Sports and contests with the “seniors” label attached are often judged as lesser than and, with few exceptions, the level of play on display is typically far less impressive.
The Seniors no-limit hold ’em Championship at the World Series of Poker is a notable exception to that rule, in many respects. Not only is it the same game being played, but the 50-and-over crowd have to fight through some of the biggest fields of the summer -- and the kind of big prizes at the end that come along with them.
In the 15 years that this tournament has run at the WSOP, it’s steadily grown into one of the most unlikely highlights of the summer, drawing one of the biggest crowds and awarding one of the biggest prizes of any bracelet event on the schedule.