117-636: Not to be confused with Sam Simon . San Simon or San Simón may refer to: Places [ edit ] San Simon, Arizona , an unincorporated community San Simón, El Salvador , a municipality San Simon, Pampanga , a municipality in the Philippines San Simón, Táchira , a town in Táchira, Venezuela San Simón Almolongas , a town and municipality in Oaxaca, Mexico San Simón Zahuatlán ,
234-508: A storyboard artist at Filmation Studios . Simon submitted a spec script for the sitcom Taxi , which was produced, and he later became the series' showrunner . Over the next few years, Simon wrote and produced for Cheers , It's Garry Shandling's Show and other programs, as well as writing the 1991 film The Super . Simon turned to fields outside television in his later years. He regularly appeared on Howard Stern 's radio shows, managed boxer Lamon Brewster and helped guide him to
351-694: A 2017 6th place final table finish makes Maria the only player to ever hold the title Last Woman Standing four times over and at both the WSOP and WSOPE Main Events. In 1995, Barbara Enright became the only woman to make the Final Table of the World Series of Poker, finishing in fifth place. She also finished in the money of the Main Event in 2005. An Ambassador of Poker League of Nations, Barbara
468-631: A World Series of Poker began in 1969 with an event called the Texas Gamblers Reunion . It was an invitational event sponsored by Tom Moore of Castle Hills, Texas , and held at the Holiday Hotel and Casino in Reno . This inaugural event was won by Crandell Addington . The set of tournaments that the World Series of Poker (WSOP) would evolve into was the brainchild of Las Vegas casino owner and poker player Benny Binion . In 1970,
585-414: A change would likely never be made. However, after the $ 50,000 H.O.R.S.E. / Poker Players Championship event was added, many of the game's top professionals, including Negreanu, have since stated that this tournament ultimately decides the world's best player. The $ 50,000 buy-in, being five times larger than the buy-in for the Main Event, has thus far tended to deter amateurs from playing in this event, and
702-430: A decade, reaching 52 participants in 1982. In the early 1980s, satellite tournaments were introduced, allowing people to win their way into the various events. By 1987, there were over 2,100 entrants in the entire series. At the 2006 World Series of Poker , there were 45 events, covering the majority of poker variants . Participation in the Main Event peaked that year, with 8,773 players. The number of participants in
819-492: A gold ring or standing for the WSOP Circuit National Championship, both of which were common for other circuit events. This policy changed in 2012. The WSOPA did not occur in 2011 but would come back in 2012. On April 30, 2012, the WSOP and Australian casino Crown Melbourne jointly announced the creation of the World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific (WSOP APAC). The first edition of the event
936-428: A heavy drinking New York taxi driver. Simon commented: "When I was doing The Simpsons , people couldn't see how smart it was because of the low moments. There's something about this show. People who like it say it's classy. They don't see how vulgar it is." Carlin wrote negatively of his relationship with Simon. On his own website, Carlin wrote of the show: "always check mental health of creative partner beforehand. Loved
1053-690: A hybrid online format in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Series of Poker announced a return to in-person play for the next series in September 2021, in Paradise, Nevada. The 2024 WSOP was held at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas , and saw record-breaking attendance for the Main Event tournament. In August 2024, Caesars Entertainment announced it had sold the WSOP brand to GGPoker operator NSUS Group for $ 500 million. The idea of
1170-602: A poker professional, of which one was Phil Hellmuth , joining the team. Unlike today's coverage, ESPN featured no pre-taped interviews or profiles on the players. In addition, the commentators were generally on the casino floor itself. From 1999 to 2001, the World Series of Poker was broadcast by The Discovery Channel . These hour-long programs presented more of an overview or recap of the WSOP as opposed to broadcasting an actual live event with play-by-play analysis and color commentary. The Discovery Channel's broadcast also featured final table players interviews interlaced throughout
1287-520: A prize. In 2004, Harrah's Entertainment (now Caesars Entertainment) purchased Binion's Horseshoe, retained the rights to the Horseshoe and World Series of Poker brands, sold the hotel and casino to MTR Gaming Group , and announced that the 2005 Series events would be held at the Harrah's-owned Rio Hotel and Casino , located just off the Las Vegas Strip . Since 2004 the official sponsor of
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#17327796875081404-495: A record for entries and prize pool. On June 2, 2011, the World Series of Poker and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté announced plans for an officially sanctioned special fundraising event, known as The Big One for One Drop , starting on July 1, 2012, with a record US$ 1 million entry fee. 11% of the money (more precisely, $ 111,111 from each buy-in) went to Laliberté's charity, the One Drop Foundation , and
1521-757: A record that cannot be broken in the Las Vegas WSOP under current laws because the minimum legal age for casino gaming in Nevada is 21. Obrestad could play in the WSOPE because the minimum age for casino gaming in the United Kingdom is 18. While no definitive plans have been announced, WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack has indicated that in the next one to three years that other venues may start holding WSOP events. Two locations that have been mentioned as possible expansion sites are Egypt and South Africa, and
1638-602: A serious player until a game at writer David Steinberg 's house with several "scholarly" players, which encouraged him to study the game and enter numerous tournaments, although he decided not to become professional. He competed at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) each year between 2007 and 2011, finishing in the money in six events. In 2007 , at the 6,358-player $ 10,000 No-Limit Texas Hold'em Main Event, he finished 329th with $ 39,445. He also finished 16th, winning $ 35,493 at
