Williams $23,400 2nd Elaine Booth $11,700 3rd Jeff Yass $3,900
Event 6: $ 1,000 Limit Hold'em[ edit ] Number of buy-ins: 78 Total prize pool: $39,000 Number of payouts: 3 Reference: [13] Final table Place Name Prize 1st Gary Lundgren $34,500 2nd Eddie Schwettman $17,400 3rd Norman Solomon $5,800
Event 7: $ 5,000 Limit Seven Card Stud[ edit ] Number of buy-ins: Unknown Total prize pool: $116,000 Number of payouts: 3 Reference: [6] Final table Place Name Prize 1st Deacon Smith $66,000 2nd Ken Flaton $33,000 3rd Bobby Baldwin * $17,000
Event 8: $ 5,000 Limit A-5 Lowball[ edit ] Number of buy-ins: 18 Total prize pool: $90,000 Number of payouts: 3 Reference: [8] Final table Place Name Prize 1st Dick Carson $48,000 2nd Billy Baxter * $24,000 3rd Perry Green $18,000
Event 9: $ 1,000 Limit A-5 Lowball[ edit ] Number of buy-ins: Unknown Total prize pool: $21,200 Number of payouts: 3 Reference: [14] Final table Place Name Prize 1st David Baxter $13,000 2nd George Roumanis $6,900 3rd Robert Turner $2,300
Event 10: No Limit 2-7 Lowball[ edit ] Number of buy-ins: Unknown Total prize pool: $120,000 Number of payouts: 3 Reference: [7] Event 11: $ 500 Limit Omaha[ edit ] Number of buy-ins: 42 Total prize pool: $21,000 Number of payouts: 3 Reference: [5] Final table Place Name Prize 1st Billy Thomas $12,600 2nd Tim Tang $6,300 3rd Berry Johnston * $2,100
Event 12: $ 500 Limit Hold'em[ edit ] Number of buy-ins: Unknown Total prize pool: $77,750 Number of payouts: 3 Reference: [15] Final table Place Name Prize 1st Eddie Schwettman $46,500 2nd Ray Cooke $2,350 3rd Jack McClelland $7,750
Event 13: $ 2,500 Limit Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo[ edit ] Number of buy-ins: Unknown Total prize pool: $60,000 Number of payouts: 3 Reference: [16] Final table Place Name Prize 1st Tom Cress $36,000 2nd Austin Squatty $18,000 3rd Chris Rochelle $7,750
Event 14: $ 1,000 No Limit Hold'em[ edit ] Number of buy-ins: 128 Total prize pool: $128,000 Number of payouts: 3 Reference: [16] Final table Place Name Prize 1st Curtis Skinner $80,000 2nd Jim Waltenberg $32,000 3rd Austin Squatty $16,000
References [ edit ] ^ "1981 SBOP: Doubling Up" . Hand of the Day . Poker Listing. Archived from the original on June 28, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2009 . ^ a b 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 . ^ 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 . ^ a b "1983 Super Bowl of Poker $10,000 No Limit Hold'em" . Tournament Results . The Hendon Mob. Archived from the original on September 22, 2007. Retrieved June 16, 2009 . ^ a b "1983 Super Bowl of Poker $500 Limit Omaha" . Tournament Results . The Hendon Mob. Retrieved June 16, 2009 . ^ a b "1983 Super Bowl of Poker $5,000 Limit Seven Card Stud" . Tournament Results . The Hendon Mob. Retrieved June 16, 2009 . ^ a b c "1983 Super Bowl of Poker No Limit 2-7 Lowball" . Tournament Results . The Hendon Mob. Retrieved June 16, 2009 . ^ a b "1983 Super Bowl of Poker $5,000 Limit A-5 Lowball" . Tournament Results . The Hendon Mob. Retrieved June 16, 2009 . ^ "1983 Super Bowl of Poker Ace-to-Five Lowball" . Tournament Results . The Hendon Mob. Retrieved June 16, 2009 . ^ "1983 Super Bowl of Poker $500 Limit Hold'em" . Tournament Results . The Hendon Mob. Retrieved June 16, 2009 . ^ "1983 Super Bowl of Poker $1,000 A-5 Lowball" . Tournament Results . The Hendon Mob. Retrieved June 16, 2009 . ^ "1983 Super Bowl of Poker $500 Limit Seven Card Stud" . Tournament Results . The Hendon Mob. Retrieved June 16, 2009 . ^ "1983 Super Bowl of Poker $1,000 Limit Hold'em" . Tournament Results . The Hendon Mob. Retrieved June 16, 2009 . ^ "1983 Super Bowl of Poker $1,000 Limit A-5 Lowball" . Tournament Results . The Hendon Mob. Retrieved June 16, 2009 . ^ "1983 Super Bowl of Poker $500 Limit Hold'em" . Tournament Results . The Hendon Mob. Retrieved June 16, 2009 . ^ a b "1983 Super Bowl of Poker $2,500 Limit Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo" . Tournament Results . The Hendon Mob. Retrieved June 16, 2009 .