Live Updates: The 1973 World Series of Poker Main Event, Day 2 (Part 2)

Day 2 (May 15, 1973)

11:02 p.m.: That’s One Way of Looking at It

As preparations are being made for heads-up play between Puggy Pearson and Johnny Moss, Amarillo Slim Preston just now found himself engaged in conversation with an English journalist on the rail.

“Listen, you play a lot of poker over there in England,” said Preston. “What do you think’ll happen?”

The journalist responded that he didn’t know, but that he saw Pearson and Moss representing “a classic confrontation between the old sentimental hero” and “a man emanating killer death-rays.”

“I see Johnny as the gentle giant about to do battle with Pug, who is one step removed from Cro-Magnon man,” he added. Preston shook his head.

“Neighbor, you sure have a funny way of saying things,” he said.

11:05 p.m.: Heads-Up Play Begins

The two remaining players are back in their seats and heads-up play has begun. A reminder of the counts:

Johnny Moss -- 70,400
Puggy Pearson -- 59,600

11:35 p.m.: Puggy Pushing

Puggy Pearson has been the more aggressive player during heads-up play thus far, often stealing the blinds as Johnny Moss has been content to fold hand after hand.

12:01 a.m.: Big Chip Poker

Players have agreed to remove the lower denomination chips and just play with $500 chips going forward so as to speed up play. No more yellow and green $25 checks or $100 black and white ones.

12:30 a.m.: Pearson in Front

Puggy Pearson has taken a series of pots to move out in front of Johnny Moss. He now has around 80,000, while Moss has slipped back to 50,000.

12:38 a.m.: Moss Escapes

Puggy Pearson opened from the button for 500, Johnny Moss made it 1,000, and Pearson called. The flop came , and Moss led for 2,000. Pearson eyed his opponent while rolling his cigar around in his mouth, then put in a raise to 7,000 total. Moss hesitated, then shoved all in for 33,500 total.

That caused Pearson to think a while longer, then with what almost seemed a disappointed look he called, bringing the total pot to around 70,000 -- more than half the chips in play. Both players decided to table their hands:

Moss: J-6
Pearson: J-2

“I gotta have a six,” said Moss with a chagrined look. Moss flopped top pair, but Pearson had two pair and was on the verge of winning the title and $130,000.

The turn brought the , changing nothing. Then came the river... the ! Moss made a better two pair, and as the crowd went wild Pearson stood with his hands in his pockets and head down, looking at that river card.

The match is just about even again!*

12:45 a.m.: Moss Extends Lead

Johnny Moss now has about a 3-to-1 chip advantage over Puggy Pearson. Moss has about 96,000, while Pearson is down to 34,000.

12:48 a.m.: Break Time

The players are taking a short break with Johnny Moss still in front.

1:05 a.m.: Play Resumes

Cards are back in the air. No one who has been on the rail seems to have left despite the late hour -- in fact, if anything the crowd has gotten larger as word filtered through Binion’s Horsehoe Casino that the tournament is now down to heads-up.

1:27 a.m.: Pearson Makes Big Call, Collects

With the blinds 500/1,000, Puggy Pearson completed and Moss knocked the table, saying “Deal!”

The flop came . Moss checked, Puggy Pearson bet 2,000, then Johnny Moss raised to 5,000. Pearson called. The turn brought the , and this time Moss led for 5,500. Pearson called.

The river was the . Moss didn’t wait long, pushing out enough chips to cover the 30,000 or so Pearson had behind.

Pearson sat back in his chair, riffling his chips. “Well,” he said, “I don’t believe you got spades, John. I believe you got something else. Might have trips, but I don’t think you have spades.”

After considering carefully for more than a few minutes, Pearson finally pushed his remaining chips in the middle, turning over for a rivered two pair as he did. Meanwhile Moss turned over for just a pair of treys, and Pearson won the big pot.**

Puggy Pearson -- 84,000
Johnny Moss -- 46,000

2:00 a.m.: All Even Again

Puggy Pearson and Johnny Moss are now essentially even with about 65,000 chips apiece.

2:40 a.m.: Updated Chip Counts

Puggy Pearson has regained the advantage in a big way, and now sits with about a 4-to-1 lead over Johnny Moss.

Puggy Pearson -- 102,000
Johnny Moss -- 28,000

3:25 a.m.: Puggy Pearson Wins ($130,000)! Johnny Moss Just Misses Third Title

On a flop of , Puggy Pearson led with a bet of 1,500, then Johnny Moss raised to 5,000. Pearson didn’t hesitate, instantly pushing all in, and after shrugging Moss called to put himself at risk.

Pearson:
Moss:

Moss had a couple of live cards and an open-ended straight draw, but his outs were reduced as any spade would give Pearson a winning flush. The turn was the , and Pearson was just one card away from victory. The crowd began to get louder, but was quieted down before the final card was dealt.

