Bobby Baldwin is a Poker Hall of Fame member who won the 1978 World Series of Poker Main Event at 28, then spent more than three decades running some of the biggest casinos in Las Vegas. He won four WSOP bracelets between 1977 and 1979, went on to lead the Golden Nugget, The Mirage, Bellagio and CityCenter, and left MGM Resorts at the end of 2018.
Bobby Baldwin at a glance
| Nickname | “The Owl” |
|---|---|
| Born | Around 1950, Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| WSOP bracelets | 4 (1977, 1977, 1978, 1979) |
| Biggest title | 1978 WSOP Main Event, $210,000 |
| Poker Hall of Fame | Inducted 2003 |
| Casino roles | President of the Golden Nugget and Bellagio, head of The Mirage, CEO of CityCenter |
Early life
Baldwin grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and attended Oklahoma State University starting around 1970. He won his first World Series of Poker bracelets in 1977, in his mid-twenties.
World Series of Poker career
Baldwin won four WSOP bracelets in three years:
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1977 | $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw |
| 1977 | $5,000 Seven Card Stud |
| 1978 | $10,000 No Limit Hold’em World Championship (Main Event) |
| 1979 | $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw |
The 1978 Main Event
Baldwin won the 1978 Main Event and its $210,000 first prize, beating a final table of Ken Smith, Jesse Alto, Buck Buchanan, Louis Hunsucker and Crandell Addington. He took the title heads-up against Addington. At 28 he was the youngest Main Event champion to that point, a record Stu Ungar broke in 1980.
Baldwin cashed in the Main Event several more times, including a seventh-place finish in 1981 and later cashes in 1986, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1994 and 2009.
Other results
He won the $5,000 Seven Card Stud event at Amarillo Slim’s Super Bowl of Poker in 1979. Decades later, while running casinos full time, he finished seventh in the 2012 Big One for One Drop, the $1 million buy-in event at the WSOP. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2003.
Casino executive career
Baldwin moved from the tables to the executive suite in the 1980s and stayed there for more than 35 years:
- 1982: consultant to the Golden Nugget
- 1984: president of the Golden Nugget
- 1987: chosen to head The Mirage
- 1998: president of Bellagio
- 1999 to 2000: chief financial officer of Mirage Resorts under Steve Wynn
- 2000: CEO of the Mirage Resorts subsidiary of MGM Mirage after the Mirage Resorts and MGM Grand merger
- 2005: president and CEO of Project CityCenter after MGM Mirage bought Mandalay Resort Group, while staying on as Mirage Resorts CEO
His last roles at MGM Resorts were chief customer development officer and president and CEO of CityCenter. MGM announced in 2018 that he would step down from both by the end of that year.
Bellagio’s high-stakes poker room was named Bobby’s Room in his honor. For today’s options, see our guide to the best Las Vegas poker rooms.
Poker writing
Baldwin wrote Tales Out of Tulsa, a poker guide for beginners published in 1985, and contributed a section to Doyle Brunson’s Super/System. Mike Caro later wrote Bobby Baldwin’s Winning Poker Secrets, a book built around Baldwin’s approach to the game.
Bobby Baldwin FAQ
When did Bobby Baldwin win the WSOP Main Event?
In 1978, at age 28, for a $210,000 first prize.
How many WSOP bracelets does Bobby Baldwin have?
Four: two in 1977, the Main Event in 1978 and a second Deuce to Seven Draw title in 1979.
What casinos did Bobby Baldwin run?
He was president of the Golden Nugget and Bellagio, headed The Mirage, and led CityCenter for MGM before leaving at the end of 2018.
Is Bobby Baldwin in the Poker Hall of Fame?
Yes. He was inducted in 2003.
For more poker and casino history, read about WSOP founder Benny Binion or browse our gambling legends.