Digging through the Dust: How the 2004 World Series of Poker Almost Didn’t Happen

The winter of WSOP discontent, in 2004 just before the re-opening.

The 2004 World Series of Poker almost didn’t happen. 

In fact, it was a miracle the event took place at all.  A few months after Chris Moneymaker’s victory ignited the poker boom, the casino was boarded up, padlocked by federal marshals, and later sold to Harrah’s Entertainment.  The shuttered building sat dark and vacant during the entire winter of 2004.  Yet somehow, by April 23rd the casino was re-opened for business again was ready to host the 35th annual WSOP.  This is the story of how that remarkable poker series came to be, against the odds.