| 1978 World Series of Poker | |
|---|---|
| Location | Binion's Horseshoe, Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Dates | May 7 – May 17 |
| Champion | |
 Bobby Baldwin | |
The 1978 World Series of Poker (WSOP) was a series of poker tournaments held in May 1978 at Binion's Horseshoe, [1] [2] and was the first WSOP that was not a winner-take-all prize. Instead the tournament had a progressive prize structure, as follows 50 percent for the Winner then 20 for second, 15 for third, 10 for fourth, and 5 percent for fifth place. [3]
There were ten preliminary events at the 1978 World Series of Poker. [1] Future Poker Hall of Famer Chip Reese won his first WSOP bracelet in the 1978 WSOP. [4]
| # | Date | Event | Entries | Winner | Prize | Runner-up | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 7, 1978 | $10,000 No Limit Deuce to Seven Draw | 15 | Billy Baxter (1/2) | $90,000 | Byron Wolford | Results |
| 2 | May 8, 1978 | $1,000 Limit Razz | 32 | Gary Berland (1/2) | $19,200 | David Singer | Results |
| 3 | May 9, 1978 | $500 Limit Seven-card stud | 57 | Gary Berland (2/3) | $17,100 | Neil Einfeld | Results |
| 4 | May 10, 1978 | $5,000 Limit Seven Card Stud | 23 | Doyle Brunson (1/5) | $68,000 | Bobby Baldwin (0/2) | Results |
| 5 | May 11, 1978 | $1,000 No Limit Hold'em | 71 | Aubrey Day (1/2) | $42,600 | Unknown | Results |
| 6 | May 12, 1978 | $200 Ladies' Limit Seven Card Stud | 84 | Terry King (1/2) | $10,080 | Starla Brodie | Results |
| 7 | May 13, 1978 | $5,000 Limit Draw High | 7 | Lakewood Louie (1/1) | $21,000 | Rick Greider | Results |
| 8 | May 14, 1978 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em | 52 | Hans Lund (1/1) | $46,800 | Curtiss Skinner | Results |
| 9 | May 15, 1978 | $1,000 Limit Seven Card Stud Split | 32 | Chip Reese (1/1) | $19,200 | Jerry Pruitt | Results |
| 10 | May 16, 1978 | $1,000 Limit Ace to Five Draw | 32 | Henry Young (1/1) | $19,200 | Gary Berland (0/3) | Results |
| 11 | May 17, 1978 | $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event | 42 | Bobby Baldwin (1/3) | $210,000 | Crandell Addington | Results |
There were 42 entrants to the main event. [5] Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament. The 1978 Main Event was the first edition of the tournament to pay prize money to any players other than the winner. Bobby Baldwin received half of the total prize pool for his win. [6] Crandell Addington finished runner-up in the Main Event, which he did in the 1974 WSOP Main Event. [7]
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Bobby Baldwin | $210,000 |
| 2nd | Crandell Addington | $84,000 |
| 3rd | Louis Hunsucker | $63,000 |
| 4th | Buck Buchanan | $42,000 |
| 5th | Jesse Alto | $21,000 |
| 6th | Ken Smith | None |