1755-416: A single one-hour taped-delay broadcast of the Main Event. ESPN Classic currently airs many of the old broadcasts from the mid-1990s and beyond. Since no "pocket cam" existed, very few hole cards were actually shown to television viewers. Generally, ESPN used poker-playing actors such as Dick Van Patten , Vince Van Patten , and Gabe Kaplan , with either the tournament director (usually Jim Albrecht ) or
1872-472: A strain on the pair's relationship. Simon left Gracie Films and The Simpsons in 1993; he commented that he "wasn't enjoying it anymore," wished to pursue other projects, and that of "any show I've ever worked on, it turns me into a monster. I go crazy. I hate myself." Before leaving, he negotiated a deal that saw him receive a share of the show's profits every year, particularly from home media, and an executive producer credit despite not having worked on
1989-400: A substantial "source of revenue". Simon also briefly managed heavyweight Steve Vukosa, but retired from boxing management soon after Brewster became WBO Heavyweight Champion. Simon was a regular player of poker, and Texas hold 'em in particular. He was introduced to the game as a child through weekly family poker games and casino trips with his grandfather. Simon did not consider himself
2106-684: A town and municipality in Oaxaca, Mexico Island of San Simón , Galicia, Spain San Simon Valley , near the Dos Cabezas Mountains, U.S.A. Mexico City Metrobús Line 1#San Simón Other uses [ edit ] San Simón de Moquegua , a football club from Moquegua, Peru San Simón AKA Maximón , an object of folk belief in Guatemala, Mexico and elsewhere San Simón cheese from Vilalba , Spain Topics referred to by
2223-500: A writer and producer on Cheers from seasons one to three (1982–1985), writing five episodes: "Endless Slumper", "Battle of the Ex's", "Fairytales Can Come True", "Cheerio Cheers" and "The Bartender's Tale". Simon created, wrote and produced the short-lived sitcom Shaping Up in 1984, alongside Ken Estin ; the show starred Leslie Nielsen as a gym owner and ran for five episodes on ABC . Simon also wrote and produced for Best of
2340-580: A young age, appearing on televised local art programs as young as the age of five. He once was told by Walt Disney that he would one day work at his studio. Simon attended Beverly Hills High School , where he was on the football team and served as a cartoonist for the school newspaper. He was named "Most Humorous" and "Most Talented" in his senior yearbook. He later attended Stanford University , graduating in 1977. Simon had not wished to attend college, but Stanford persuaded him to apply due to his sufficient grades and proficiency at football; Simon quit
2457-457: Is "nothing [which gives him] more pleasure than" helping others via his charities, and gave away most of his fortune. It's more than a hobby. I take my responsibilities very seriously and get very involved emotionally in Lamon's fights. The three days before a fight feel like they're an hour or two long for me. I love the rules meetings and press conferences and hanging out in the hotel lobby with
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#17327796875082574-402: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Sam Simon Samuel Michael Simon (June 6, 1955 – March 8, 2015) was an American television producer and animal rights activist who co-developed the television series The Simpsons . While at Stanford University , Simon worked as a newspaper cartoonist and after graduating became
2691-653: Is the first woman to win two WSOP bracelets, the first woman to win three bracelets, and the first woman to win an open event at the World Series of Poker. Barbara is also the first woman to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame , the Women in Poker Hall of Fame, and the Senior Poker Hall of Fame, making her the only poker player to be in all three poker halls of fame. In 1977, the first ladies-only event
2808-444: Is was replaced by Texas hold 'em in 2001. The earliest filming of the World Series was a special produced by Binion's Horseshoe in 1973 and narrated by Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder . CBS began covering the World Series in the late 1970s. In the early 1980s, the event was again broadcast as specials. In the late 1980s, the World Series returned to television as ESPN took over broadcasting. Initially, coverage only consisted of just
2925-515: The Friends season three episode "The One Without the Ski Trip" in 1997, and several episodes of The Norm Show (1999) and The Michael Richards Show (2000). From 1998 to 2003, he served as a consulting producer and director for The Drew Carey Show , and directed the show's series finale. He was also a creative consultant on Bless This House in 1996. From 1999 to some time in
3042-540: The Paris suburb of Enghien-les-Bains . From 2013 to 2017 the WSOPE was held only in odd-numbered years, with the newly launched World Series of Poker Asia Pacific (WSOP APAC) conducted in even-numbered years. WSOPE has been held annually since 2017. In 2010, the WSOP expanded overseas once again, only this time to Gauteng , South Africa . Although the 2010 event was part of the WSOP Circuit, winners did not earn
3159-801: The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel MY Sam Simon . Simon was engaged at the time of his death, having been previously twice married, including to the actress Jennifer Tilly . Following a profile of Simon on 60 Minutes in 2007, CBS writer Daniel Schorn wrote in an online article that Simon was "perhaps the Renaissance man of the baffling, uncertain age we live in." Simon was diagnosed with terminal colorectal cancer in 2012 and given only three to six months to live. He bequeathed his $ 100 million estate to various charities that he actively supported during his lifetime. He died on March 8, 2015. Samuel Michael Simon
3276-482: The WSOP Europe and WSOP Asia-Pacific , but excludes WSOP Circuit events and other non-bracelet events. The results are updated through the 2014 WSOP APAC. At present, women make up around 5% of the field in all the events at the annual WSOP tournament. Vanessa Selbst , Barbara Enright , Nani Dollison and Kristen Bicknell all have won three WSOP bracelets. In 2015, Kelly Minkin finished in 29th place in
3393-613: The World Boxing Organization Heavyweight Championship in 2004, and was a regular poker player and six-time in the money finisher at the World Series of Poker . Simon founded the Sam Simon Foundation, which consists of a mobile veterinary clinic that goes into low-income neighborhoods offering free surgeries for cats and dogs several days per week, as well as a program that rescues and trains shelter dogs. He also funded
