Following in the footsteps of his father, the illustrious Benny Binion, Jack has devoted his life to improving the casino experience for his customers. Ever since his father became the first casino owner in Las Vegas to start raising the betting limits to allow gamblers a real chance at winning big, the Binion family has been at the forefront of the gaming industry.

Jack learned the trade shortly after moving to Las Vegas when he was put to work in his father's first establishment, The Eldorado Club. By today's standards the club could hardly be called a casino. With only a handful of card tables, slot machines and a restaurant/bar, Benny taught his son the skills he would need to one day replace him as head of the Binion empire.

Taking over management of Binion's Horseshoe in Las Vegas in 1963 at the tender age of 26, Jack became increasingly renowned when he oversaw the first World Series of Poker in 1970. After his sister Becky Behnen took over his stake in the family casino in 1998, Jack created the Horseshoe Gaming Holding Company which spread the Horseshoe name by opening casinos in both Bossier City, Louisiana and Tunica, Mississippi. He later sold Horseshoe Gaming - as well as ownership of the World Series of Poker - to Harrah's Entertainment, in what was one of the largest casino transactions in history.

Jack pioneered many developments in the casino business but perhaps the one we most enjoy today is the satellite tournament. Supposedly first thought up by Jack in the early days of the WSOP, he was inspired when 10 players showed up at the Horseshoe poker room - with $1,000 each - wanting to play a single shootout, the winner being awarded a seat in the World Series Main Event.

It was a seemingly obvious arrangement but it was Jack who understood the marketability of this idea. A $10,000 buy-in was out of reach for most players but there were many who wouldn't mind putting up only one tenth of that. Jack later introduced a double satellite structure where players would post $100 and play two 10-person shootouts. The winner of both (from a pool of 100 players) would be awarded the Main Event seat.

This development can be seen as the direct precursor to the online mega-satellite qualifiers put on by online poker rooms today, one of the main reasons the WSOP Main Event has seen such a boom in the number of entrants in the last few years.

However successful the Binion family has been in the casino business, however, they have had their share of trouble as well. Jack's father Benny was charged twice with murder although he maintained that on both occasions he was acting in self-defense and only received a two-year suspended sentence. Benny also faced a host of other charges during his life ranging from moon-shining to tax evasion.

Jack had four siblings; one brother, Ted, and three sisters - Barbara, Becky and Brenda. Barbara committed suicide in 1977 after a series of attempts and a long battle with drug addiction. Ted also struggled with substance abuse and was unfortunately murdered in 1998.

Jack was made chairman of Wynn International in July of 2006 and was charged with opening the Wynn Macau in China. Jack's management style has always been customer-oriented; his longstanding belief in being visible and accessible in his casinos has made him a favorite among patrons and employees alike.