So with Joe Cade featuring so prominently in the blogosphere and well as in the news I thought I’d start today’s post off with a bit of background about the WSOP and the history of this most coveted item.
The World Series of Poker Bracelet is pretty much the most coveted non-monetary prize that any poker player can win. Since 1976, one of these coveted prizes haves been given to the winner of every event at the tournament. During the first few year of the WSOP there were only a couple of bracelets handed up, in 19990, there were 14, and by 200 it had increased by up to 24. This year 57 bracelets were given out and 4 at the World Series of Poker Europe. As the popularity of the WSOP has grown, as has the value of the bracelet from a few hundred bucks to a prestige items designed by Corum
The Prestige of Winning a Bracelet
At first the bracelets were much of a gimmick not meaning anything to many of the players with even Doyle Brunson saying that his first bracelet pretty much meant nothing to it. There is a feeling amongst allot of pro poker players that there are just 2 types of poker players. The bracelet winners and those who have not. There is a belief that those who have won a bracelet belong to a “special club”. I guess the bracelet could somewhat be compared to winning the FIFA world cup trophy or an Oscar but rather for the world that we live in.
History
The bracelet handout out tradition started in 1976 following the previous years where winner were given a sterling plate and before that nothing. The 1976 bracelet cost aprxiimently about $500. In the 1980s Mordechai Yerushalmi become the exclusive manufacturer of the WSOP bracelets until Harrahs Entertainment bought the rights to the WSOP in 2001 n 2005, Gold and Diamond International based in Memphis, TN won the bid from Harrah’s Entertainment to manufacture the 2005 WSOP bracelets.
In 2007, Corum became the official bracelet manufacturer for the WSOP. Some of the 2007 WSOP champions received both a watch and a bracelet from Corum. Corum designed four variations for the 2007 World Series of Poker Bracelets. The standard version that is presented to 53 winners features 53 diamonds. The Ladies World Champion receives a bracelet that is adorned with four black diamonds, two rubies and 87 blue sapphires. The $50,000 HORSE Champion Bracelet has 91 black diamonds and two rubies. The World Series of Poker Main Event Bracelet has 120 diamonds on 136 grams of 18 carat (75 percent) white gold. The value of the 2007 bracelets have not been released, but the typical price of a Corum watch ranges from $1,500-$30,000
In 2008, the Main Event Bracelet had 291 diamonds, totaling 2.81 carats set 168 grams of 18kt white gold.
The other 54 event bracelets consisted of 55 diamonds, totaling 0.25 carats set in 80 grams of 14kt yellow gold.
Thanks to Wikipedia for the Information.