3510-512: The World Series of Poker Africa was ultimately launched in South Africa in 2010. However, it is currently treated as a WSOP Circuit event, with no bracelets awarded. The next expansion of the WSOP that included bracelet events was ultimately to Australia . The WSOPE moved from London to Cannes , France, in 2011. At that time, the buy-ins and payouts changed from being fixed in pounds to euros . The event moved again in 2013, this time to
3627-431: The $ 1,000 1,048-player No-Limit Hold'em w/Re-Buys in 2007; 41st, winning $ 10,708 at the $ 1,000 706-player No-Limit Hold'em w/ReBuys in 2008 ; 53rd, winning $ 10,692 at the $ 1,000 879-player No-Limit Hold'em w/ReBuys in 2008; 20th, winning $ 24,066 at the $ 10,000 275-player World Championship Pot-Limit Hold'em in 2009 ; and 500th, winning $ 23,876 at the $ 10,000 6,865-player No-Limit Hold'em Championship in 2011 . He also won
San Simon - Misplaced Pages Continue
3744-455: The $ 300 438-player No-Limit Hold'em Bounty $ 100,000 Guarantee at the 2009 L.A. Poker Open, winning $ 22,228. His biggest win in terms of both field size and prize money was the $ 200 1,082-player No-Limit Hold'em $ 150,000 Guarantee at the 2010 Winnin O' The Green, where he won $ 57,308. Simon's private poker games between him and his celebrity friends have been described as "raucous and very entertaining". Their reputation led Playboy TV to produce
3861-554: The 1988 main event was featured in the movie Rounders . Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer , the winners in 2003 and 2004 , both qualified for the main event through satellite tournaments at the PokerStars online card room. Jerry Yang , the winner in 2007 , had only been playing poker for two years prior to his victory. He won his seat at a $ 225 satellite tournament at Pechanga Resort & Casino, in California. With
3978-548: The 2017/18 season. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions on live poker events, there was a heavy focus on online events for 2020 and 2021, with dedicated online series during both years. In 2023, the WSOP expanded to Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The winner of each event receives a World Series of Poker bracelet and a monetary prize based on the number of entrants and buy-in amounts. Over
4095-524: The Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Starting in 2002, he self-funded, at an annual cost of several million dollars, The Sam Simon Foundation, which has a mobile clinic that provides free surgeries for cats and dogs, as well as rescuing and retraining shelter dogs who might otherwise be euthanized. An episode of 60 Minutes broadcast in March 2007 described it as "the grandest dog shelter in
4212-530: The Main Event and the $ 50,000 H.O.R.S.E. competition had no effect on the outcome of the winner of the Player of the Year award. In the 2008 World Series of Poker, the $ 50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event counted toward the Player of the Year award, but the Main Event did not. Since 2009, all open events, including the Main Event, count towards Player of the Year. The Player of the Year standings were based upon performance solely at
4329-488: The Main Event earning the "Last Woman Standing". In the 2007 World Series of Poker, Maria Ho was the last woman remaining in the Championship Event, placing 38th out of 6,358 players and earning a $ 237,865 payday. She repeated this accomplishment in 2014, when she came in 77th place out of 6,683 players. Her 27th place "Last Woman Standing" finish at the 2011 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event along with
4446-405: The Main Event has traditionally been given the unofficial title of World Champion. However, some believe that no-limit hold 'em is not the optimal structure for determining a champion poker player. In 2002, Daniel Negreanu argued that the Main Event should switch to pot-limit hold 'em, believing that pot-limit required a more complete set of poker skills than no-limit, although he admitted that such
4563-540: The Main Event multiple times: Johnny Moss ( 1970 , 1971 , and 1974 ), Doyle Brunson ( 1976 and 1977 ), Stu Ungar ( 1980 , 1981 , and 1997 ) and Johnny Chan ( 1987 and 1988 ). Bracelet winners who first achieved fame in other fields include French actor/singer Patrick Bruel (in 1998 ), Danish soccer player Jan Vang Sørensen (in 2002 ), American actress Jennifer Tilly (in 2005 ), and American musician/record producer Steve Albini (in 2018 and 2022 ). In recent years, there have been non-bracelet events at
4680-478: The Main Event of the WSOP has been the $ 10,000 buy-in no-limit Texas Hold 'em (NLHE) tournament (in 1971 the buy-in was $ 5,000 and the inaugural 1970 event was an invitational with winner determined by a vote from the players). Winners of the event not only get the largest prize of the tournament and a gold bracelet, but additionally their picture is placed in the Gallery of Champions at Binion's. The winner of
4797-459: The WSOP ; two of the most notable are the "World Series of Rock Paper Scissors" and "Ante Up for Africa." Currently, Texas hold 'em, Omaha hold 'em and Seven-card stud and their lowball variants are played. H.O.R.S.E. has been played in the past and returned in 2006. Also, S.H.O.E. has been played in the past, and returned in 2007. Other events played in the past include Chinese poker , Five card stud, and many others. Like most tournaments,
San Simon - Misplaced Pages Continue
4914-487: The WSOP Poker Hall of Fame has honored 42 individuals. Selection criteria for players include having competed against acknowledged top competition, played for high stakes, and played consistently well to gain the respect of their peers. For non-players, selection is based on positive and lasting contributions to the overall growth and success of poker. Since 2004, a Player of the Year (POY) award has been given to
5031-486: The WSOP and WSOP Europe. In recent years, the prize pool for the WSOP Main Event has become so large that the winner instantly becomes one of the top money winners of WSOP and even in tournament poker history. Before July 2012, the top seven players on the all-time WSOP Earnings list were Main Event champions from 2005 to 2011, among whom Jamie Gold topped those seven, he won the 2006 Main Event, which had then
