Chris Moneymaker
Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 WSOP Main Event. Now, 20 years on, can he survive our 15 Bigs?

Tournament poker has no more famous player than the man who revolutionized the game when he won the 2003 WSOP Main Event. When he became world champion 20 years ago,  Chris Moneymaker turned an $80 online satellite into $2.5 million.

Moneymaker’s victory grew the game of poker both online and in the live arena like never before. Responsible for the original and biggest ‘poker boom’, how can Chris Moneymaker, he of the ‘Moneymarket Effect’, deal with our version of poker’s ‘15 Bigs?’

Our 15 questions are designed to test the very best poker players from around the world, so can Chris Moneymaker come out on top again, or will our 15 Bigs get the better of him as Sammy Farha never could?

1.    You’re on a long-haul flight and can only choose one TV Show or Movie to watch on repeat, which is your pick?

Justified.

Justified
Law and justice are meted out by a hero toting all the ammunition. Sounds like a Moneymaker movie night to us.

2.    If you were stranded on a desert island with one book for company, what would it be?

One with a sharp edge so I could kill myself.

3.    What’s the song you could listen to on repeat forever?

Eye of the Tiger.

4.    What’s your favourite place to play poker and why?

The Bahamas [for] all the outside activities.

5.    If you were to be shot at dawn, what would be your last meal and drink?

Steak and fries.

6.    Where’s your favourite non-poker holiday destination?

Sardis Lake, Mississippi.

Sardis Lake, Mississippi
Moneymaker is at home in Mississippi and the stunning Sardis Lake in particular.

7.    You can play poker every day for a year or play no poker for a whole 12 months – which do you choose?

No poker!

8.    Who is the person you don’t have around anymore that you miss the most?

My father.

9.    Which person would you most like to meet but never have?

Warren Buffett.

10.   When was the last time life put you on tilt?

Two weeks ago, when my daughter’s car got broken into.

11.   If you couldn’t play the WSOP Main Event next year, which family member would you put into the action in your place?

My sister.

12.   What’s your best poker skill?

Reading people and situations.

Chips and Money
All the chips, all the money – Chris Moneymaker wins $2.5m from an $80 satellite in 2003.

13.   And your biggest leak?

I’m too curious at times.

14.   If you could make one rule change to poker, what would it be?

Honestly, I like it how it is.

  1. You have just ten seconds with the person of your dreams… what do you say?

Strip fast!

From his first answer to his last meal, the Americas Cardroom Team Pro has more than survived our ’15 Bigs’. We can’t wait to find out if 2023 is his year all over again. Don’t know the story of Chris Moneymaker? Watch this documentary from PokerGO, the home of the 2023 World Series of Poker, below.