The dealer then delivered fifth street -- the !

“My gawd,” said Pearson as he smiled broadly. “I’ve done it.”

The crowd exploded with noise at the sight of the final card. Meanwhile, Moss immediately stood up to congratulate Pearson. “If it had to be anybody other than me, I’m glad it was you Pug,” said Moss, and Pearson thanked him.

Jack Binion then brought out a silver cup filled with bricks of cash totaling $130,000, awarding it to Pearson as photographers snapped away from all angles. It’s the biggest prize ever won in a poker tournament in Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, a stud game has started at the neighboring table. “Hey Puggy,” shouted one of the players. “Bring some of that cash over here and sit down!”

“I’m goin’ home, boys,” answered Pearson, still grinning. “I’m all wore out.”

*Bradshaw’s numbers don’t really add up, as he has Moss up to 96,000 after this hand even though he only put less than 35,000 in the middle on this double-up.

**Spanier’s account of this hand is much more accurate than Bradshaw’s (as the documentary shows).

Earlier coverage:

Day 1, Part 1

Day 1, Part 2

Day 2, Part 1

Note: All hands and other details compiled from Jon Bradshaw, Fast Company (1975), David Spanier’s Total Poker (1977), and the CBS Sports Spectacular documentary of the 1973 WSOP Main Event. Editorial judgment has been used whenever apparent discrepencies between the sources occur, and some creative license employed to fill in occasional narrative gaps, time stamps, and other details.

Photos: “Binion’s Horseshoe Casino presents The World Series of Poker,” CBS Sports Spectacular (1973).

Live Updates: The 1973 World Series of Poker Main Event, Day 2 (Part 1)

Day 2 (May 15, 1973)

6:15 p.m.*: Shuffle Up and Deal

The preliminaries are done and the six remaining players have settled in for today’s final day of play in the 1973 World Series of Poker Main Event.

As we noted at the end of Day 1, Jack “Treetop” Straus returns to the chip lead to start the official final table with a stack of 42,725. Puggy Pearson is Straus’s nearest challenger at the moment with 41,350, with Johnny Moss in third with 22,000 and the others all hoping to improve their short stacks.

Here’s how they are seated as the action begins:

Seat 1: Bobby Brazil
Seat 2: Jack Straus
Seat 3: Sailor Roberts
Seat 4: Bobby Hooks
Seat 5: Puggy Pearson
Seat 6: Johnny Moss

6:39 p.m: No One Taking the Bait from Hooks

Bob Hooks has been on the short stack for some time, and he just now open-shoved all in again and once more got no callers.

7:15 p.m.: Roberts Sails Home in Sixth**

After a flop, Puggy Pearson bet and Sailor Roberts shoved, and after a lot of talk Pearson called the raise. Pearson showed for top set of aces, while Roberts didn’t show his cards, prompting a lot of speculation around the table about what he might have.

The turn brought the -- a third spade that might have filled a flush for Roberts. But the river was the , making a full house for Pearson.

Roberts then showed his cards -- -- and the dealer provoked a bit of consternation when first announcing Roberts had won the pot. The full house was pointed out to him, though, and Roberts is indeed out in sixth.

Roberts didn’t move very far away, though, as he’s joined the lowball game at the neighboring table at which Amarillo Slim Preston and several of the other eliminated players can also be found.

Pearson is up to 54,000 now, comfortably in first.

8:02 p.m.: Hooks Hanging On

After pushing all in a total of 11 times without getting any callers, on the 12th try Bob Hooks did at last get called by Jack Straus. But Hooks survived and five-handed play continues.

8:10 p.m.: Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz, Oh, What a Relief It Is

Puggy Pearson just ordered a glass of water and some Alka-Seltzer, downing it at the table in one big gulp.

8:25 p.m.: Hooks Eliminated in Fifth

Bob Hooks was just all in again before the flop, but a runout added up eights full for Johnny Moss, and Hooks is out in fifth.

8:33 p.m.: Brazil Doubles Through Straus

Bobby Brazil just reraised all in for 5,300 before the flop, then watched Jack Straus reraise after him to force folds all around.

Brazil had while Straus needed to improve with . The flop gave Straus a pair, but the turn was the and river the , and Brazil survives.

8:39 p.m.: Pearson Busts Brazil in Fourth

All in for his last 3,600 before the flop, Bobby Brazil heard Puggy Pearson call him from across the table, then ask him “Have you got the best hand?” Brazil looked over at Pearson’s pocket jacks and answered “no,” and five cards later the jacks held up and the 25-year-old Brazil is out in fourth.

“I played a couple of hands very bad trying to trap a person, and I wound up getting trapped myself,” explained Brazil to Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder afterwards. “But I’m not sorry, I learned a lot. Really, really tough competition -- they really are.”

