Chris Moneymaker

Inspired by the Edward Norton and Matt Damon movie “Rounders”, Chris and his friends started playing poker. When he wanted to play against a new set of people, he found that the Internet was much more convenient that driving four hours to the nearest casino.

Chris spent 3 years playing online and his first major live tournament was the 2004 World Series of Poker. Chris is famous for bringing Internet Poker off the Internet and into the World Series of Poker Tournament. After playing at PokerStars.com, he won a satellite tournament to get into the World Series of Poker in 2003 and the rest, as they say, is history. Chris beat a field of 839, besting Ishan Farha in the final to win the $2.5 million in prize money. His winning hand was a full house – three fives and two fours.

Chris claims that he always pretends he is nervous when he is playing and that he uses an aggressive method of playing to counterbalance any fear he might feel. Texas Hold ‘Em is his favorite poker game followed by Omaha. Chris has said that he finds online play to be more aggressive and quicker than live tournament play. He appreciates having more time in live tournaments to make his plays and he also likes having the opportunity to observe, identify and take advantage of the other players’ tells.

Chris is very much a family man. He lives in Tennessee with his wife and young daughter. His biggest complaint about the pro-poker circuit is the travel involved and the amount of time he has to be away from home.

His major poker accomplishments include the following:
· Was the first person to win a World Series of Poker Tournament after qualifying for play on the Internet
· Seventeenth on the All-Time Money List
· Won $2.5 million at the 2003 World Series of Poker