With the invention of poker in 1829, many games and stories became well-known, such as the grisly infamous Dead Man’s hand. Players like Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, and the aptly names Chris Moneymaker left their mark.
The story behind Chris Moneymaker net worth is remarkable. In 2003, it was nowhere near half of what it is today. He was a casual player with a full-time job, playing on weekends. He never planned to go pro or join the Poker Hall of Fame, but a single moment changed his life and the game.
During poker’s decline, amateur Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 WSOP Main Event, securing $2.5 million. His victory made him an icon, inspiring players worldwide and sparking the 21st-century poker boom, later called ‘The Moneymaker Effect.’
This casino news explores Chris Moneymaker net worth, his career-defining win, and its lasting impact on poker.
Chris Moneymaker Net Worth and Poker Boom
Chris Moneymaker real name is Christopher Bryan Moneymaker. You would agree that’s a once-in-a-lifetime “spot-on” last name for a former accountant and money-making poker champion. He was born in 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia, but raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, and had his master’s degree in accounting from the University of Tennessee.
While working as a comptroller and also holding a part-time job at a local restaurant in Tennessee, he played poker recreationally, as he loved card casino games. However, though he was passionate about the game, he didn’t see himself changing his career to poker.
In 2003, card rooms were closing, and poker was in downtime. Chris Moneymaker earnings from his regular job couldn’t pay off all his bills, so poker was an additional income source. He then decided to register for an online casino satellite tournament. The event would be followed by an online qualification tournament for the 2003 WSOP Main Event.
To Moneymaker, gaining a seat in the Main Event was less important than winning $8,000 from the follow-up tournament. He thought he was playing a cash game and didn’t want to play in the $10,000 entry Main Event. However, a friend convinced him to attend the WSOP, and he consented.
Christopher Bryan played to the end and qualified for the Main Event, becoming the first player to ever qualify for the WSOP via an online tournament. While he had surprised everyone, little did he know that his participation would become a turning point in poker history.
Chris Moneymaker Net Worth: The Life-Changing Main Event Win
Moneymaker competed in his first live tournament, the WSOP Main Event, in Las Vegas in 2003. Facing off against prominent players, some of whom are Poker Hall of Fame members, he demonstrated a unique talent that captured the attention of viewers and commentators.
The event hosted 839 players, including notable game stars Scotty Nguyen, Howard Lederer, Annie Duke, Barry Greenstein, Dan Harrington, Jason Lester, Phil Hellmuth, Sam Farha, Phil Ivey, Johnny Chan, David Chiu, and others.
To the 27-year-old Moneymaker’s disbelief, he survived several tournament days. He performed incredibly well, knocking out Chan and then Ivey after a series of ups and downs. He made the final table of nine players, including Farha, Harrington, and Lester. Eventually, the final round had him face off against Farha in a heads-up match.
One of the most memorable moments of this match was during Chris Moneymaker’s bluff against Farha at the river. With a high card, he caused Farha to fold with a pair of nines. It seemed as if Chris had learned the best casino tips to play against pros.
The timely bluff saved him from elimination. He eventually narrowly beat Farha and won the Championship title and a $2.5 million cash prize.
An amateur winning the Main Event against professionals was a new phenomenon in the poker community. It immediately catapulted poker to the mainstream, and so many other online players began flooding the tournament scene, hoping they, too, could achieve the feat.
Post-WSOP Career
Chris Moneymaker net worth after his historic win was up by $2.5 million. His name was everywhere on news channels. This made him realize that professional poker was the next thing for him. He dropped his accounting job and took on poker full-time.
Harrah’s Entertainment immediately onboarded him as an ambassador, and he found a new long-term career path.
Other Notable Poker Wins
In 2004, a year after his legendary win, Moneymaker competed in the WPT Bay 101 Shooting with the confidence he had gained. He proved himself again and finished 2nd for a $200,000 prize. However, he didn’t play a high-stakes game again until 2011, when he competed in the $25,000-entry NBC National Heads-Up Championship. He finished 2nd in the No Limit Hold ’em event to claim $300,000.
Moneymaker focused more on low-stakes games until 2023. He went for a high-stakes table at the London Triton Poker Super High Roller Series. And he claimed a little over $2 million in cash prize after finishing 5th in the $ 250,000-entry No Limit Hold ’em event.
2024 gave Christopher Bryan a series of cashouts. He competed again in the May Triton Poker tournament at Montenegro and won $903,000 for finishing 1st in the $25,000 No Limit Hold ’em 8-Handed event. He also cashed out $311,000 for a 3rd-place finish in another event at the same tournament.
In August 2024, finishing 1st in the $1,650-entry Enjoy Main Event, allowed Moneymaker poker tour to clinch $179,770. And in December, he rounded up the year with a $500,000 10th-place win at the WSOP Main Event.
According to the Hendon Mob, these winnings brought his total earnings in live tournaments to $8,197,880, which is more than Michael Moncek net worth.
Sponsorships and Business Ventures
Christopher further diversified his income by founding his gambling company, Moneymaker Moneymaker Gaming. In 2022, he opened a gambling club, Moneymaker Social Club, in Paducah, Kentucky, but the government shut it down on the grounds of illegal operation.
However, he opened another club in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2024, which operates smoothly. After one of his ambassadorship deals expired in 2020, he immediately struck another. He also has other deals, including cannabis, CBD, and Books.
Chris Moneymaker net worth is $16 million, including his poker game wins, sponsorships, and businesses. This amount is just slightly above the Alan Keating net worth.
Conclusion
Chris Moneymaker Net worth has grown exponentially over the years. And it all started with his iconic win in the 2003 Main Event, which brought him to the limelight. Since then, many poker rooms have struck sponsorship deals with him. His businesses have also contributed significantly to his net worth of about $16 million.
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