Chris Moneymaker
| Chris Moneymaker | |
|---|---|
 Chris Moneymaker at the 2006 World Series of Poker | |
| Residence | Tennessee |
| World Series of Poker | |
| Bracelet(s) | 1 |
| Money finish(es) | 4 |
| Highest ITM Main Event finish | Winner, 2003 |
| World Poker Tour | |
| Title(s) | None |
| Final table(s) | 1 |
| Money finish(es) | 2 |
Christopher Bryan Moneymaker (born November 21, 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American poker player who won the main event at the 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP).[1] His victory is generally credited for being one of the main catalysts for the poker boom in the years following his win.
Moneymaker attended Farragut High School in Farragut, Tennessee and later earned a master's degree in accounting from the University of Tennessee. He was working as an accountant in Tennessee when he won a seat into the main event of the 2003 WSOP through a US$39 satellite tournament at the PokerStars online poker card room. Although largely unknown prior to the tournament, his skills caught the attention of professional sports handicapper Lou Diamond, who picked Moneymaker to win the event. [2] He went on to win the first prize of $2.5 million, instantly garnering poker superstar status. It was his first live poker tournament.
Moneymaker's most memorable hand was heads-up against Sam Farha, when on the river he bluffed "all in" with King high. Farha folded a pair of nines, quickly changing the momentum of the match. Moneymaker eventually won the WSOP when his beat Farha's on a board of , giving Moneymaker a full house. Farha did, however, win a rematch on Pokerstars a month later.
Moneymaker has since played on the World Poker Tour, finishing second at the Shooting Stars event, earning $200,000.[3][4]
After winning the WSOP, he quit his job to serve as a celebrity spokesman for Series owner Harrah's Entertainment as well as PokerStars. He also began traveling to play in more large buy-in tournaments.
Moneymaker is married and has a daughter named Ashley, born 3 months before his WSOP win. His autobiography, Moneymaker: How an Amateur Poker Player Turned $40 into $2.5 Million at the World Series of Poker was published in March 2005 (ISBN 0-06-076001-X).
Moneymaker can be heard Thursdays on Playboy Radio's Morning Show on Sirius Satellite Radio.[citation needed]
Last name
Moneymaker's last name is an aptronym. His last name is not a pseudonym and is in fact his real birth name. "Moneymaker" is actually a modification of a German last name which is approximately "Nurmacher".[5]