5148-427: The WSOP announced that 30 players had committed to the tournament, which brought the first prize to $ 12.3 million, exceeding the record amount won by Jamie Gold. In the end, all 48 seats were filled, resulting in a first prize of $ 18.3 million. Poker professional Antonio Esfandiari won the event, also receiving a special platinum WSOP bracelet. While the Main Event is the biggest - according to prize pool - event in
5265-465: The WSOP began the World Series of Poker Circuit , a satellite series held at Harrah's-owned properties in the United States. In addition to the $ 10,000 buy-in tournament at each site, qualifying players became eligible for a revamped Tournament of Champions . The 2005 TOC, made up of the top twenty qualifying players at each circuit event, along with the final table from the 2005 Main Event, and
5382-410: The WSOP grew every year from 2000 until 2006. Following 2006, new online gambling legislation restricted the number of online qualifiers to the event. 2007 was the first dip in numbers in the 21st century while in 2008 more people participated than the previous year. In 2000 , there were 4,780 entrants in the various events, but in 2005, the number rose to over 23,000 players. In the main event alone,
5499-505: The WSOP in Las Vegas up until 2010, but beginning in 2011 have also taken the World Series of Poker Europe into account, and starting in 2013 also include events in the World Series of Poker Asia Pacific. The 2011 WSOP Player of the Year organized by Bluff Magazine used a different scoring system which took into account field sizes and buy-in amounts when calculating points earned. This scoring system has been used ever since. Since 2016,
5616-409: The WSOP payout a bigger percentage of the field (15% instead of 10% until then). Information correct as of December 23, 2023 Information correct as of December 23, 2023. Since its inception, Stu Ungar and Johnny Moss are the only players to have won the Main Event three times. However, Moss's first victory came in a different format, as he was elected winner by vote of his fellow players at
5733-461: The WSOP waived its normal 10% rake of the entry fees. At the time of the original announcement, 15 of the maximum 48 seats had been taken. By early December 2011, the field size had increased to 22, the minimum required for an official bracelet tournament. Among those who committed early to the event were Johnny Chan , Daniel Negreanu , Jonathan Duhamel , Tom Dwan , Laliberté, billionaire businessman Phil Ruffin and Erik Seidel . On April 12, 2012,
5850-553: The West (1981), Barney Miller (1982) and It's Garry Shandling's Show (1987–1988), and wrote the 1991 film The Super . In the beginning, I was skeptical it could be successful, but I was not skeptical it could be good. I was hoping for 13 episodes that my friends would like. It's a good lesson, isn't it? If you do something trying to make your friends laugh and that you can be proud of, you can also be successful. —Simon on his work on The Simpsons . Simon co-developed
5967-526: The World Series of Poker Main Event is considered to be the World Champion of Poker. Since 1971, all WSOP events have been tournaments with cash prizes. In 1973 , a five-card stud event was added. Since then, new events have been added and removed. Since 1976, a bracelet has been awarded to the winner of every event at the annual WSOP; later on, the winners of events before 1976 were retroactively given bracelets. The tournament grew slowly for over
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#17327796875086084-585: The World Series of Poker has been the Caesars Entertainment Corporation. The final two days of the 2005 WSOP Main Event were held downtown at what is now the MTR-operated "Binion's" in celebration of the centennial of the founding of Las Vegas. The WSOP added a made-for-television $ 2 million "freeroll" invitational Tournament of Champions (TOC) event first won by Annie Duke as a "winner-take-all" event. Starting in 2005,
6201-409: The actors, loved the crew. Had a great time. Couldn't wait to get the fuck out of there." In his final book, the posthumously published Last Words (2009), Carlin elaborated: "I had a great time. I never laughed so much, so often, so hard as I did with cast members Alex Rocco , Chris Rich , Tony Starke . There was a very strange, very good sense of humor on that stage ... The biggest problem, though,
6318-451: The animated series The Simpsons , which premiered on the Fox network in 1989 and has remained on air ever since. The show is regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time, with Time magazine naming it the 20th century's best series. The premise for the series originated as a series of short cartoons airing in 1987 as part of The Tracey Ullman Show , on which Simon
6435-510: The best-known poker players to the Horseshoe Casino for a single tournament, with a set start and stop time, and a winner determined by a secret ballot of the seven players. As of 2020, the WSOP consists of 101 events, with most major poker variants featured. However, in recent years, over half of the events have been variants of Texas hold 'em . Events traditionally take place during one day or over several consecutive days during
6552-444: The biggest first prize for a single tournament, and still is the largest poker tournament by prize pool in history. However, the all-time leader is currently poker professional Daniel Negreanu , who has not won a Main Event, although he won the inaugural WSOP Asia Pacific Main Event in 2013. He is followed by professionals Antonio Esfandiari and Daniel Colman , both also yet to win a Main Event in Las Vegas. The list below includes
6669-514: The characters." Simon crafted much of the world of Springfield , and designed the models for many of the show's recurring characters, including Mr. Burns , Dr. Hibbert , Chief Wiggum and Eddie and Lou , as well as many of the one-time and guest-star roles, such as Bleeding Gums Murphy . One of his contributions to the show's character development was his proposal that Waylon Smithers should be gay, but that this should never have too much attention drawn to it; Smithers' sexuality became one of
6786-480: The conclusion of what was then a timed event. Moss, Ungar, Doyle Brunson , and Johnny Chan are the only people who have won the Main Event in consecutive years. Chan's second victory in 1988 was featured in the 1998 film Rounders . Phil Hellmuth holds multiple WSOP records including most bracelets, most WSOP cashes, and most WSOP final tables. He is also the only player to have won the Main Events of both
