Binion Clears Up Moss vs. Dandolos Poker Game

It’s probably the most famous poker game of all-time. But it didn’t quite happen how most people believe. It’s the legendary heads-up game between Johnny Moss and Nick “the Greek” Dandolos. As the story goes, Benny Binion had just bought the El Dorado Casino on Fremont Street in Las Vegas. He changed the named to the Horseshoe or Binion’s Horseshoe as it was sometimes called.

Because he wanted publicity, Benny is said to have set up the game between Moss and Dandolos. But the game had to be played in public. giving him the audience he wanted. Yet that never happened according to Jack Binion.

According to Jack, the game played between Moss and Dandolos wasn’t even played at the Horseshoe. It took place at the Flamingo in private. There’s no way to know if it lasted the presumed six months. Nor is there way to know if the Greek lost several million dollars before muttering the now-famous “Mr. Moss, I have to let you go.”

Jack said there was another big game played at the Horseshoe several years later. And this game was played in public with Moss one of the players who came and went. This is where Jack Binion believes the error was born.

Either way, Jack Binion said the game was not the inspiration of the World Series of Poker. That occurred in Reno in the year 1969 when the Texas Gamblers Reunion was held. There were a number of high stakes poker games played during the event and Benny Binion asked Tom Moore if he was going to host another one. Because it was a financial loss, Moore said he was not going to and gave Benny his blessing to continue it if he so wished. And that is how the World Series of Poker was born according to Jack Binion, who was there in 1969.