Champion of Poker

Chris Moneymaker is the prime example of a player that literally comes out of absolutely nowhere to achieve great things. Moneymaker was an accountant in Tennessee when he won a satellite online on PokerStars.com to secure his seat in the 2003 Main Event. He started by playing a $39 satellite and parlayed that into a $10,000 seat.

This would be the start for an improbably journey for the TN accountant. The 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event was the first live tournament that Moneymaker ever played in. He was admittedly nervous and claimed that he played somewhat poorly the first day. After surviving to Day 2, he made the decision that he would play his game and take his shot.

The next day he was able to eliminate one of his heroes of poker when he knocked Johnny Chan out of the event. This gave Moneymaker the confidence that he needed to make a run at the final table. One hand made all the difference near the end and a different card at the end may have changed history forever. With 10 players left, Moneymaker and Phil Ivey were involved in a hand that saw Moneymaker flop trip queens when holding A-Q. Ivey had pocket nines. The turn fell a 9 and Ivey had a full house. All the money went in the middle and Moneymaker needed help. A miracle ace hit the river and Phil Ivey was eliminated. All of a sudden, Moneymaker went into the final with the chip lead. If not for that miracle river card, it is hard to say how the event would have ended up.

Eventually, the final table would be played down to Sam Farha and Chris Moneymaker went heads up. Moneymaker offered an even chop of the prize pool to Farha but he declined and the two played it out. The final hand saw Moneymaker flop two pair with his 5-4 when Farha flopped top pair with his J-10. The two pair held up and Moneymaker did the unthinkable, becoming the first player ever to win the World Series of Poker after qualifying via an online satellite. He took home the gold bracelet and the $2.5 Million prize.

Moneymaker’s win helped to usher in the current poker boom that the industry is in the middle of. Players from all walks of life started to play this game that they saw this virtual nobody win. Poker has truly never been the same. But what has Moneymaker done since his win?

The answer is, not much. He finished 2nd at a WPT final table in 2004 and bubbled the final table of the $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha event of the 2004 WSOP and beyond that, he really hasn’t done much else. He has only had 2 cashes at the WSOP since then and only 9 professional cashes overall. His last cash was in December of 2007 for $21,748.

While Moneymaker still plays on the tournament circuit, Moneymaker’s two primary jobs today involve running his business, Moneymaker Gaming and his sponsorship duties with PokerStars.com. After winning the 2003 WSOP, Moneymaker was given an endorsement deal with the site which continues to this day.

Chris Moneymaker is the story of a person that went on a fantastic run to become a poker champion. Only time will tell whether Moneymaker can improve his skills and find a way back to the top of the poker world. Regardless of what happens, Moneymaker still has what is arguably the greatest story in the history of poker.