Chris Moneymaker is one of the most popular professional poker players on the circuit. He was relatively unknown until he made the headlines in 2003 when he was the main event of the World Series of Poker. Since then, Moneymaker has done extremely well on the poker circuit and is know all across the world. He is considered to be one of the main individuals who has influenced global poker culture and how the game is viewed today.
A former accountant, Moneymaker won the 2003 WSOP and became a source of inspiration to poker players from across the world, so much so that the game grew exponentially.
Back in 2003, the number of main event entries were a mere 839 when compared to the 6,352 in 2013.
Moneymaker who has been around for over a decade now is a stay at home dad during the day and at night’s he is out playing poker for a living.
In a statement, Moneymakers said
I see what happened after I won. I know there were many other facts that helped push me being in the right spot, the right time, the right person, right everything. It was the perfect storm. But I think it was also how I carried myself and how I handled the celebrity and just dealing with people. I think a lot of people can relate to me. I’m just an average guy you can hang out with at a bar or play poker with.
While Moneymakers has done reasonably well on the poker circuit, he has never won another World Series of Poker event since 2003. He puts it down to the stiff competition that is made up mostly of youth and also to the fact that he has been complacent with his game. Moneymakers is looking to add a new dimension to his game and believes that he will make the headlines again in 2014.
Moneymakers went on to say
I was comfortable. I wasn’t really hungry, I guess. I pretty much could play when I wanted to play, do what I wanted to do. My game today is a million times better than back when I won. At the same time, the game itself is a lot better. Back in ’03, you didn’t have to be the greatest player in the world to win. The game’s getting tougher. If you don’t keep up with it, you’re going to get creamed.