Poker Professional

Chris Moneymaker

Chris Moneymaker began his career with a bang. His first live tournament he won the World Championship at the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event.

While growing up he would often play bridge with his grandmother sparking the competitiveness and that later took form while playing Blackjack with his father. But Moneymaker (and no that is not his nickname is it is his real surname) continued on to get his Masters degree in accounting at the University of Tennessee. While crunching numbers, Chris Moneymaker's spark revived again when he saw the film "Rounders." That is the point where he began playing on online poker rooms with his friends.

It was a $39 online satellite which won him a seat to another satellite that would lead to the big WSOP Main Event $10,000 Buy-in where he triumphed over many poker legends and collected a cool $2.5 million along with a World Series of Poker bracelet. From there he continued to seed his success by coming in at second at the Bay 101 Shooting Stars World Poker Tour in the No Limit Hold'em Championship Final Day, adding another $200,000 to his pocket.

In May of 2004 he reached yet another final table in the $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha event of the WSOP and a third place at The Fourth Annual Jack Binion Mid-America Poker Classic in the $300 Pot Limit Hold'em.

At the Ultimatebet.com Poker Classic in Palm Beach he finished in the money at 18th in the $6,000 No Limit Hold'em Final Day and most recently finished in the money at the 2006 WSOP $1,500 Limit Hold'em Shootout event at 28th.

Chris Moneymaker is known to be a complete gentleman and holds great sportsmanship at the table. He knows when to be aggressive and when to let things flow. He is a proud father of a baby girl who he devotes his winnings for her college tuition.

Moneymaker still plays online by the name Money800, the name that won him a seat at the WSOP 2003.

His total live tournament earnings are around the $3,000,000.