Chris Moneymaker is one of the most famous gamblers of all time. He is one of the greatest transformers in the history of the World Series of Poker. Moneymaker ancestors made silver and gold coins to make money. They chose the name “Moneymaker” as a substitute for their German accent. Moneymaker attended Farragut High School in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Later he earned a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Tennessee. After earning a master’s degree, he began working as a computer controller. He also worked part-time at a local restaurant in Spring Hill, Tennessee.

Moneymaker’s real name is Christopher Bryan Moneymaker. There is no better name for him as a poker champion. He entered the world series of poker main events at the age of 27. It was the first live poker tournament in his life. The professional player played well enough on the first day to catch the eye of the disabled Lou Diamond. He then received prophetic advice as to the “dark horse for winning the whole tournament”.

Personal life

Christopher Bryan Moneymaker was born on November 21, 1975. The names of Chris Moneymaker’s Father and Mother are Вarbar Moneymaker and Bernie Moneymaker. His birthplace is Аtlаntа, Georgia, U.Ѕ. His father was a travel agent and his mother worked at a liquor store. He is an American poker player who won the main event of the 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP). He became the first champion after picking an online poker site. It has been referred to in the media as a “moneymaker effect”. Moneymaker married two. 

He divorced his first wife in 2004. He had a daughter with his first wife. The girl was born three months before she won the WSOP main event. In April 2003, he married his second wife, Christina Warren, in Las Vegas. In 2005, Moneymaker launched a children’s book called “Big Big to Win Big”. Through the book, he tried to teach basic mathematics and principles of life. The book, however, is controversial, as it encourages reckless behavior and potential addictive tendencies, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling.

Beginnings of Gambling

Christopher Bryan Moneymaker was born in Georgia but grew up in Tennessee. His family name is “Moneymaker” which comes from his ancestors. His ancestors made silver and gold coins. His father enjoyed gambling which led him to teach Chris to play blackjack himself. So the moneymaker himself called the game a “gambling gin.” It turned into sports betting addiction at the University of Tennessee. But he pulled himself out of a big hole and finished graduating on the account. 

He is married and has a child. It is known that he got married for the second time after divorcing his first wife. He used to play little poker when he was a traveling accountant. However, he lost his accounting job due to the 9/11 incident. He spent more time playing after losing his job. He also plays poker when he works as a comptroller.

Poker career

Moneymaker won the main event of the Poker World Series in 2003 through a satellite tournament at the PokerStars Online Poker Card Room. He then worked as an accountant. He was called the “dark horse for winning the whole tournament.” The poker superstar also won the prestigious $2.5 million prize. The WSOP main event was the first live poker tournament of his gambling career. After winning the WSOP, he quit his job as a spokesperson for Harrah’s Entertainment, the owner of the series, as well as a celebrity spokesperson for Poker Stars. 

Then he started his own money-making gaming company. He embarked on numerous tours to play in larger buy-in tournaments. He finished second in the Shooting Star event of the 2004 World Poker Tour and won $200,000. He also bought one of Limit Hold’em for $10,300 during five events at the 2006 Online Poker World Championships. Then he came in sixth with a price tag of over $139,000. He also finished fifth in 16 events with a $215 pot-limit Omaha doing well with Rebuys.

From there he made more than $28,000. Then in July 2009, the Moneymaker won the $15,889 event at the Deep Stack Pot Restrictions Omaha event at the World Poker Open Tournament. Later he finished 11th in the 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event, earning $130,000. Earned $300,000 in 2011 and finished second in the National Heads up Poker Tournament against Moneymaker Erik Seidel. As of 2016, his total live tournament wins exceeded $3,675,000. In 2019, he was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.

WSOP Main Event

In 2002, he worked as an assistant accountant at a restaurant. In 2003, he registered for the Satellite Tournament. He entered a $39 online satellite tournament and built a $ 600 satellite. This earned him a seat in the main event of the WSOP. With that $39 investment, Chris Moneymaker won $2.5 million in first prize. Subsequent WSOP main event entries increased tenfold from $39 to $8,773 in 2006.

Winning the WSOP main event turned his life upside down and quickly capitalized on a life of fame. He quit his job as a spokesperson for PokerStars. He later started his own company. He uses his wins wisely to create company gaming. Then he traveled the world as a professional gambler for a few years. He currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee with his second wife.

Knocks out Phil Ivey

Christopher Bryan Moneymaker called Phil Ivy’s all-in bet with the help of S kicker, leaving 10 players to reach the final table, to look at the whole house. Sending the amateur to the final table, he denies Phil Ivy his World Cup challenge win. When he went there he matched with courage about his lack of experience. The final table will run at 2 pm so the head-up took place at 12.30 am. Making money stood up against Sammy Farha.

By then his stack had doubled. More experienced pros spread to the amateur stack until the two finished in the next hour. After that Chris decided to stand up and the two flops with a flush draw. Both players check and this turn is an open-end straight draw to the moneymaker. It provided her a flush draw, so when Farah bet with $300,000. Moneymaker raised him again to $600,000. Farha called with the top pair and a flush draw and must have felt upset.

Other Game

In 2007, Moneymaker made the first season of the classic poker TV show Poker Offer Dark. In that episode, they played sit and go with the WSOP main event champions, not cash games. Then in 2018, he played a small amount of NLHE cash game sessions on CBS Sport’s new show Poker Night Live. 

He also appeared in the live stream of Stones Juvenile Hall and played $2/$ 5 Hold’em again. That game was at the center of the infamous Mike Postal fraud scandal. In 2020, Chris Moneymaker was to host the Moneymaker Tour. Which was the $ 86 Rye-in NLHE Tournament at Poker Star Live events around the world. However, due to the COVID-19 epidemic, it stopped before it started.