WSOP 1995: The Legendary Dan Harrington Becomes Champion

Start of the Series

The games kicked off on April 25 with Tournament Event #1: $1,500 Limit Hold’em, which set a historical record for the number of participants in a single event—560 players. The top prize was $315,000, awarded to Christian Van Hees from Washington.

The next day, Event #2: $1,500 Limit Seven Card Stud saw Valter Farina from Genoa, Italy, take the victory. This bracelet became the first in history for Italian players. Valter Farina continued to play poker and reached WSOP-C tournament prizes in 2022, but he remained with only one bracelet.

On April 27, Berry Johnston won Event #3: $1,500 Limit Omaha—this bracelet was Berry’s fourth, and throughout the subsequent 1995 series, none of the former Main Event champions managed to win a new bracelet. Notably, Poker Hall of Fame member Mike Sexton finished fourth.

Event #4: $1,500 Chinese Poker became the first Chinese Poker tournament in the series’ history. The event attracted 89 players, with John Tsagaris from Canada emerging as the winner. At the final table were German Matthias Rohnacher and Men ‘The Master’ Nguyen.

Event #5: $1,500 Limit Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo was won by Rod Peate from California. Only the most attentive readers of our column will remember this player’s name due to his second-place finish in the 1983 Main Event. However, Peate boasts other achievements: 16th place in the 1987 Main Event, 7th place in the 1990 Main Event, and later 15th in 1997 and 23rd in 1998. In this tournament, Mike Sexton made the final table once again, this time finishing fifth.

Event #6: $1,500 Limit Razz marked the first tournament win in Chris Ferguson’s career. Ferguson secured fifth place in this event, surpassing Mike Sexton, who finished sixth. The tournament was won by Mickey Sisskind from Michigan.

Mid-Series

Event #7: $1,500 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo was won by Max Stern from Nevada, with Annie Duke making the final table for her second career series. This bracelet was Max Stern’s first of three, with the peak of his career coming in 1997.

Event #8: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em took place on May 2, attracting 366 players. Once again, the Limit variant proved more popular than No-Limit in the nineties. Richard Klamian won this tournament by defeating Byron ‘Cowboy’ Wolford in a decisive heads-up battle. Wolford is known for his epic second-place finish in the 1984 WSOP Main Event and his book “Cowboys, Gamblers and Hustlers: The True Adventures of a Rodeo Champion and Poker Legend.” Mike Sexton made the final table once more, with Annie Duke securing a prize.

Event #9: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha (Rebuy) gathered 134 participants, who added 105 rebuys. The total prize pool was $358,500, and Phil Earle from Texas emerged as the winner. Former Main Event champions Tom McEvoy and Mansour Matloubi made the final table, but as you know, none of the former champions except Berry Johnston achieved success in 1995.

Event #10: $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold’em became the fourth tournament in the series where Annie Duke made the prize, marking her second final table. She finished sixth, outlasting Dewey Tomko (7th place) and her older brother Howard Lederer, who took ninth. This made Annie Duke and Howard Lederer the first brother and sister duo to make a final table together at the WSOP. Pete Vilandos from Houston won the tournament.

Bracelet for Men Nguyen

Men ‘The Master’ Nguyen is one of the most successful players in WSOP history, having won 7 bracelets, 4 WSOC rings, and finishing in the prize zone over 134 times. Men won his first bracelet in 1992, followed by eight final tables without a win, and then his second victory in Event #11: $2,500 Limit Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo. This success earned Nguyen $96,000 in prize money. In the same tournament, Vince Burgio took third place, winning his first bracelet in 1994 and playing the final table of the 1994 Main Event.

The next day, Tournament Event #12: $5,000 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball (Rebuy) gathered 26 participants, with Johnny Chan, Doyle Brunson, Mickey Appleman, Matthias Rohnacher, and John Bonetti making the final table. Bonetti emerged as the winner, claiming his third bracelet. You might recall Bonetti from the final table of the 1993 WSOP Main Event, where he finished third.

Event #13: $2,500 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo took place on May 7, attracting 119 players. Marlon Santos won the tournament, with Marsha Waggoner securing third place at the final table.

Event #14: $1,500 Limit A-5 Draw Lowball was won by Clifford Roof from Mississippi, marking the biggest achievement of his career.

Bracelet for Steve Zolotow

The expensive Tournament Event #15: $5,000 Chinese Poker (Rebuy) gathered 24 participants, including Howard Lederer and Doyle Brunson. Doyle was defeated in a heads-up match by Steve Zolotow, who took home $112,500 for first place. This bracelet was Zolotow’s first (of two) in his career, having finished in the WSOP prize zone 93 times over decades of professional play. Considering Steve continued to play WSOP in 2024, we sincerely wish him success in joining the “100 WSOP Prize Club” and hope to see him win his third bracelet.

Event #16: $2,500 Limit Hold’em was won the next day by Men Nguyen, securing a double win in WSOP 1995. This victory earned Nguyen $186,000 in prize money. It is the fifth-largest prize in Men Nguyen’s career, who played the final table of the 1996 Main Event and finished in the WSOP prize zone over 134 times.

