button in SafariFirst-Ever PLO Bracelet Winner on 1984 WSOP Title: It Didn't Mean S**t to Me
The first-ever Pot-Limit Omaha bracelet event at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) took place in 1984, won by 36-year-old Bill Bennett.
Bennett is back at the WSOP 42 years later — he's now 88 — where he cashed in the $1,000 Super Seniors event, but was eliminated in 441st place for $2,001. It was his first cash in a WSOP event since 2018 when he reached the final table and finished fifth for $170,944 in the $1,000 Seniors tournament.
What Does Bracelet Winner Recall About 1984 Title?
PokerNews caught up with Bennett Tuesday on a break after the bubble burst to see what he recalls about his win in the $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event more than four decades ago.
"Not a hell of a lot," he answered. "I play so many, I mean that's all I do is play poker. I retired at 50 and I'm 88."
Bennett knew he was competing in the first PLO bracelet event, but barely knew the game. He was just learning the game and still went on to outlast a field of 108 players, mostly pros, including a star-studded final table with two future Poker Hall of Famers — Mike Sexton and Tom Mcevoy — and legendary poker author and pro David Sklansky.
The winner of the tournament, who still plays frequently, didn't care so much for the bracelet. Back then, the WSOP was still in its infancy stage and the $84,000 he won was more important to him. Bennett said he gave his bracelet to his mother years ago and doesn't know where it is today.
"It didn't mean s**t." he admitted of the bracelet he won in 1984.
That bracelet, wherever it is, could retrieve a decent amount at auction on eBay, given it is the first PLO bracelet ever won. Bennett, who resides in Washington, started coming to Las Vegas in 1955 when he was in boot camp. When he entered the PLO tournament, he was "just playing and having fun," and had no understanding of the relevance of the World Series of Poker or the caliber of his final table opponents.
Bennett's win came just three days after he finished fourth for $11,700 in $1,000 Limit Hold'em
Pot-Limit Omaha has grown exponentially since Bennett won his bracelet. This year's $1,000 PLO event, currently on Day 2, had 3,733 entries and first place will pay $390,300, which is about twice as much as Bennett won in 1984, adjusted for inflation.