6903-488: The country, a five star, [6 acres (0.024 km ; 0.0094 sq mi)] spread in Malibu, perhaps the most desirable real estate on the planet. Here, among the waterfalls and the manicured grounds, The Sam Simon Foundation gives stray and abandoned dogs a new lease on life, literally." As Simon explained, the foundation aims to "rescue dogs" and "train them to be service dogs, [to help] people with disabilities," primarily
7020-506: The day after with the annual Casino Employee event, won in 2006 by Chris Gros . 2006 featured the Tournament of Champions on June 25 and 26, won by Mike Sexton . Various events led up to the Main Event, which was held from July 28 until August 10. The first prize of $ 12 million was awarded to Jamie Gold . The World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) is the first expansion of the World Series of Poker in series history. In September 2007,
7137-478: The deaf. It also provides free veterinary surgeries to pets belonging to low-income families, and trains dogs to help soldiers returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan deal with post-traumatic stress disorder . Simon said the money he used was "well spent just for the pleasure it gives me." The training program has a 20% success rate, because many of the rescued dogs "have physical and psychological problems" but
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#17327796875087254-423: The dogs who cannot be trained are put up for adoption. The foundation is non-profit, and does not accept public donations. In 2011, Simon established and self-funded a second non-profit called The Sam Simon Foundation: Feeding Families. This is a food truck which delivers vegan food to about 200 low-income families each week. He also donated an undisclosed sum to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in 2012 for
7371-479: The early 2000s, Simon was President of e-Nexus Studios the once entertainment content arm of ZeniMax Media , Parent Company of video game publisher Bethesda Softworks . After E-Nexus was shut down, Simon became President of the creative group at ZeniMax Productions, another subsidiary of ZeniMax. After leaving The Simpsons and The George Carlin Show , Simon sought to find a "life outside television," as working in
7488-542: The episode's teleplay. Simon also substantially contributed to the episode " Stark Raving Dad ," pitched the episode " Homer at the Bat ," and proposed the "Land of Chocolate" sequence from " Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk ." Simon's final writing credit was for the "Dial 'Z' For Zombies" segment of " Treehouse of Horror III ." Although they initially worked well together, Simon and Groening's relationship became "very contentious" according to Groening. Simon never expected
7605-399: The fighters. But on the night of a fight, once we get to the locker room, everything moves very slowly. I feel very tense in a way that nothing else, including my own wrestling matches and gym fights, ever made me feel. I'm aware that Lamon's career is on the line and he's risking his life every time he steps into the ring. —Simon in 2004 on his role as Lamon Brewster 's manager. Simon
7722-483: The final table. Since then, ESPN has greatly expanded its coverage to include many of the preliminary events of the WSOP, especially Texas Hold 'Em. Also, their coverage of the main event now typically includes at least one hour program on each day. For the first two years of its existence, ESPN was broadcasting one hour programs of the "circuit" events that the WSOP has at various Harrah's-owned casinos, but ESPN did not renew these events. ESPN's coverage now includes many of
7839-406: The first WSOP at Binion's Horseshoe took place as a series of cash games that included five-card stud , deuce to seven low-ball draw , razz , seven-card stud , and Texas hold 'em . The format for the Main Event as a freeze-out Texas hold 'em game came the next year. The winner in 1970, Johnny Moss , was elected by his peers as the first "World Champion of Poker" and received a silver cup as
7956-460: The first WSOP championship events outside of Las Vegas, complete with bracelets , were held. The inaugural WSOPE consisted of three events held in London from September 6–17, 2007. The main event, a £ 10,000 buy-in no-limit hold 'em tournament, was won by Norwegian online prodigy Annette Obrestad on the day before her 19th birthday. This made her the youngest person ever to win a WSOP bracelet,
8073-522: The first edition of the revamped event. Since Reese's death in December 2007, the winner of this event receives the David 'Chip' Reese Memorial Trophy in addition to the bracelet and the prize money. There have been many memorable moments during the main events, including Jack Straus 's 1982 comeback win after discovering he had one $ 500 chip left when he thought he was out of the tournament. The end of
8190-466: The football team after one day. Simon drew comics for The Stanford Daily , a college newspaper, but was denied admission to a drawing class for not being talented enough. As he recalled to the Stanford alumni magazine, he was told, "You'd be taking the space of a student who has talent." Simon majored in psychology , but did not focus on his academics. While still at Stanford, Simon's first job
8307-473: The greatest moments of his life; it "eclipsed everything he had achieved in a glittering 26-year showbiz career." Before the Klitschko fight, Simon calculated he had spent several hundred thousand dollars funding Brewster, paying him a large salary on top of match fees as well as letting him stay rent-free at one of his houses, and taking only a 10% cut of the match fees; however, he never intended boxing to be
8424-466: The industry "made [him] crazy." On working in television, Simon concluded: "In some ways, it's the greatest job in the world. You make a product that's given away, and all it does is make people smile. Nobody gets hurt, there's no damage, and you can get crazy rich." Simon retired from full-time television work, although still worked in the media, frequently contributing, as a writer and a participant, to Howard Stern 's radio shows. He wrote and directed
8541-427: The long-term rights acquisition for ESPN, and the channel expanded their coverage to new heights with their coverage of the WSOP. They included coverage of the entire tournament, with a "Featured Table". At this table, the viewers could see the player's hole cards and subsequent strategy. The action was also broadcast as if live, though on tape-delay. 2003 was the first year that the broadcast covered action preceding