Event #17: $2,500 Limit Seven Card Stud attracted 140 players, with familiar faces John Spadavecchia (1994 Main Event finalist), Mansour Matloubi (1990 WSOP ME champion), and Mike Sexton making the final table. Dan Robison won the tournament, earning his only bracelet in his career.

Double for Hilbert Shirey

Event #18: $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha (Rebuy) the next day gathered 82 participants, with Steve Zolotow finishing fifth and Hilbert Shirey from Florida emerging as the winner. Hilbert has won 3 WSOP bracelets in his career and was known as Dewey Tomko’s golf partner. He received $137,000 for his victory.

The following day, Hilbert Shirey won Event #19: $2,500 Pot-Limit Hold’em, taking home $163,000. In this tournament, he had to outplay a field of 163 players, with Jim Bechtel (1993 WSOP ME champion) and Chris Bjorin (the first foreigner to win a WSOP bracelet) at the final table.

Event #20: $5,000 Limit Seven Card Stud gathered 77 players, with Chris Bjorin making the final table and finishing fifth. T.J. Cloutier took second place, earning $88,550 in prize money, surpassing the million-dollar mark in WSOP earnings. Anthony DeAngelo from New Jersey won the tournament.

First Bracelet for Dan Harrington

The preliminary tournaments were nearing their end when Dan Harrington won his first bracelet. This occurred in Tournament Event #21: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em, with 249 players. By this time, Harrington could boast only three WSOP prize finishes since 1986. His best achievement was 6th place in the 1987 Main Event, where he won $43,750. In 1995, Dan won his first bracelet and $249,000 in prize money. However, his main success, like his popular books, was yet to come!

The next day, Mickey Appleman won his third bracelet (out of four by 2025) in the expensive Tournament Event #22: $5,000 Limit Hold’em, which attracted 117 participants. In the decisive heads-up match against Appleman was Humberto Brenes, who failed to win his third bracelet (Brenes finished in the WSOP prize zone over 101 times).

Women’s Tournament

Event #23: $1,000 Ladies Limit Seven Card Stud gathered 88 participants, some of whom you have already seen in previous years’ tournaments. Barbara Freer finished 8th, missing the chance to join the club of two-time WSOP bracelet holders. However, Starla Brodie won the tournament, earning her second bracelet and becoming the second woman in history with two WSOP bracelets. Her first victory was in 1979, where she won a mixed tournament playing alongside Doyle Brunson. This win earned Starla $35,200—the largest prize of her career. Cyndy Violette also made the prize, finishing seventh.

Charity Tournament

As part of WSOP 1995, Tournament Event #24: Charity – No-Limit Hold’em Press Invitational took place, but its results are absent from the official series website. There are no facts about this tournament, so we consider the series record as 24 tournaments, although the officially later Main WSOP tournament in 1995 is numbered #25.

WSOP 1995 Results

In the Money

Mike Sexton finished in the prize zone of the Main Event for the fourth time, taking 23rd place. In 1993, he finished 24th, in 1992 he took 23rd place, and in 1991 he was 24th.

A bit further, Berry Johnston finished 21st. For him, this was already his 8th prize finish, with Berry reaching the final table four times.

Freddy Deeb, whose greatest success came in 2007, finished 17th in this Main Event prize zone.

Henry Orenstein from Poland took 8th place. Every time this Poker Hall of Fame member participates, it’s worth telling his story in a bit more detail. Henry (actually Henryk) was born in 1923 in Hrubieszów, Poland, to a Jewish family. Henry was sent to a concentration camp when his country was occupied. The young man managed to survive five concentration camps and survived World War II. Henry helped save lives when scientists were being searched for in the camp. He listed his and his brother’s names. Despite not having scientific degrees, the camp administration placed them in “research positions,” allowing the brothers to survive. After the war, Henry moved to the USA, where he ventured into toy manufacturing. Henry founded “Topper Toys,” which produced the popular “Suzy Cute” toys and “Johnny Lightning” cars. This made Henry a millionaire, and he was later inducted into the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame. Later, Orenstein became interested in poker and became the creator and executive producer of the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament. Following the show’s success, he became the producer of High Stakes Poker. In 2008, Henry Orenstein was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame for inventing the camera embedded in the table that allowed for the production of engaging poker shows.

Tom ‘Captain’ Franklin, a Vietnam Veteran who learned to play poker from his father, became the bubble-boy of the final table, which included six players. Tom is a member of the club of players who have reached the WSOP prize zone over 100 times. He has been participating in the series since 1990 and is regularly noted in the prizes, including the 2024 Main Event.

