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Legendary stories · 2003
Chris Moneymaker and the $2.5 million satellite
In 2003 an amateur with a perfect name sat down at the World Series of Poker almost by accident. A few days later, poker had changed forever.
The story in short: Chris Moneymaker, an accountant from Tennessee, won his seat in the 2003 WSOP Main Event through an online satellite on PokerStars that cost him less than $100. He beat a field of 839 players, defeated Sam Farha heads-up and won $2.5 million.
An amateur in a field of pros
Back then, the $10,000 Main Event at Binion's Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas was a room full of road gamblers and seasoned pros. Moneymaker had never played a live tournament. He had won his way in online, at a time when most serious players still didn't take internet poker seriously.
That year the Main Event drew 839 players, a record at the time. Most of them had paid the full $10,000.
The run
Moneymaker played fearlessly. His most famous moment came heads-up against Sam Farha: with nothing but king high, he moved all in on the river and made one of the most experienced players in the world fold a pair. It became one of the most replayed bluffs in poker history.
An amateur who qualified online beat the pros at their own game, on television.
The final hand
Heads-up against Farha, Moneymaker held two pair that turned into a full house on the river, while Farha had a pair of jacks. Moneymaker won $2.5 million. Farha took home $1.3 million as runner-up.
The Moneymaker effect
ESPN's coverage showed millions of viewers that anyone could win. Online poker sites saw a flood of new players, and the following years brought record WSOP fields. Players and the media still call it the Moneymaker effect: the moment poker went from back rooms to the mainstream.
Read more
Moneymaker told his own story in the book Moneymaker. You'll find it, and other great poker stories, in our list of the best poker biographies.