WSOP Horse Poker Champs
Many consider Horse/mixed game poker as the true gauge of overall player ability. Reflecting this, a high stakes $50,000 event was played as a Horse tournament.
Chip Reese won the first high stakes event in 2006, but by 2010 the contest added new variations including no-limit hold 'em, pot-limit Omaha, and 2–7 triple draw.
The new format became known as "8 Game" and the $50,000 event (5x higher buyin than the Texas Holdem main event) was renamed, the "Poker Players Championship."
Since the tragic death of Chip Reese's in December 2007, the the $50k event champion collects the David 'Chip' Reese Memorial Trophy.
Year / Buyin / Winner /Prize
- 2002 $2,000 John Hennigan $117,320
- 2003 $2,000 Doyle Brunson $84,080
- 2004 $2,000 Scott Fischman $100,200
- 2006 $50,000 Chip Reese $1,716,000
- 2007 $2,500 James Richburg $239,503
- 2007 $5,000 Ralph Schwartz $275,683
- 2007 $50,000 Freddy Deeb $2,276,832
- 2008 $3,000 Jens Vortmann $298,253
- 2008 $50,000 Scotty Nguyen $1,989,120
- 2008 $1,500 James Schaaf $256,412
- 2009 $3,000 Zac Fellows $311,899
- 2009 $50,000 David Bach $1,276,802
- 2010 $1,500 Konstantin Puchko $256,820
- 2010 $3,000 Phil Ivey $329,840
- 2010 $10,000 Ian Gordon $611,666
- 2010 $50,000 Players' C/ships Michael Mizrachi $1,559,046 (Replaced $50k horse event)
Why Isn't Horse/Players Championship the Main Event?
Most poker fans and many of the top players wish to keep the main event as it is. It's been the subject of hot debate over the years, The fact that the mixed game contests has a buyin of 5x the main event (played at texas holdem) adds flames to the fire to the hotly contested debate.
The Horse/Players Championship attracts only serious pro players, due to price tag. Texas holdem main event attracts larger fields, many are inexperienced on the live scene and qualified through online freerolls and small buyin satellite qualifiers.
Many consider the main Texas Holdem event to be a "One Horse Show" (Like the pun? - It took me all of 2 seconds to think of that).
Horse Poker v Track & Field Decathlon
OK, I'll compare is to the Olympics Track & Field. The 2008 Summer Olympics were held in Beijing.
Usain Bolt, the Jamaican won the main track & field event, the 100m. This is the premier event and winners are regarded as "fastest on the planet." Not quite true, the 200m is run quicker (momentum). That year Bold won the 200m so I'll kill that argument.
The real all-round event is the men's Decathlon which has 10 events. Many moons ago I'd have won the 1500m final 
decathlon event in an Olympic record time, all good but I would have been last in each of the other 9 event so Decathlon was never my thing.
I like the decathlon but it'll never replace the premier event and in poker circles, "Texas holdem" is king.
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