WSOP Profile Chris Moneymaker

01-18-07, LearnTexasHoldem:

For many poker players, the World Series of Poker is the defining moment of their career. Even the most accomplished poker professional dreams of winning the World Series of Poker championship bracelet, and many players are measured by how many WSOP bracelets they have collected.

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There is probably no player for whom the World Series of Poker was more a defining moment than Chris Moneymaker. Before the 2003 WSOP, Chris Moneymaker wasn't even a professional poker player at all, just an accountant from Tennessee with a dream.

That dream didn't even include the World Series of Poker. Unlike many players with tales of training for years just to make the big event, Chris' appearance at the World Series happened almost by accident. With a family to support and on a limited income, Chris satisfied his poker urges by playing small buy in tournaments on Poker Stars. One of these tournaments, a $40 satellite, promised entry into a $600 satellite for the winner, which in turn provided a seat into the World Series of Poker main event.

Almost Missed the WSOP

To Chris' delight and surprise, he won entry into the satellite, and though he quickly moved through the ranks towards the top prize, his WSOP moment almost didn't happen. As he arrived at the final table, Chris decided that he was going to settle for fourth place. The family needed money, and the $8,000 fourth prize was worth a lot more to him than a $10,000 seat in a tournament in which he would all likelihood win nothing.

Fortunately for the poker world, a friend offered to buy a piece of him if he won a seat, which he did, finishing in the top three and qualifying for a trip to Vegas. Although mocked by commentators as "dead money," Chris used a combination of luck and skill to make the 2003 final table and to get heads up with popular high stakes gambler Sammy Farha for his WSOP moment.

Best WSOP Bluff Ever?

As ESPN cameras for the first time captured all the action with new hole card camera technology revealing what both players held, Moneymaker, with a slight chip lead, received the Ks 7h. Since this was a better than average hand for heads up play, Moneymaker made a small raise, 60,000 into a 70,000 pot. Farha, holding Qs 9h, called. The flop came 9s 2d 6s, giving Farha top pair and missing Moneymaker completely. Farha checked, and Moneymaker, with nothing, checked as well. The turn was an action card, the 8s. This card changed everything. Suddenly, Chris Moneymaker, while still with nothing, was looking at an open ended straight draw and a flush draw, a very powerful potential hand. Farha now also had a big flush draw to go with his top pair.

Since the board had now become a "drawer's board," Farha decided to end the hand, betting 300,000, overbetting the pot by about 100,000 chips. Moneymaker, with his huge draw, re-raised another 500,000. Farha no doubt hated to see this, but opted to call.

All-in On River

The three of hearts came on the river, missing Moneymaker and leading up to the longest few minutes of his life. Farha checked, and Moneymaker, in a desperation move and realizing he had only one chance to win the pot, moved all in.

Farha must have suspected something fishy as he sweated Moneymaker. One can only imagine the sheer terror underneath Moneymaker's Oakley sunglasses as Farha announced "Must have missed your flush, huh?" It was probably all Moneymaker could do to keep his composure as Farha casually suggested "I could make a crazy call on you." Moneymaker certainly couldn't keep from breathing a sigh of relief when Farha finally sent his cards into his muck, giving Moneymaker the hand, the eventual championship, and a brilliant WSOP moment.