It’s been 23 years since the poker world learned Chris Moneymaker’s name, 23 years since his improbable run to the World Series of Poker’s Main Event title ignited a “poker boom” that changed the direction of countless of lives, this one included.
His win shown on ESPN, combined with his absolute fairytale last name and the fact that he satellited into the Main for what he says was for $39 on PokerStars, brought poker about as far into the mainstream as it could because Americans used to to like to dream.
I’d love to travel to an alternate Universe where Sammy Farha called Moneymaker’s brilliant bluff and took the title just to see if things like Lady Gaga’s song “Poker Face” and movies like “Lucky You,” “Molly’s Game,” and “Casino Royale” still exist, as well as to learn how far the phrase “all-in” permeated our vernacular.
I know my life would have been drastically different, and not because I’ve had any success playing poker. I’d just love to know how much I really should blame/thank Moneymaker for helping create the pokerverse and all the people who now populate it.
But he did win, and in those two-plus decades, Moneymaker has been a stalwart and friendly ambassador for poker and the WSOP brand. He’s a poker guy and even has his own tour, and while some other player’s exude cockiness like they roll it up and smoke it, he’s maintains his easy-going-ness. The 52-year-old will be the first person to tell you that he’s an extremely lucky man with an extremely lucky life.
But even lucky men get unlucky, and as the money bubble was about to pop at this year’s WSOP, it happened to him — sort of. The courage to bluff that got Farha to fold the best hand got him in a jam.
He had plenty of blinds to survive until the bubble burst, but made a move with J9 suited and ran into pocket aces.
“Wrong read, wrong time,” Moneymaker said.
Once again, dozens of reporters, photographers and tournament players crowded around his table and watched the hand that would send the 2003 Main Event not only to the rail, but one spot away from cashing.
Moneymaker became one of three players who got knocked-out of the tournament during the same hand, which was the third hand of the day yesterday.
Coincidently, one of those players was another WSOP “Main Event” winner. Stoyan Madanzhiev, the winner of the 2020 Online Main Event during the COVID-19 year, also finished on the bubble. The other player was Zhaken Seitbekov, who won the consolation prize for finishing just out of the money, a $25,000 entry into the Super Main Event at WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas by winning a three-way hand with against king high.
The Main Event continues today with around 400 players left of the 9,208 who entered. It’s all gravy for these players, who are guaranteed at least a $35,000 cash, but they are going for a hell of a lot more. Those who make the final table cash at least $1 million with $10 million going to the champion.