8:45 p.m.: Updated Chip Counts; Three Remain

Puggy Pearson -- 62,000
Johnny Moss -- 45,000
Jack Straus -- 23,000

8:47 p.m.: The Pride of Texas on the Line

An announcement was just made telling the crowd of the updated chip counts.

“Well, whatta you think Slim?” asked Doyle Brunson of Amarillo Slim Preston, both participating the lowball game in which several other knocked out players are taking part. Recall how last year both Brunson and Preston were among the final three along with current chip leader Puggy Pearson, with Preston ultimately prevailing.

“I think we got us a fine horse race now,” Preston said to Brunson before turning back to the feature table.

“Play hard, Johnny,” Preston called to Johnny Moss. “We gotta keep this thing in Texas.”

8:50 p.m.: Break Time

The three remaining players are taking an impromptu break.

9:05 p.m.: Action Resumes

Players are back and have already played a few small pots as play continues.

9:28 p.m.: Puggy Calls Busted Bluff, Cripples Straus

Following an flop, Jack Straus led with a bet and his opponent, Puggy Pearson, made the call. Straus fired again after the turn card, the , and Pearson called once more.

The river was the , and Straus pushed in his last 14,000, meaning he’d committed all 28,000 or so with which he’d begun the hand. After much thought and talk, Pearson made a move as if to push his chips forward but did not, earning a reprimand from Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder who told him the move was a little too much like “coffeehousing” (see left).

Pearson decided to make the call, anyway, and when Straus showed a busted draw, Pearson turned over to claim the big pot. Straus is now on fumes.***

9:55 p.m.: Updated Chip Counts; Three Remain

Pearson now has nearly 70% of the chips in play.

Puggy Pearson -- 90,000
Johnny Moss -- 22,000
Jack Straus -- 18,000

10:28 p.m.: Moss Getting Mowed Down

Johnny Moss has now become the short stack among the final three, his stack having dipped down to around 10,000 at present.

10:37 p.m. River Ace Saves Moss

Johnny Moss opened with a raise to 2,200 from the button, getting calls from both Jack Straus and Puggy Pearson. The flop came , earning checks from both Straus and Pearson. Moss thought for a few moments, then chose to push all in with the 12,500 he had left behind.

The crowd fell silent at the announcement of Moss’s bet, and the lowball game nearby stopped as well as players looked on to see what would happen next.

After about a half-minute, Straus tossed his hand in the muck. “Well, Johnny,” said Pearson, “what do you got?” Moss kept silent.

“I think you got two kings or two aces in the hole,” surmised Pearson. “You ain’t got nothin’ else, y’know. At least, I hope you ain’t got three queens or three jacks.”

Finally Pearson counted out calling chips and pushed them forward, tabling Q-J for two pair as he did. He was right with his read, as Moss showed A-A.

The dealer burned a card and dealt the turn -- the . Then came the river -- the ! The crowd roared in response to the unlikely runout, and Moss’s wife, Virgie, came forward to give him a kiss on the head. She then leaned over and kissed the dealer on the cheek, too, prompting laughter from the rail.

Moss now sits behind a much more comfortable stack of 33,400.

“I was ready to walk out,” Moss said quietly as the next hand was being dealt. “I ain’t drawed out on nobody in a long time.”

10:48 p.m.: Treetop Cut Down in Third

A short-stacked Jack Straus went all in with a straight flush draw on the flop and was called by Johnny Moss who’d flopped a set of eights. The turn and river didn’t work out for Straus, and he’s out in third. That hand appears to have put Moss in the lead to begin heads-up play.

The players are taking a short break before they commence their tournament-ending duel.

10:55 p.m.: Chip Counts to Start Heads-Up

Johnny Moss -- 70,400
Puggy Pearson -- 59,600

(To be continued)

*Among the several discrepancies between the sources, the CBS documentary suggests play resumed around 2 p.m., while Bradshaw says they began just after six.

**Bradshaw has Roberts going out in fourth, not sixth (after Hooks then Brazil), although the documentary shows that was not the case. Incidentally, both Bradshaw and Spanier report this hand in detail, though their accounts conflict with each other and with what is seen in the documentary.

***Spanier suggests this was the hand that knocked out Straus (“marked his exit”), but the documentary shows otherwise.

Note: All hands and other details compiled from Jon Bradshaw, Fast Company (1975), David Spanier’s Total Poker (1977), and the CBS Sports Spectacular documentary of the 1973 WSOP Main Event. Editorial judgment has been used whenever apparent discrepencies between the sources occur, and some creative license employed to fill in occasional narrative gaps, time stamps, and other details.

Photos: “Binion’s Horseshoe Casino presents The World Series of Poker,” CBS Sports Spectacular (1973).