At one time, poker players did not have a venue to showcase their world class skills. Then, along came the World Series of Poker which annually airs on cable and the internet. Some, however, automatically assume that the World Series of Poker started with the current media interest in the tournament. This is simply not accurate. In fact, the World Series of Poker has been around much longer than most people realize.

The first World Series of Poker occurred in Reno, NV in 1968. The tournament proved mildly successful and continued for several years. From 1971 – 1975, the popularity of the World Series of Poker started to gradually grow but mainstream success eclipsed it. Sure, there were news results reported on it but there was really there was no audience for it. Then, something unique happened…actor Gabe Kaplan entered the tournament.

In the late 1970's, Kaplan was a major television star due to his role in the series WELCOME BACK, KOTTER. When Kaplan entered the tournament in the late 1970's, weekend sports anthologies started giving more coverage to the tournament. Would the World Series of Poker have grown as popular as it has without the help of Kaplan? Who knows? But certainly Kaplan's presence helped and it helped the ball roll towards the huge popularity that the World Series of Poker enjoys today.

In today's landscape, cable channels such as ESPN and GSN feature poker prominently. This creates national stars and that creates interest in the outcome of the World Series of Poker. So, it is safe to say that the World Series of Poker will remain popular for many more years to come.