8658-497: The management of his trust as well as the lack of donations to groups that he supported in his lifetime. The Simpsons episode " Waiting for Duffman " was dedicated to him. World Series of Poker The World Series of Poker ( WSOP ) is a series of poker tournaments held annually in Paradise, Nevada and, since 2004, sponsored by Caesars Entertainment . It dates its origins to 1970, when Benny Binion invited seven of
8775-480: The marriage lasted three weeks. Simon was engaged to chef and caterer Jenna Stewart around 2011. In 2012, he began dating Kate Porter, a make-up artist; they were together until his death. Simon became a vegetarian at the age of 19 and when joining People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals around 2000, he turned to veganism . He had three dogs. He lived in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles , in
8892-506: The most refined Simpsons pop references ever," and knows "people that consider this the point that they realized The Simpsons could be both highly hilarious and highly intelligent." Simon co-wrote the episode " Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish " with Swartzwelder, an episode which Tom Shales of The Washington Post has described as "a bull's-eye political satire". The final episode he co-wrote for season two
9009-446: The number of participants grew from 839 in 2003 to 8,773 in 2006, and has hovered between 6,300 and 7,200 entrants in the eleven years since. Phil Hellmuth has won the most bracelets with 17 followed by Phil Ivey with 11 bracelets. Crandell Addington is the only player to place in the top ten of the World Series of Poker Main Event eight times, albeit in earlier years with small fields compared to modern times. Four players have won
9126-425: The one-off radio sitcom "The Bitter Half" for Stern's Howard 101 in 2006. Simon had his own show on Radioio . Simon returned to television production work in 2012, serving as a consultant and director on the series Anger Management for half a day a week. Simon was a staunch advocate for animal rights and veganism , and described himself as an "animal lover". Around the year 2000, he joined People for
9243-406: The original casts of Auguste Rodin 's The Thinker . He also had a sculpture by Robert Graham and works by Alberto Vargas , Gil Elvgren , Ed Ruscha and Richard Estes . In late 2012, Simon was diagnosed with terminal colorectal cancer that later metastasized to his other organs, including his liver and kidneys. He had been feeling ill for some time and had earlier been misdiagnosed. He
9360-542: The passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of 2006 online poker sites have been barred from purchasing entrance directly for their users. In the 2023 Main Event, a new record was set for entries and a first-place prize for the first time since 2006. The 2024 WSOP Main Event set a new record for entries. These records do not include WSOP Europe or Asia Pacific Main Events. Since its inception in 1979,
9477-458: The player with the most points accumulated throughout the WSOP. As of 2019, fifteen different players have won the sixteen awards, with Daniel Negreanu as the only player to win the award more than once. Only "open" events in which all players can participate count in the standings; this eliminates the Seniors, Ladies, and Casino Employee events. Beginning with the 2006 World Series of Poker,
9594-688: The purpose of purchasing another vessel for their fleet , the MY ; Sam Simon , which was unveiled in December 2012. Simon was also a board member for Save the Children , and hosted the largest annual fundraiser for PETA, who named him an Honorary Director and their Norfolk, Virginia headquarters building after him. Simon has stated that animal rights charities have been his main target for donations, over other causes like human disease and environmental damage, because "your money can bring success" with visible results. Simon stated in 2011 that there
9711-575: The recently added Bally's and Caesar's properties — would host 2005–06 WSOP Circuit events that started on August 11 in Tunica , Mississippi . One event that was scheduled for Biloxi , Mississippi, was canceled after the Grand Casino Biloxi , which was scheduled to host the event, suffered major damage from Hurricane Katrina . The Rio also hosted the 2006 World Series of Poker , which began on June 25 with satellite events and formally began
9828-531: The restored Bailey House, designed by Richard Neutra . After his home was destroyed by a fire in 2007, Simon redesigned it to be environmentally friendly; much of the interior is constructed from recycled materials, while solar panels provide virtually its entire power needs. The building has a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certificate. He had an extensive art collection; he owned paintings by Thomas Hart Benton , John Singer Sargent and one of
9945-454: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title San Simon . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=San_Simon&oldid=1223114514 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
10062-699: The series in June and July. However, starting in 2008, the Main Event final table was delayed until November. The 2012 and 2016 Main Event final tables commenced in October because of the United States presidential election . As of May 2017, the World Series of Poker has done away with the November Nine concept and instead gone back to the old format of crowning the Main Event winner in July. After adopting
10179-559: The series; the Millionaire Maker ($ 1,500 buy-in) is next up top with its latest edition bearing a prize pool of $ 14,603,565. Inaugurated in 2018 the tournament has ever since held a $ 1,000,000 guarantee for first place. In 2023, the World Series of Poker introduced a $ 300 no-limit hold 'em bracelet event called Gladiators of Poker , its lowest-priced event. The event has a guaranteed $ 3 million prize pool and attracted over 23,000 players in its inaugural year. Since 1972,
10296-513: The show Sam's Game , a televised version featuring Simon as host and master of ceremonies of a Las Vegas celebrity Texas Hold 'em match; he produced the show. He had previously appeared on a 2009 episode of High Stakes Poker . Additionally, Simon won a Peabody Award for The Simpsons in 1996. Simon was married to actress and fellow poker player Jennifer Tilly from 1984 to 1991; they remained friends after their divorce. He married Playboy Playmate Jami Ferrell in 2000, and
