1984 Super Bowl of Poker


The Super Bowl of Poker was the second most prestigious poker tournament in the world during the 1980s. While the World Series of Poker was already drawing larger crowds as more and more amateurs sought it out, the SBOP "was an affair limited almost exclusively to pros and hard-core amateurs."
Prior to 1979, the only high dollar tournament a person could enter was the WSOP. 1972 WSOP Main Event Champion and outspoken ambassador for poker Amarillo Slim saw this as an opportunity. "The World Series of Poker was so successful that everybody wanted more than one tournament," he said. Slim called upon his connections and friendships with poker's elite to start a new tournament in the February 1979. Before the SBOP had developed a reputation of its own, many of the most respected names in poker attended the tournament "more to support Slim and take advantage of the very fat cash games the event would obviously inspire." Slim modelled his SBOP after the WSOP with several events and a $10,000 Texas Hold'em Main Event.
One of the principal differences between the WSOP and the SBOP was the prize structure. The WSOP's prize structure was flat ensuring more people received smaller pieces of the prize pool. The SBOP typically used a 60-30-10 payout structure. In other words, only the first three places received money and generally in the ratio of 60% to first place, 30% to second place, and 10% to third. This payment schedule predominated the SBOP for the first 5 years of the event, but as the event grew the number of payouts increased while keeping the payout schedule top heavy.

1984 tournament

The 1984 tournament was the first year that a WSOP Main Event Champion won the SBOP Main Event. Stu Ungar who would be one of only two people to win 3 WSOP Main Events, won the first of his three SBOP Main Events in 1984. With his victory, he brought more respect and prestige to the event. Prior to this victory, poker's elite players went to the tournament more with the notion of playing in the associated cash games and to support their friend Amarillo Slim. Stu's victory made the title one that poker's elite sought.
Lyle Berman, who now serves as the Chairman of the Board of the World Poker Tour and is a member of the Poker Hall of Fame, won the $500 Pot Limit Omaha event.

Key

Event 1: $ 10,000 No Limit Hold'em

PlaceNamePrize
1stStu Ungar*$275000
2ndRalph Morton$110000
3rdRichard Klamian$55000
4thChip Reese*$27500
5thKen Flaton$27500
6thAustin Squatty$27500

Event 2: Ace-to-Five Lowball

PlaceNamePrize
1stGabe KaplanUnknown

Event 3: $ 500 Ladies Limit Seven Card Stud

PlaceNamePrize
1stBarbara Lewis$10500

Event 4: $ 500 Pot Limit Omaha

PlaceNamePrize
1stLyle Berman*$97750
2ndRalph Morton$39100

Event 5: $ 500 Limit Hold'em

PlaceNamePrize
1stJim Craig$43000

Event 6: $ 5,000 Seven Card Stud - Championship Event

PlaceNamePrize
1stMickey ApplemanUnknown