| Competition: | 1981 World Series of Poker |
| Location: | Binion's Horseshoe, Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Dates: | May 7 – May 24 |
| Champion: |  Stu Ungar |
| Prev: | 1980 |
| Next: | 1982 |
The 1981 World Series of Poker (WSOP) was a series of poker tournaments held at Binion's Horseshoe.
| Event | Winner | Prize | Runner-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000 Draw High | Ed Barmach | $18,000 | Jackie Mills | |
| $600 Mixed Doubles | Frank Cardone & Juanda Matthews | $7,800 | Unknown | |
| $1,500 No Limit Hold'em | Fred David | $96,000 | Doug Johnson | |
| $1,000 Seven-card stud | Sid Gamerman | $52,000 | Mark Speert | |
| $400 Ladies' Seven-card stud | Ruth Godfrey | $17,600 | Jackie Jean | |
| $1,000 Razz | Bruce Hershenson | $34,500 | Bob Ross | |
| $1,000 Seven-card stud split | Johnny Moss | $33,500 | Ralph Bidwell | |
| $5,000 Seven-card stud | A. J. Myers | $67,500 | Eric Drache | |
| $2,500 Ace to Five Draw | Mickey Perry | $46,250 | Jack Straus | |
| $1,000 No Limit Hold'em | Dody Roach | $81,000 | Unknown | |
| $1,000 Ace to Five Draw | Glen Rodgers | $44,000 | Rick Morella | |
| $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw | Stu Ungar | $95,000 | Bobby Baldwin |
There were 75 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament. This main event was notable as the first one to have all final table players to receive a share of the prize pool, with the top 9 players finishing in the money.[1] The 1981 Main Event was Stu Ungar's second consecutive World Championship.
| Place | Name | Prize | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Stu Ungar | $375,000 | |
| 2nd | Perry Green | $150,000 | |
| 3rd | Gene Fisher | $75,000 | |
| 4th | Ken Smith | $37,500 | |
| 5th | Bill Smith | $37,500 | |
| 6th | Jay Heimowitz | $30,000 | |
| 7th | Bobby Baldwin | $15,000 | |
| 8th | Sam Petrillo | $15,000 | |
| 9th | Sam Moon | $15,000 |