Christ Moneymaker was the winner of WSOP main event in 2003. His win was a major driver in the popularization of poker and the World Series of Poker. This has been referred to as the "Moneymaker Effect."
Born in 1975, in Atlanta, Georgia, Moneymaker earned a master's degree in accounting from the University of Tennessee. He was working as an accountant when he won a seat into the 2003 WSOP main event through a $39 satellite tournament at PokerStars.
After he won his trip to the WSOP, he didn't have enough money for the cost of flying to Vegas and staying there for the week, so he sold part of his entry to his father and his friend in exchange for a portion of his winnings.
Despite this tournament being his first live tournament, Moneymaker went on to win the first prize of $2.5 million and become an instantly poker superstar. He became the first WSOP main event winner to qualify at an online poker site.
One of his most memorable hands was his heads-up battle against Sam Farha where Moneymaker bluffed all-in with King-high, convincing Farha to fold a pair of nines. This hand was considered one of the most exciting hands in poker history and is referred to as "the bluff of the century.
After winning the WSOP, Moneymaker quit his job and became a spokesman for Harrah's as well as PokerStars. He also began traveling to play in more large tournaments. He also started his own company, Moneymaker Gaming.
Many people think Moneymaker won because he got lucky. ESPN showed Moneymaker knocking out Phil Ivey on the river on a hand where Moneymaker got outplayed. Other people claim that Moneymaker is a solid player and point out his aggressive play and his master bluff against Farha. Even though Moneymaker was an amateur, he seemed to possess a killer instinct that the previous year's winner, Robert Varkhoni, didn't.
In an effort to squelch opinions that he was just got lucky, Moneymaker finished 2nd at the 2004 WPT Shooting Stars event, wining $200,000.
In the 2008 World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) Moneymaker finished 6th in the $10,300 No-Limit Hold'em event (earning $139,000) and 5th in the $215 Pot Limit Omaha with ReBuys (earning over $28,000).
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.
Moneymaker has 2 WPT cashes, 4 WSOP cashes, and, total live tournament winnings (as of 2008) exceeding $2,900,000. Moneymaker married his wife in Las Vegas in April, 2005. He currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee.
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