Bill Bennett Returns to WSOP at 88 After First PLO Win

Bill Bennett’s return to the World Series of Poker

Some poker stories are memorable because of the money. Others matter because they mark a turning point in the game itself. Bill Bennett’s name belongs in the second category. In 1984, he won the first Pot-Limit Omaha bracelet in World Series of Poker history. This week, at 88 years old, he was back in Las Vegas, playing the Super Seniors event at Horseshoe and Paris.

That return carries a special kind of weight for poker fans. Bennett is not just a former champion showing up for nostalgia. He is a living link to the era when PLO was still a new, lightly understood tournament format and the WSOP was far smaller than it is today.

For players who split their time between live events and [poker rooms]( /en/pokerrooms ), or who study the game through a [poker school]( /en/pokerschool ), Bennett’s story is a reminder that poker history is built by people who often saw opportunity before the rest of the field did.

The first WSOP PLO bracelet in 1984

The 1984 WSOP was the first series to feature Pot-Limit Omaha as a bracelet event. Bennett was 46 at the time and, by his own account, was still learning the game. That makes his victory even more striking: he won a format he had not yet fully mastered, against a field of 108 players.

• Mike Sexton, later one of poker’s most recognizable ambassadors and a Poker Hall of Famer;
• Tom McEvoy, the 1983 WSOP Main Event champion and the first winner to qualify through a satellite;
• David Sklansky, the influential poker author and theorist who already owned three bracelets.

Beating that kind of lineup is no small footnote. It means Bennett’s win was not just the first PLO bracelet in WSOP history — it was a legitimate statement victory over players who were already shaping poker’s future.

What the first PLO bracelet was worth

Bennett collected about $84,000 for the win. In 1984, that was meaningful prize money, and for a player still getting comfortable with the format, it was a life-changing result.

The bracelet itself, however, did not become a prized personal keepsake. Bennett gave it to his mother years ago and no longer knows where it is. From a collector’s perspective, that first-ever PLO WSOP bracelet would almost certainly attract major attention at auction.

The contrast with today is dramatic. In the 2026 WSOP, Event #57 — a $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha tournament — drew 3,733 entries across multiple starting flights, with $390,300 going to first place. That is more than four times Bennett’s nominal score, and it reflects just how far the game has come.

Why Pot-Limit Omaha exploded in popularity

PLO’s rise is one of the defining poker trends of the modern era. What began as a niche tournament format is now a staple at major live series, online festivals, and high roller events around the world.

The reason is simple: four hole cards create more equity swings, more drawing hands, and more postflop complexity. That combination produces action, big pots, and a format that rewards players who can think several streets ahead.

Today, serious players often combine live tournament experience with study tools, coaching, and volume in [poker clubs]( /en/pokerclubs ). Many also use [promotions & bonuses]( /en/blog/promotions ) to build bankrolls while moving into new formats like Omaha.

Expert analysis: what Bennett’s story teaches today’s players

Bennett’s career arc is more than a charming historical anecdote. It shows how quickly a poker edge can shift when a format is still developing.

In 1984, a player could win the first PLO bracelet while still learning the game. In today’s environment, that would be far less likely. Modern PLO is studied deeply, with attention to range construction, SPR, position, blockers, and multiway dynamics.

• New formats can offer a temporary edge to players who adapt faster than the field.
• Early winners often become part of the game’s long-term identity.
• PLO punishes shallow preparation because variance and postflop skill matter so much.
• Long-term success usually comes from study, repetition, and strong game selection.

For players who want to move beyond casual play, even roles like a [poker agent]( /en/pokeragent ) can become part of the broader poker ecosystem. The game is bigger than the felt, and Bennett’s story is proof that today’s edge can become tomorrow’s history.

Bennett’s Super Seniors return at WSOP 2026

Bennett entered Event #61, the $1,000 Super Seniors, and finished 441st for $2,001. That result may not be headline-grabbing, but it underscores something important: he is still active, still competing, and still part of the WSOP fabric.

His last WSOP cash before this week came in 2018, when he made the final table of the Seniors event and finished fifth for $170,944. That kind of result at an advanced age is rare and speaks to both his experience and his ability to navigate large-field tournaments.

The Super Seniors event is limited to players 60 and older, which means Bennett was battling opponents nearly three decades younger inside the event’s own age bracket. That alone says plenty about poker’s unique endurance test: mental stamina, patience, and comfort with pressure often matter as much as raw speed.

Conclusion: a first champion who still represents poker history

Bill Bennett’s return to Las Vegas is a reminder that poker history is not frozen in books and archives. It lives in the people who shaped it.

He won the first WSOP PLO bracelet when the format was barely understood. More than four decades later, Omaha is one of poker’s biggest games, with huge fields, major prize pools, and a permanent place on the schedule. Bennett may not remember every detail of the 1984 win, but the game remembers him.

That is the real value of stories like this: they connect the roots of the WSOP to the modern game, and they show why poker remains a sport of adaptation, memory, and lasting legacy.

FAQ