Moneymaker\u2019s Results After 2003<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAlthough Chris Moneymaker\u2019s impact on poker is\nundeniable, his actual skills as a player have often been questioned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For many, he was the one-hit-wonder, a\n\u201cluckbox\u201d that managed to find his way to the prestigious title somehow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His official results don’t say too much to\ncounter this hypothesis, as the $2,500,000 win remains by far his biggest score\nto date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Throughout his entire career, Moneymaker has\naccumulated $3.9 million in live tournament cashes, so $1.4 million over the\ninitial $2,500,000. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
His second-largest score was $300,000 for the runner-up finish in the NBC National Heads-Up Championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\nImage: YouTube<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhen he qualified for the Main Event, Chris\nwasn’t a professional player. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was a full-time, stay-at-home accountant\nwith a passion for the game. There is no doubt that his run in the Main Event\nwas very lucky, but that can be said for every Main Event winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019re not going to win in a huge tournament\nunless your luck is in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of those who know Moneymaker, including\nthe fellow-player and the Main Event champion Joe Hachem, maintains that people\ntend to underestimate how good Chris really is at poker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As for the man himself, he doesn\u2019t seem to care\ntoo much either way. Moneymaker is well aware of his reputation, and he knows\nthat for some, he\u2019ll always just be a \u201cluckbox.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That doesn\u2019t change the role he played in the\npoker expansion, and he believes it often helps him at the tables. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Until very recently, he was still a member of the PokerStars Team Pro. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The room’s roster has experienced quite a few changes in recent years, including parting ways with Daniel Negreanu, their biggest and best-known ambassador, and now Moneymaker has also left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Man Of The People<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nChris may have struggled with his new position\nduring the first few years, but he never let the poker fame go to his head. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although he got to spend time with some of the\nbest players and has certainly learned a lot about poker over the years, his\nattitude towards the game has never changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the World Series, he\u2019s often found in\nsmaller daily events. While many players, especially Main Event winners, would\nsee this as something below their status, Chris seems to enjoy it a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although buy-ins are much smaller than those\nfor bracelet events, he says the overall atmosphere is much more relaxed, and\npeople who come to play seem to enjoy the game much more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plus, with the lower level of competition, he recognizes there is still a lot of money to be made in these tournaments. <\/p>\n\n\n\nImage: YouTube<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhatever his real motivation might be, by doing\nthis, Moneymaker continues to play his role as a poker ambassador. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For many players playing in these tournaments,\nit must be a great pleasure to sit next to such a famous pro. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It goes to show that poker isn\u2019t just about the\nmoney. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, big prizes attract players, but\nfinding a good balance between the money you can win and the actual enjoyment\nyou can get from playing is just as important for those who make poker their\ncareer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Hall of Fame \u201cControversy\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nYou’d think that the man who played such an\nimportant role in poker’s growth would be a member of the Poker Hall of Fame,\nbut you’d be wrong. Moneymaker is still waiting his turn, and, as the rules\nstand right now, he might never get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was nominated in 2016, but his nomination\ndidn\u2019t get enough support. Instead, Todd Brunson and Carlos Mortensen were\ninducted that year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The problem with Moneymaker’s induction is that\nhe’s different from all other players. Looking at his results, they’re quite\nmodest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, many other names seem more deserving in the\nplayers’ category \u2013 players who have been around for much longer and have had\nmuch better results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the same time, he\u2019s never been a\n\u201ccontributor\u201d as such. His contributions came as a byproduct of his play. So,\nhe doesn\u2019t quite fit in that category, either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moneymaker himself doesn’t have a strong\nopinion on the topic either way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, he’d be happy to receive such an\nhonor, but he’s aware that he’ll forever be a part of poker history no matter\nwhat. His legacy is simply too big and significant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Considering all this, perhaps the nomination\ncommittee should come up with the exception of some sort to officially make\nMoneymaker\u2019s name a part of that history. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I don’t think too many people would mind it as\na one-off, and I believe it could only be good for poker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where Is Chris Moneymaker Now?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nImage: YouTube<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nOn New Year’s Eve, Moneymaker announced via his Twitter that he’d be parting ways with PokerStars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n