Final Table Players

Final table participants:

• Howard Goldfarb (1,194,000 chips) – A Canadian player who became the top foreigner in the 1995 Main Event. At 33 years old, he resided in Ontario, where he worked as a land developer. Howard was introduced to poker only in 1993 after trying the game with friends. In 1994, he played in the WSOP and immediately finished 22nd in the Main Event. This was his second final table in his career.
• Dan Harrington (532,000 chips) – A professional player who would later become one of poker’s leading authors. His books “Harrington on Hold’em” and “Harrington on Cash Games” educated a whole generation of online players with strong technical skills. ‘Action Dan’ first made the WSOP prize zone in 1986, and in 1987, he first played at the Main Event final table, finishing 6th while Johnny Chan won. By this time, Dan had won a WSOP bracelet in 1995 and was one of the favorites at the final table.
• Brent Carter (319,000 chips) – A professional player from Illinois who won 2 WSOP bracelets in 1991 and 1994. Later, Brent began playing online under the nickname “92848” and even won a WCOOP tournament on PokerStars.
• Charles Thompson (254,000 chips) – Born in 1939 in Clark, South Dakota, and earned a degree in Chemistry from the University of Idaho. He worked as a chemist, owned a tavern, and sold stoves before finding his calling in poker. To play poker, Charles moved to Santa Cruz in 1981 and participated in poker series, including WSOP and WPT, until his death in 2021. This final table was his third at the WSOP.
• Hamid Dastmalchi (232,000 chips) – An Iranian-born player residing in California at the time. Hamid was the WSOP Main Event champion in 1992 and one of the best high-stakes players of that era. Most of his tournament ITM finishes saw him at the final table, where he played aggressively and effectively. Dastmalchi was one of the favorites at this final table. By then, Hamid was 6th in total WSOP earnings, and a victory would have made him the top earner.
• Barbara Enright (199,000 chips) – The most successful WSOP participant at that time, the first woman to win 2 WSOP bracelets. Additionally, Barbara was the first woman to win an open WSOP tournament. Barbara was introduced to poker at home at the age of 4, where her older brother was into 5 Card Draw. In 1976, she began playing poker professionally while working as a hairstylist, bartender, and cocktail waitress. She juggled three jobs simultaneously to support her family and later transitioned to professional play after success at the poker table. In 2007, Barbara Enright was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame alongside Phil Hellmuth. Barbara set a record by becoming the first woman in the Poker Hall of Fame.

The Game

Final Hand

Harrington had already amassed 2 million chips, while Howard had 730,000. He began the hand with a bet and received a call. The pot stood at 206,000. The flop revealed 8 2 6 . Howard said, “I like it!” and pushed all his remaining chips into the pot without hesitation. In reality, he held A 7 , making it a significant bluff. Dan quickly called the bet, after which Howard shook his head, understanding the unfolding situation. In his hand, Dan Harrington had a set of twos with pocket 2 2 . The turn Q eliminated Howard Goldfarb’s chances of winning. The river Q concluded the tournament.

Howard Goldfarb finished in second place, receiving $519,000 in prize money. This Toronto player had only twice made WSOP prize finishes, both in the Main Event. The second-place finish in 1995 was his best result. He never reached the prize zones in poker tournaments again, but we know that in the early 2000s, he co-owned “Harbour Sports Grille” in Toronto before exiting the business.

Dan Harrington became the WSOP Main Event champion in 1995, taking home $1,000,000 in prize money!

The Winner – Dan Harrington

Dan ‘Action Dan’ Harrington was born on December 6, 1945, in Massachusetts to Irish immigrant parents. In his home state, Dan won the 1971 Massachusetts State Chess Championship and also played backgammon professionally before turning to poker. Before dedicating his life to the game, Harrington worked as a bankruptcy lawyer for an extended period.

Transitioning to poker, Dan did not stop his business ventures. Alongside playing and writing iconic books, he was involved in real estate and traded on the stock market. He even co-founded “Anchor Loans,” which was later acquired by Pretium Partners for $1.5 billion.

Dan was introduced to poker while studying at Suffolk University, where he traveled to Harvard to play against local amateurs. The journey took only 15 minutes, and Harrington’s opponents included the then-unknown Bill Gates and Paul Allen.

In poker, Dan boasts two WSOP bracelets, both won in 1995, including the Main Event victory. Additionally, Dan won WPT tournaments (+$1,635,635 in prize money in 2007). Throughout his professional career, Harrington has played in the Main Event final table four times (1987, 1995, 2003, and 2004)—an achievement few can match.

Bibliography of Dan Harrington:

1. Harrington on Hold’em: Volume I: Strategic Play (2004)
2. Harrington on Hold’em: Volume II: The Endgame (2005)
3. Harrington on Hold’em: Volume III: The Workbook (2006)
4. Harrington on Cash Games, Volume I: How to Play No-Limit Hold’em Cash Games (2008)
5. Harrington on Cash Games, Volume II: How to Play No-Limit Hold’em Cash Games (2008)
6. Harrington on Online Cash Games; 6-Max No-Limit Hold’em (2010)
7. Harrington on Modern Tournament Poker (2014)

His works have become classics, educating a modern generation of players with strong techniques and deep understanding of the game. This is partly thanks to Dan Harrington and his legacy!

Interesting Facts about Dan Harrington:

• Played poker against Bill Gates and Paul Allen while they were studying at Harvard
• In the 1980s, played poker at the New York Mayfair Club, where Howard Lederer, Erik Seidel, Jay Heimowitz, and Steve Zolotow also played
• Inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2010

WSOP 1995 Main Event Results