1981 World Series of Poker

{{Infobox sports competition event

| competition = 1981 World Series of Poker

| location = Binion's Horseshoe, Las Vegas, Nevada

| dates = May 7 – May 24

| champion = {{flagicon|USA}} Stu Ungar

| prev = 1980

| next = 1982

}}

The 1981 World Series of Poker (WSOP) was a series of poker tournaments held at Binion's Horseshoe in May 1981.{{cite web | title=1981 World Series of Poker Tournament Schedule | website=WSOP.com| url=https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/schedule/?groupid=218| access-date=2024-11-16}}

Events

There were 12 preliminary events at the 1981 WSOP. Johnny Moss became the first player in WSOP history to reach eight career bracelets. No other player would reach eight career bracelets until Doyle Brunson in the 1998 World Series of Poker.

class="wikitable sortable"

!Date

! bgcolor="#FFEBAD" | Event

!Entries

! bgcolor="#FFEBAD" | Winner

! bgcolor="#FFEBAD" | Prize

! bgcolor="#FFEBAD" | Runner-up

! bgcolor="#FFEBAD" | Results

|May 7, 1981

| $1,000 Draw High

|36

| Ed Barmach (1/1)

| $18,000

| Jackie Mills

|[https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?aid=2&tid=2181&grid=218 Results]

|May 8, 1981

| $600 Mixed Doubles

|52

| Frank Cardone (1/1) & Juanda Matthews (1/1)

| $7,800

| Frank Geraci & Katie Ulanski

|[https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?aid=2&tid=2182&grid=218 Results]

|May 9, 1981

| $1,500 No Limit Hold'em

|128

| Fred David (1/1)

| $96,000

| Doug Johnson

|[https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?aid=2&tid=2183&grid=218 Results]

|May 10, 1981

| $1,000 Seven-card stud

|104

| Sid Gamerman (1/1)

| $52,000

| Mark Speert

|[https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?aid=2&tid=2184&grid=218 Results]

|May 11, 1981

| $400 Ladies' Seven-card stud

|88

| Ruth Godfrey (1/1)

| $17,600

| Jackie Jean

|[https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?aid=2&tid=2185&grid=218 Results]

|May 12, 1981

| $1,000 Razz

|69

| Bruce Hershenson (1/1)

| $34,500

| Bob Ross

|[https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?aid=2&tid=2186&grid=218 Results]

|May 13, 1981

| $1,000 Seven-card stud split

|67

| Johnny Moss (1/8)

| $33,500

| Ralph Bidwell

|[https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?aid=2&tid=2187&grid=218 Results]

|May 14, 1981

| $5,000 Seven-card stud

|27

| A. J. Myers (1/2)

| $67,500

| Eric Drache

|[https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?aid=2&tid=2188&grid=218 Results]

|May 15, 1981

| $2,500 Ace to Five Draw

|37

| Mickey Perry (1/1)

| $46,250

| Jack Straus (0/1)

|[https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?aid=2&tid=2189&grid=218 Results]

|May 16, 1981

| $1,000 No Limit Hold'em

|162

| Dody Roach (1/1)

| $81,000

| Unknown

|[https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?aid=2&tid=2190&grid=218 Results]

|May 17, 1981

| $1,000 Ace to Five Draw

|88

| Glen Rodgers (1/1)

| $44,000

| Rick Morella

|[https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?aid=2&tid=2191&grid=218 Results]

|May 18, 1981

| $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw

|19

| Stu Ungar (1/2)

| $95,000

| Bobby Baldwin (0/4)

|[https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?aid=2&tid=2192&grid=218 Results]

|May 19, 1981

|$10,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event

|75

|Stu Ungar (2/3)

|$375,000

|Perry Green (0/1)

|[https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?aid=2&tid=2193&grid=218 Results]

Main Event

There were 75 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament.{{cite web | last=Streltcoff | first=Max | title=WSOP 1981: Stu Ungar's Back-to-Back Triumph | website=PokerListings | date=2024-10-20 | url=https://www.pokerlistings.com/blog/wsop-1981 | access-date=2024-11-11}} This main event was notable as the first one to have all final table players to receive a share of the prize pool, with the top 9 players finishing in the money.{{Cite web |title=World Series of Poker: A Retrospective: 1981 Summary |url=http://gaming.unlv.edu/WSOP/annual/1981.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030820142344/http://gaming.unlv.edu/WSOP/annual/1981.html |archive-date=August 20, 2003 |website=University of Nevada, Las Vegas}} The 1981 Main Event was Stu Ungar's second consecutive World Championship.{{Cite web |last=Rinkema |first=Remko |date=2018-07-05 |title=A Numbers Game: WSOP Main Event Winners & Stats |url=https://www.pgt.com/news/a-numbers-game-the-wsop-main-event |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=PokerGO Tour}}{{Cite web |last=Murphy |first=Stephen A. |date=October 29, 2009 |title=Mike Sexton Talks About Stu Ungar and Poker’s Past |url=https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/7843-mike-sexton-talks-about-stu-ungar-and-poker-s-past |access-date=2024-11-25 |website=CardPlayer.com}}