From Shot Takers to Survivors: $1M Paydays Are a Dream Scenario
In April 1993, a then 23-year-old office supply salesman was plucked form the audience at halftime of a Michael Jordan-era Chicago Bulls game and given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If he could make a 75-foot basket from across the court he could win $1 million dollars. So, from the foul line at the opposite end of the court Don Calhoun took the ball, loaded up, and took his shot.
Nothing but net.
The Calhoun Shot, as its now known, was, essentially, a million-dollar freeroll. No harm if he missed, an overnight millionaire if he hit – and Don cashed in.
This December, the World Poker Tour is bringing that same energy to the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas in the form of the largest freeroll in poker history – a $5,000,000 freeroll to kick-off and help promote WPTs latest online poker offering: ClubWPT Gold.
Two thousand poker players are going to win a seat into this massive giveaway, and like Don Calhoun, one of them will walk away with a first-place prize of $1,000,000.
These couples have all become instant millionaires on the richest game in television
That was the intro on the 1986 game show ‘The $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime, the first game show credited with offering a million-dollar top prize. The little-known, short-lived show pitted couples against each other in a series of reverse Wheel of Fortune word puzzles where if they won three episodes in a row, including tougher bonus rounds, they took home $1 million. Chance of a Lifetime didnt last long, just two seasons where nine couples walked with a million.
More than a decade later, in August of 1999, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire aired in the United States every day for two weeks. The allure of regular people answering trivia questions in an effort to climb the money ladder to reach the million-dollar question drew roughly 30 million viewers a night. It was 25 years ago that John Carpenter, a 31-year-old IRS agent, was the first to win the show becoming the biggest money winner in television history famously using his phone-a-friend lifeline to call his parents and telling them live on-air that he was about to win the million.
Despite it being a hell of a lot of money, Carpenter kept his job but admitted to People Magazine that the money makes it easier to focus on family.
Right on the heels of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, reality TV royalty Survivor premiered in May of 2000. The first reality show to offer a one million dollar first-place prize has become not just a cultural touchstone but helped usher in a new era where both game and reality competitions would separate themselves as high-stakes by offering the $1,000,000 top prize.
Survivor pushed the boundaries for what contestants would be willing to go through to win a million. More than word puzzles or trivia, these players were given the Castaway treatment seemingly left to fend for themselves on an island.
What was true then, remains true – people will do a lot to get a shot at a million. Cite inflation all youd like, becoming a millionaire still means something and its a figure that, for many, remains life-changing. At the very least, its financial security and for poker players specifically – an incredible bankroll boost.
Case in point is Survivor: Blood vs. Water winner, and frequent poker player, Tyson Apostol who in his third attempt on the show outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted the competition to score his found million-dollar payday.
I will probably try to wisely invest it and make it last as long as possible so that I can kick back at bit, Apostol told Entertainment Weekly after his win. I don;t care about fancy cars, maybe a bicycle. Im more of a bicycle guy than a car guy. The only reason I would buy a car is to make my car guy friends jealous.
Whether its spending more than a month on an island in the Philippines or having an endless well of trivia knowledge to call upon, winning a million rarely comes easy. Mark Pate took on a challenge from YouTuber Jimmy Mr. Beast Donaldson in which he stood for nearly 48 hours with his hand on a glass cube filled with cash, outlasting three other competitors in the video entitled “Last To Take Hand Off $1,000,000 Keeps It.” Shortly thereafter, Pate was charged by Mr. Beast to spend as much of it as he could in 24 hours.
Im very grateful, Pate said on camera. Like highly humble and grateful about this whole entire thing. I have never experienced anything like this in my life.
In the subsequent video Pate could be seen splurging on electronics for himself and his extended family, buying a new ring for his wife, getting two new cars, and even a new house.
Today, even though those million-dollar prizes are more common on TV, they remain the gold standard figure for generating eye-popping excitement over a project even as reality competitions like Deal or No Deal Island and game shows like The Wall are pushing prizes to new heights.
In a sense, setting a new bar is also what is taking place in poker at the WPT World Championship at the Wynn this December. Its a record-setting, poker-history-making $5 million freeroll where the winner will take home seven figures. Add to that 100 seats to the $10K buy-in WPT World Championship are scheduled to be given away, offering those who land a seat a second shot at a seven-figure payday.
Chances like this don’t come around very often and itll likely be the closest chance any of those who win a Golden Passport will come to having a “Calhoun Shot” of their own and a chance at becoming an overnight millionaire.
FAQ
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What is the WPT global match bonus? Our Welcome Match Bonus is one of the biggest ever offered as an online poker deposit bonus! We’ll match your deposit of up to a huge $1,200 as a warm welcome to our tables, whether you’re a cash game player or tournament challenger. 100% deposit match bonus – min $20 up to $1,200! get it use bonus code : wpt777
Can you win real money at WPT Global?
Can you win real money at WPT Global? Yes, you can win real money at WPT Global. WPT Global also offer the chance to win seats in any number of exciting live tournaments.
How do I withdraw money from WPT?
How do I withdraw money from WPT? How to withdraw funds from WPT Global? Visit the cashier and choose “Withdraw” Choose one of the available methods. Enter an amount. Confirm the address and the protocol (be careful, withdrawals sent to wrong crypto addresses may be lost) Click on Withdrawal.
How do you become a WPT player?
How do you become a WPT player? Players can qualify for the WPT at the local casino where the event is held. In addition, online poker operators including partypoker offer satellites to many WPT events. Players can also qualify for free via the Club WPT app and will be able to qualify in the future at WPT Global.
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