Benny Binion

With all Benny Binion did for poker, gambling, and the state of Nevada, a person could write a book. In fact, someone did, and it doesn’t even begin to capture all that Benny was. A gambler, a businessman, and first and foremost, a Texan, Benny may very well be the most important figure in all of poker.

He was born in Grayson County, Texas back in 1902, Binion never had any sort of education inside of a school, instead learning the ways of the world from his father, a horse trader who let his young son accompany him on his many trips. When he was 17, Benny moved to El Paso where he started moon shining. After being arrested a couple times for breaking prohibition laws, he thought it best to give up the alcohol industry and move on to something also illegal, yet more profitable, running a lottery.

When asked about if he’d ever killed anyone, Binion said he’d never killed anyone that didn’t deserve it. What he was talking about was a self defense killing which occurred when a fellow numbers runner pulled a gun on him, the other when he shot an adversary with a poor reputation in the area who made a threatening move in Benny. Because of the man’s bad standing and general shadiness, Binion was only sentenced to a two year suspended sentence.

Shortly after, he moved his gambling operation to Dallas where he could enjoy a less strict code of laws. Before too long, Benny found himself on top of the Texas mob world. When a competing operation moved to Dallas from Chicago, tensions became too high for him and after more than one violent altercation, Binion moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where his business would be able to thrive, free of restrictive laws; or so he thought.

After disputes about betting limits, Benny left his spot at the Las Vegas Club casino and purchased a building on Fremont Street which he opened as the Westerner Gambling House and Saloon. When he bought the El Dorado Club and Apache Hotel which he renamed Binion’s Horseshoe Casino, it simultaneously became the most popular establishment amongst high limit gamblers because of its sky high betting limits.

After legal trouble forced Benny to serve four years in Leavenworth Penitentiary for tax evasion on his Texas gambling outfits, he had to sell his share of Binion’s and pay $5,000,000 in legal fees. Though he was never again allowed to own a casino, Benny was kept on staff as a consultant and paid for his unique ability to attract gamblers and maintain and impressive clientele using his motto “good whiskey, good food, good gamble.”

Of all the poker matches in all the world none perhaps has been more important than the heads up match Benny arranged between Johnny Moss and Nick “The Greek” Dandalos in 1949. Figuring it would be a spectacle no gambling crowd could resist, the match ended up going on for two straight months. While Moss would take naps during the breaks Nick The Greek would play craps. After two months Nick The Greek was down $2,000,000 and uttered the famous line “Mr. Moss, I have to let you go.”

Though the match ended, the concept lived on and Benny arranged multiple heads up matches in the years to come. After refining the idea, the concept of a multi person tournament came about and Binion invited six of his high stakes friends to play a $10,000 No Limit Hold ‘em game, after which a winner would be voted on as the champion. The first year in 1970 Johnny Moss won and the following year the format was changed to be played as a freeze out. The popularity grew every year thereafter and more and more events were added to what became known worldwide as The World Series of Poker.

It would be easy to say “the rest as they say is history,” but with everything Benny stood for as far as catering to the gamblers and making sure their interests always came first, his way of life made him a giant among men in the gambling world. Although he passed away in 1989, the Binion’s legacy will live forever.