10413-484: The show because Simon deliberately kept women out of the writing team. Simon has been credited with "developing [the show's] sensibility." Former Simpsons director Brad Bird has described him as "the unsung hero" of the show, while Vitti has stated to "leave out Sam Simon" is to tell "the managed version" of The Simpsons ' history, because "he was the guy we wrote for." Writer Ken Levine called Simon "the real creative force behind The Simpsons ... The tone,
10530-452: The show since 1993. The deal means he made over $ 10 million a year from The Simpsons ; he later told Stanford Magazine that "tens of millions" was a closer figure. Simon commented: "When I was there I thought I was underpaid. I thought I wasn't getting enough credit for it. Now, I think it's completely the opposite. I get too much credit for it. And the money is ridiculous." In January 1994, Simon co-created with comedian George Carlin
10647-463: The show to be a success, often proclaiming to fellow staff members "We're thirteen and out"—meaning that the show would be cancelled after the thirteenth episode of the first season. Therefore, he also told the staff that they had creative freedom to do whatever they wanted to make The Simpsons as good a show as possible, regardless of network or public opinion, because he thought it inevitably would not be renewed; he elaborated in 2009 that "Really I
10764-508: The show's longest-running gags. Simon saw The Simpsons as a chance to solve "what [he] didn't like about the Saturday-morning cartoon shows [he had] worked on ... [he] wanted all the actors in a room together, not reading their lines separated from each other. The Simpsons would have been a great radio show. If you just listen to the sound track, it works." The Simpsons utilized a process of collaborative script re-writing by
10881-472: The show's whole writing staff; this meant the credited writer may not have been responsible for the majority of an episode's content. Nevertheless, Simon was credited with co-writing the season one episodes " The Telltale Head ," " The Crepes of Wrath ," and the season finale " Some Enchanted Evening ." "Some Enchanted Evening" was intended to be the show's premiere but was delayed due to substandard animation. Simon adapted Edgar Allan Poe 's The Raven for
10998-433: The show. ESPN would resume coverage the following year. ESPN's coverage in 2002 was typical of their coverage in the 1990s (recorded in video, little or no post-production commentary or player profiles, no card cams). However, the final table broadcast was expanded over two one-hour episodes. The 2002 WSOP was the first with the "sneak peek" (later called the pocket cam, or hole cam ). In 2003, Fred Christenson secured
11115-465: The show. Simon later spoke well of Groening's influence, particularly on the show's positive tone. As well as Groening, Simon was often at odds with Brooks and production company Gracie Films . While working on The Simpsons , he and Brooks had co-created the series Sibs (1991) and Phenom (1993) as part of a multi-series deal for ABC. Simon did not want to work on either series, both of which were poorly received and swiftly canceled, which put
11232-411: The sitcom The George Carlin Show for Fox. It aired for 27 episodes before being canceled in December 1995. Simon served as showrunner throughout its run and directed several episodes. Simon persuaded Carlin to do the show after writing it as something which would not be "typically sitcomy." He conceived the show as what Carlin's life would have been like had he never become a comedian; Carlin played
11349-421: The smartest writers I've ever worked with, although unpleasant and mentally unbalanced." According to John Ortved's book The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History , when the show became successful Simon resented the media attention Groening received, particularly the praise for the show's writing; Simon felt that Groening's involvement was limited, and that he should have been the one receiving credit for
11466-511: The sponsoring casino takes an entry fee (a percentage between 6% and 10%, depending on the buy-in ) and distributes the rest, hence the prize money increasing with more players. In 2024, entry fees across all events range from $ 300 to $ 250,000, the latter being for the Super High Roller event. The Main Event, which is the highlight of the entire WSOP festival, has a buy-in of $ 10,000. In the 2005 Main Event, US$ 52,818,610 in prize money
11583-418: The storytelling, the level of humor—that was all developed on Sam's watch." Levine says that Simon "brought a level of honesty to the characters" and made them "three-dimensional," adding that his "comedy is all about character, not just a string of gags. In The Simpsons , the characters are motivated by their emotions and their foibles. 'What are they thinking?'—that is Sam's contribution. The stories come from
11700-420: The third segment of the season two episode " Treehouse of Horror ." Groening was nervous about "The Raven" because it did not have many gags, and felt it would be "the worst, most pretentious thing [they had] ever done" on the show. Nevertheless, the segment has often been praised as one of the best Treehouse of Horror stories in the show's history. Ryan J. Budke of TV Squad described the segment as "one of
11817-403: The variety of games played require a broader knowledge of poker. The first $ 50,000 event, conducted as a H.O.R.S.E. tournament, was won by Chip Reese in 2006 . In 2010 , the $ 50,000 event changed from H.O.R.S.E. to an "8-game" format, adding no-limit hold 'em, pot-limit Omaha, and 2–7 triple draw to the mix, and was rechristened The Poker Players Championship , with Michael Mizrachi winning
11934-444: The winners of nine or more bracelets (Johnny Chan, Doyle Brunson, and Phil Hellmuth) would participate in the revamped TOC at Caesars Palace . Mike Matusow won the first prize of $ 1 million (US), and all the players at the final table were guaranteed a minimum of $ 25,000 for the eighth and ninth-place finishers. During a break in the final table of the 2005 Main Event on July 16, Harrah's announced that eleven properties — including
