AA POKER Player Story—Chris Moneymaker

AA POKER PLAYER STORY—CHRIS MONEYMAKER

In the 2023 Triton London event, Chris Moneymaker, the AA POKER ambassador, faced a crucial moment in the £250,000 buy-in Luxon Invitational. Moneymaker opened from under the gun with pocket jacks and his opponent Punsri moved in from the big blind after action folded all the way round. Moneymaker saw his opponent table KQ. Unfortunately, it was a fair fight until the dealer put a king on the flop and Moneymaker could not catch a two-outer to survive. At last, he got the fifth prize and $2.03 million.This fifth-place finish held extraordinary significance for Moneymaker. Firstly, it marked the second-highest prize of his professional career, second only to the $2.5 million he earned as the 2003 WSOP Main Event title. Secondly, it represented Moneymaker's debut in a high-stakes event with such a substantial buy-in, and his impressive performance was undoubtedly aided by the support of AA POKER, congratulating him on becoming their ambassador. He is the true architect of history, having changed and led it! He has genuinely embodied AA POKER's slogan: 'Anyone could be a star!'

Won the WSOP Main Event

Born on November 21, 1975, Chris Moneymaker was 27 years old in 2003. At that time, he was an unknown accountant with an annual income of $40,000. His poker journey began with winning an $86 satellite tournament at the PokerStars online poker card room that awarded him a seat in the Main Event of the 2003 World Series of Poker. Advancing to the final four, Moneymaker contemplated intentionally losing the tournament. Because the top three could receive WSOP Main Event seats, while the fourth-place earned $8,000 in cash. At that time, he was fortunate to receive a call from a friend who encouraged him to seize the rare opportunity to play in the WSOP Main Event. His friend offered to contribute $5,000, covering half of Moneymaker's buy-in. But unfortunately, the promise wasn't fulfilled. Moneymaker felt regretful and annoyed, but at last Moneymaker's father and his other friend each contributed $2,000, covering 20% of his buy-ins and persuading him to proceed. So Moneymaker went to Las Vegas to participate in his first live tournament and won the championship. On Day 1, he ranked 11th. On Day 2, he ranked 26th (with 111 players remaining). On Day 3, he ranked 6th place (with 45 players remaining). It was on this day that he began to be captured attention in public after defeating Johnny Chan, a momentous achievement considering Chan's seven gold bracelets, two of which were WSOP Main Event titles. Moneymaker's mindset shifted as he progressed, firstly he just hoped for a modest prize, but later he realized he had a chance to earn much more. On Day4, Moneymaker dispatched the great Phil Ivey in a rollercoaster of a hand, where at one point Moneymaker looked certain to win, then lose, before yet another ace got him out of trouble, and sent Ivey packing. On Day 5, the FT between Moneymaker and Sam Farha who had already claimed a gold bracelet in $2,500 PLO lasted over 11 hours. When it was Moneymaker against Farha to decide the title, a monumentally brave bluff saw Moneymaker go all in, meaning he was essentially willing to bet his tournament life on nothing more than the high card of a king. Farha didn't just have the upper hand in every sense – a pair of nines – but knew it. The issue was that if his read of the situation was incorrect, Farha would have been eliminated and thus decided to fold. And so to that final hand. Moneymaker's five of diamonds and four of clubs were inferior compared to Farha's jack of hearts and 10 of diamonds, but another miracle took place when the flop of three community cards was revealed by the dealer. Not only did Moneymaker match his own cards with a five of spades and four of clubs to give him two pair, but Farha actually had top pair with the jack on the board, which made it appear he was in a better position. This time, Farha would go all in, which was an easy call for Moneymaker. The turn card produced an eight of diamonds, and the fifth and final river card was a five of hearts, to secure victory and give Moneymaker a full house in the process. That night, Moneymaker invited friends, poker players, and anyone willing to join him to celebrate his victory. The next day, he flew back home and hosted a party at the restaurant where he worked. In 2005, Moneymaker published his autobiography, continuing to participate in WSOP and EPT annually. He also enjoyed playing low-stakes poker games and supporting novice players.

First 'Poker Boom' in History

Winning the WSOP Main Event dramatically altered Moneymaker's trajectory and had a profound impact on the entire poker industry. The story of an amateur defeating professionals to claim the world championship was incredibly inspiring, fostering belief among thousands of players that such success could happen to themselves. Moneymaker not only inspired American players but ignited interest across Europe, Asia, and South America. This led to the 'Poker Boom' from 2003 to 2006, a period of unprecedented growth in the poker industry. Texas Hold'em reached unprecedented levels of popularity worldwide. For example, the WSOP Main Event grew from 839 participants in 2003 to 8,773 in 2006, a tenfold increase. Moneymaker not only enjoys a stellar reputation in the online poker realm but also exerts a significant influence on poker associated industries. At the age of 47, Moneymaker remains active in the poker world. After becoming the ambassador for AA POKER, his career has reached new heights. Stay tuned for more AA POKER players stories. Download AA POKER! Anyone could be a star!