In 2003, a Tennessee accountant named Chris Moneymaker stunned the poker world by turning $86 into the World Series of Poker’s Main Event title, taking home $2.5 million.
Sixteen years later, Moneymaker finds himself enshrined among the game’s elite.
Chris Moneymaker
On Monday, Moneymaker, the one-time novice Internet poker player, joined noted poker professional David Oppenheim as the 2019 inductees in the Poker Hall of Fame. The pair became the 57th and 58th individuals to be inducted organization, which is overseen by Caesars Entertainment and the World Series of Poker.
“I’m very honored, very happy,” said Moneymaker, 43. “It’s great for my kids. It’ll be a cool thing for them to see when they grow up.”
Moneymaker is given credit for creating the boom professional poker experienced in the 2000s. Through an $86 entry fee in an online satellite tournament, Moneymaker won a seat at the World Series of Poker’s $10,000 No Limit Hold’em World Championship event, then played at Binion’s Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas.
At age 27, it was Moneymaker’s first live poker tournament and he defeated a field of 839 people to win the crown and $2.5 million. ESPN televised the final table and for the first time, showed hole cards, allowing the audience to follow along as Moneymaker defeated professional poker player Sam Farha.
A year later, the World Series of Poker’s Main Event drew 2,576 entrants – more than three times the number from 2003. Many were online poker players drawn by Moneymaker’s success, which drew wide media coverage, including an appearance on the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”
Poker media nicknamed the boom following the victory as the “Moneymaker effect.”
Moneymaker couldn’t attend Monday’s ceremony because he had a prior poker commitment in London. But in a brief video he thanked the fans who nominated him and the voting committee – the 30 living Poker Hall of Fame members and a 21-person media panel – for selecting him.
“To be included in such great company in the Poker Hall of Fame is just phenomenal,” Moneymaker said. “I’m really proud and thankful to everybody.”
David Oppenheim
This year’s tournament marked the 50th anniversary of the World Series of Poker and set several records, including number of entries – 187,298 – and prize money – $293.2 million, which was a 10 percent increase over last year. The 2019 Main Event drew 8,569 entries – second highest ever – with the winner taking home $10 million.
“In the record-setting 50th year of the World Series of Poker, we are reminded how critical Chris Moneymaker has been to influencing recreational players to pursue their dreams and he will certainly be amongst the most important figures of all time,” said Poker Hall of Fame Governing Council member Ty Stewart.
Since winning the WSOP title, the Nashville native has now amassed $3.844 million in earnings, cashing 100 different times on four different continents.
Moneymaker and Oppenheim were inducted Monday as part of the live World Series of Poker Main Event final table coverage on ESPN.
Oppenheim, 46, a cash game professional who resides in Calabasas, California, has earned almost $2 million during his 25-year professional career at the WSOP. He finished third in the 2010 WSOP Poker Players Championship, earning $603,348.
“Oppenheim is a pro’s pro and has finally received his long overdue recognition,” Stewart said, adding that he is considered one of the savviest players on the circuit with a proficiency in mixed games.
“Being recognized as one of the all-time greats by my peers is truly humbling and I am honored to have been selected to the Poker Hall of Fame,” Oppenheim said. “I have been so fortunate to be able to do what I love for a living. I never planned to be a professional poker player, rather it was a passion that became my job.”
The 2019 Poker Hall of Fame finalists included Chris Bjorin, David Chiu, Eli Elezra, Antonio Esfandiari, Chris Ferguson, Ted Forrest, Mike Matusow and Huckleberry Seed.
The Poker Hall of Fame, established in 1979, was acquired by Harrah’s Entertainment (now Caesars Entertainment) along with the World Series of Poker in 2004. Though the Hall of Fame is virtual in nature, its membership includes poker’s most influential players and other important contributors to the game.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgamingreports.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
