WSOP: History -- 1995 Recap

Thanks again to more than half of the participants coming from satellites; the main event grew to 273 players at the 1995 World Series of Poker. Also added that year were two Chinese poker tournaments that took the number of preliminary events to 23. Some established legends of the game, as well as a number of emerging legends did well in the preliminary events that year, and they included: Berry Johnston ($1,500 Omaha), John Bonetti ($5,000 deuce-to-seven lowball), Steve Zolotow ($5,000 Chinese poker), and Mickey Appleman ($5,000 limit hold’em). Three players won two bracelets that year, including Men “The Master” Nguyen ($2,500 seven-card stud eight-or-better -- $2,500 limit hold’em), Hilbert Shirey ($2,500 pot-limit hold’em -- $2,500 pot-limit Omaha), and Dan Harrington, who won one preliminary event ($2,500 no-limit hold’em) before the start of the main event.

The main event experienced a first in 1995, for the first time in the history of the main event; the final table was not comprised entirely of men. Barbara Enright made not only the final table, but the television table of six as well. Lost along the way to that television table were Dolph Arnold (ninth), Henry Orenstein (eighth), and Tom Franklin (seventh). Joining Enright in the final six were Chuck Thompson, Hamid Dastmalchi, Brent Carter, Howard Goldfarb, and Harrington. Harrington (532,000) was out in front of the field, but Goldfarb was even further in the lead with 1.2 million when the final table began.

Thompson fell rather quickly in sixth place, and then it was Enright who got involved in a major confrontation. She moved all in with pocket eights and Carter called her down with 6 3. Enright was way ahead in the hand until a 6 and a 3 found their way onto the board and she was eliminated in fifth place. Dastmalchi was all in next with K-5 on a short stack and Harrington had called him down with A-10, with which he flopped a straight to send Dastmalchi home in fourth place. Goldfarb then took a turn sending one home when he called down Carter with ace-high after he moved all in. Carter held K Q on the hand, and he was out after the board helped neither player.

During the course of the final table Harrington had managed to chase down the massive stack of Goldfarb and take the chip lead into the heads-up match with 1.7 million. Goldfarb held 1 million even, but he would soon hold considerably less after two key pots where Harrington induced Goldfarb to fold on the flop after considerable betting action. On the final hand, Goldfarb raised to 100,000 preflop with A 7 and Harrington made the call. The flop was dealt 8 6 2 and Goldfarb decided to move all in for 617,000 after Harrington simply called preflop. Harrington made the call and turned up 9 8. After two queens fell on the turn and river, the tournament was over and Harrington was crowned the world champion.

1995 WSOP results

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