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Chris Moneymaker - Poker Legend
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At the 2003 World Series Of Poker, an unknown amateur named Chris Moneymaker changed the game of poker forever when he became the first online qualifier to win the Main Event. One could make a convincing argument that the incredible upsurge in popularity that poker is currently experiencing can be directly traced to this single moment: when Moneymaker defeated Sam Farha, Dan Harrington, and a host of other brilliant no-limit hold'em tournament players to lift the (then) biggest prize in the history of poker.
Chris Moneymaker, a portly American Everyman with his baseball cap and sparse goatee, qualified for the WSOP by winning an online satellite on Poker Stars. The following year this path would also be followed by Greg Raymer but back then, in 2003, it was unheard of for dead money to make the impact that Moneymaker was about to make. Moneymaker became a living symbol, if not a legend, to millions of casual poker players who dreamed of coming to Vegas with nothing and leaving with millions of dollars.
As the embodiment of all the good things offered by online poker, Moneymaker was catapulted to international celebrity. The hand with which he eliminated the brilliant Phil Ivey, sucking out on the river to advance to the final table was played countless times on ESPN alone. After his victory Chris Moneymaker pledged to go back to his job as an accountant in the backwater state from which he hailed. He promised that he would not be lured by poker or his impressive, unlikely win. Now, two years on, he seems to spend all his time playing professional poker and his previous life has been left far behind.
Moneymaker will be remembered for a legendary win, but not as a poker legend in his own right. It seems very unlikely that he will ever replicate this feat, or even come close to winning another WSOP bracelet. Unlike Raymer, who was a highly skilled player and WSOP veteran before he won the crown last year (but still largely an unknown, and definitely an amateur), Moneymaker's poker skills remain questionable at the highest level.
One thing that can never be taken away from Chris Moneymaker is that he changed the poker landscape completely and forever. Oh, and one more thing can never be taken away: Chris Moneymaker won the World Series Of Poker Main Event, which many greater professional players and millions of casual online poker players will never be able to claim for themselves.
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> Greg Raymer - Poker Legend
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> Daniel Negreanu - Poker Legend
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