The poker world owes a great deal of gratitude to Chris Moneymaker (unbelievably that is his real name). It is a funny thing that the 29 year-old accountant from Tennessee, who had never played a live tournament before the 2003 WSOP, would go on to win the Main Event, and in the process become one of the most influential figures of the the modern poker age. But there Chris is, walking proud and standing tall, and serving as an inspiration to all the people who sit down at their home games and dream of bigger things.
Chris' story is by now the stuff of legend. He was a travelling accountant who spent many lonely hours on the road. Many a night he sat in his crummy hotel room trying to pass the time. He enjoyed playing poker but he found it difficult to find a game, so he turned to the internet. He started playing on Pokerstars whenever he had free time (he still does under the same name, Money800). Over time his game improved, so he decided to take a run at qualifying for the World Series. As luck would have it he eventually won a seat, paying $40 in the process. Cash was tight and Chris realized he probably wouldn't even be able to afford to travel to Vegas to play, so he sold pieces of his action to his father and a friend. It turned out to be a better investment than anyone could ever have imagined, and when the dust had settled Chris was clutching both the trophy and $2.5 million in cash. It is in this respect that Chris has emerged as the most influential figure in poker. His rags-to-riches story has prompted millions of average joes to take a shot at poker glory, both in live play and on the internet. All of the players who are competing for bloated prize pools should buy Chris a drink.
Whenever someone has success there will always be people who attribute it to luck, and Chris is no exception. Many people have stated that they could have won the WSOP too if they were holding the same cards Chris held. It is undeniable that luck was on Chris' side during the tournament. He busted out Humberto Brenes' pocket A's when his pocket 8's hit a set on the turn, and he rivered an A to make a higher full house than Phil Ivey (and knock him out in a bitter 10th). But luck plays a factor in every tournament with large fields, and when the play got down to the final table Chris took control of the table. And what a tough table it was, with former World Champion Dan Harrington and feared cash player Sammy Farha. Chris played like a seasoned veteran and never backed down. He slowplayed his top pair to bust out Harrington in third and then went mano a mano with Farha. On one critical hand, Chris bluffed Farha off of his top pair when the board turned up three to the flush. It was a ballsy all-in move that showed the heart of a champion, and it gave Chris a 2-1 chip lead. It set the stage for the final hand, when Chris' 4-5 flopped two pair to Sammy's pair of jacks. All the money got in on the turn and the river brought the 5, giving Chris a full boat and a place in poker immortality.
Chris proved he wasn't a flash in the pan by finishing second to Phil Gordon in the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star. I was very impressed with Chris' play in this event (I felt he was the best player at the table), and if wasn't for a couple of bad beats he easily could have won. However, it hardly matters if Chris ever anything again in the future, for his place in poker history is assured. He is the man who brought poker mainstream, and the reason why millions sit in their underwear and play 1000 hands a day.
Chris Moneymaker Trivia
1. Moneymaker credits the movie, "Rounders," for sparking his interest in poker.
2. Chris started out winning a $39 satellite tournament at the online poker site, PokerStars and got a seat at the main event of the 2003 World Series of Poker. He had never played in a tournament with real people, but managed to beat a huge field of pros and win $2.5 million.
Chris Moneymaker Wins
1. 2003 Main Event at the World Series of Poker