12051-399: The years, the tournament has grown in both the number of events and in the number of participants. Each year, the WSOP culminates with the $ 10,000 no-limit hold'em "Main Event," which, since 2004, has attracted entrants numbering in the thousands. The victor receives a multi-million dollar cash prize and a bracelet, which has become the most coveted award a poker player can win. The winner of
12168-491: Was " The Way We Was ," alongside Jean and Reiss. While Reiss and Jean took over as showrunners, Simon remained on the writing staff for seasons three ( 1991–1992 ) and four ( 1992–1993 ). For the third season he co-wrote " Treehouse of Horror II ," and conceived the story for the Sideshow Bob episode " Black Widower ," together with mystery author Thomas Chastain , hoping to construct a full mystery story; Vitti wrote
12285-472: Was "self-taught and unschooled," but Simon felt the majority of what the studio produced was "awful". On the suggestion of Filmation producer Lou Scheimer who was impressed by Simon's writing ability, Simon submitted a spec script for the series Taxi which was produced as "Out of Commission" and aired in 1981 during its third season. Simon was hired as a writer, quickly becoming showrunner for its fifth and final season in 1983. Simon next worked as
12402-485: Was a long time fan of boxing, attending fights with his grandfather, but his interest increased particularly after seeing the 1990 heavyweight championship fight between Evander Holyfield and James "Buster" Douglas , which he described as "the most electrifying feeling I'd had in my life." He began training and won six out of nine amateur fights; he was also a reserve contestant on the Fox series Celebrity Boxing . Simon
12519-495: Was a newspaper sports cartoonist for The San Francisco Chronicle and The San Francisco Examiner . After graduating, he worked as a television storyboard artist, and later a writer, at Filmation Studios . There he worked on several animated shows, including The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse and Heckle & Jeckle and Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1979). Simon recalls Filmation approving of his work because he
12636-412: Was a writer and executive producer alongside James L. Brooks , with whom Simon had worked on Taxi . The cartoons were developed into a full series two years later. For The Simpsons , Simon served alongside Matt Groening (who conceived the show and the five main characters ) and Brooks as executive producer and showrunner for the show's first ( 1989–1990 ) and second ( 1990–1991 ) seasons, and
12753-526: Was born on June 6, 1955, in Los Angeles , California . He grew up in Beverly Hills and Malibu . Simon's family lived opposite Groucho Marx . Simon's father was a clothing manufacturer and was of Estonian-Jewish heritage. Simon had a childhood which has been described as "comfortable" and "privileged". Although his parents wanted Simon to become a lawyer, he was interested in art from
12870-425: Was creative supervisor for the first four seasons. He assembled and led the initial team of writers, consisting of John Swartzwelder , Jon Vitti , George Meyer , Jeff Martin , Al Jean , Mike Reiss , Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky . The cartoonist and writer Mimi Pond , who wrote the first broadcast episode " Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire " (1989), claimed that she was not permitted to permanently join
12987-472: Was distributed among 560 players, with US$ 7.5 million as the first prize. The 2006 Main Event, won by Jamie Gold , was the largest single poker tournament by prize pool or by entrant numbers in history; Gold pocketed US$ 12 million for his victory. In July 2010, it was announced that the winner of the 2010 Main Event would receive just under US$ 9 million. The 2023 Main Event took the record for entries, first-place prize, and prize pool. The 2024 Main Event set
13104-469: Was for eight years the manager of heavyweight boxer Lamon Brewster , the now-retired former World Boxing Organization heavyweight champion. He met Brewster in 1997 and began managing him, helping him rise to the top of the WBO rankings. He considers guiding Brewster to his April 2004 victory over Wladimir Klitschko to win the vacant WBO Heavyweight Championship, with Klitschko the heavy favorite, to be amongst
13221-608: Was given between three and six months to live; chemotherapy treatment reduced the size of his tumors over the following six months. He arranged for his fortune to be left to various charitable causes, stating: "The truth is, I have more money than I'm interested in spending. Everyone in my family is taken care of. And I enjoy this." Simon died in his Los Angeles home from complications of the disease on March 8, 2015, aged 59. His remains were interred at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles. Controversy surrounds
13338-752: Was held at Crown's Melbourne Casino from April 4–15, 2013 and featured five bracelet events in the series. In 2015, the WSOP International Circuit was launched, with rounds in Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Africa. The winners of each tournament join the WSOP Circuit winners to play the WSOP Global Casino Championship. The International Circuit has expanded to 13 tournaments for
13455-554: Was introduced in the form of $ 100 buy-in Stud Poker Tournament. Jackie McDaniels won that event to become the first ladies champion. She won one of the smallest prizes ($ 5,580) in WSOP history. By 2007, the popularity of the Ladies Event had grown to the point that it became the first ladies-only event to have a prize pool greater than $ 1,000,000. Seven card stud was the game for the event's first two decades, but
13572-402: Was saying that to take the pressure off of everyone. I was just saying let's just go out and make 13 episodes that are really good and really funny." However, Groening interpreted it as meaning Simon was uncommitted and did not care whether the show was a success or not, as Simon's career would survive, whereas his own would not. In 2001, Groening described Simon as "brilliantly funny and one of
13689-471: Was that Sam Simon was a fucking horrible person to be around. Very, very funny, extremely bright and brilliant, but an unhappy person who treated other people poorly." Simon described himself as "combative" and said that most people see him as having a "bad attitude". In the late 1990s, Simon primarily worked as a director. He directed on the American adaptation of the sitcom Men Behaving Badly in 1996,
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