Who knows how the fate of online poker would have turned out if it weren't for American accountant Chris Moneymaker? His memorable actions and film-worthy success story gave rise to a real poker boom and brought hundreds of thousands of people to the game. His path to multi-million prizes began with one small satellite for several dozen dollars.
We tell you how a man with debts ended up in the main tournament of the World Series of Poker, what results he achieved after, what the contract with PokerStars gave him, and whether it is possible to repeat his success.
Who is Chris Moneymaker?
The biography of the future star did not start out very remarkably. Until 2003, Chris Bryan Moneymaker (his real name) worked as an accountant and lived the ordinary life of an average American. He had debts, a desire to get rid of them, and a love for online poker. Chris's passion for gambling was instilled in him by his father when the young man was a second-year student at university. In a year, they earned more than $60,000. It seemed that life was getting better, but after a downswing, most of the winnings disappeared.
However, his net worth was about to get a boost.
Moneymaker's future was changed by the film "Rounders" with Matt Damon. The story of the main character, who paid off his gambling debts thanks to his intelligence and composure at the poker table, prompted Chris to try his hand in Las Vegas, at the World Series of Poker.
Winning the Historic 2003 WSOP Main Event
Chris Moneymaker didn't have the money to buy into the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event out of his own pocket, so he tried to qualify through satellites held on PokerStars. In the qualifying tournament, Chris made it to the final table. At the 4-max stage, when the top three received WSOP tickets and the fourth $8,000 in cash, Moneymaker asked in the chat to take 4th place. But fate decreed otherwise, and he got a ticket.
Chris Moneymaker's biography (and poker history) would have been different if his father and a friend hadn't found the money for the young man's trip to Las Vegas. They chipped in $2,000 each, covering travel, accommodations, and other expenses. And as it turned out a little later, it was the smartest investment of their lives: Moneymaker won the WSOP Main Event in 2003, earning the title, recognition, and $2,500,000 in winnings.
The resounding victory of the "ordinary accountant" brought unprecedented popularity to poker and, in particular, to no-limit Texas Hold'em. This phenomenon, which has spread far beyond the borders of the United States, is called the "Moneymaker Effect."
The trickle-down effect of this moment in 2003 brought live and online poker into the limelight.
- Increased first deposit bonus
- Increased rakeback and reloads
- Help with deposits and cashouts
- Access to private freerolls
- Round-the-clock support
Chris Moneymaker's Achievements and Titles
After the victory, Chris did not abandon the cards, but on the contrary, made poker his main source of income. During his offline career, he earned almost $4 million, having won many victories and dozens of titles. At the moment, his net worth is estimated at $16 million, with a Hendon Mob showing $7,512,911 in live career earnings (in late 2024). You know about his biggest win, but there were other significant achievements in his biography:
- $300,000 – Second place in the 2011 NBC National Heads-Up Championship in Las Vegas
- $200,000 – and another second place in the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star tournament, which took place in 2004
- $130,000 – 11th place in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event, presented by PokerStars, 2011
Chris Moneymaker's Sponsorships (PokerStars & ACR Poker)
In 2003, Stars were not yet number 1 in the online poker market, and it was the cooperation with the 2003 Maine champion that allowed them to become famous throughout the world. The success story spread throughout all non-core media, the room's management offered an ambassador contract – and as a result, the cooperation lasted for 17 long years.
The agreement was terminated only in 2021, so where is Chris Moneymaker now? Even after the termination, Chris Moneymaker was not left without work. Almost immediately, he was invited to Americas Cardroom (now ACR Poker), a room that has been running an active marketing campaign since the end of 2022, organizing freerolls with crazy prize pools.
ACR is home of the Venom, which consistently sets the highest prize pools in online poker.
You might also be interested in our other articles about the world of card games. Find out what the best learning methods are right now, how to manage a bankroll, or even what to do on a “rainbow” flop. Also, check out our store, where you can buy popular auxiliary software, such as Sharkscope or Hand2Note.
Where Are the WSOP Satellites Held?
Hoping to emulate Chris Moneymaker's success, hundreds of thousands of players from all over the world participate in online satellites to WSOP tournaments every year.
WSOP partners change periodically, but now there are no prerequisites for changing the poker room. For several years now, the qualifying tournaments for the World Series have been held at the GG Network (GGPoker, Natural8, PokerOK). For those who cannot go on a trip, there is a special series – WSOP Online, where gold champion bracelets are also played out, which the poker room management sends to the winners.
Free Tournament League from GipsyTeam
Only those with impressive bankrolls can afford to make a full buy-in for WSOP or WSOP Online tournaments. We recommend that beginners enter the world of poker gradually. Preserve your bankroll and stay in the game.
It is better to start with free tournaments, where entry costs nothing but real money prizes are there to win. On some sites, like partypoker, these “freerolls” run hourly and reach hundreds of dollars in prize pools.
To participate in the freerolls in any poker room, you need to fulfill the only condition – create an account from GipsyTeam. If any difficulties arise, the specialists of the free GT support service will help you. The support works without breaks and weekends, and you will receive responses within 2-3 minutes.
