Moneymaker is arguably best known for winning the main event of the 2003 World Series of Poker. After qualifying for the WSOP through a satellite tournament, this novice was among the least likely candidates to win. His victory proved to the world that anyone can win the WSOP with a little serendipity and a lot of effort.
To learn more about Chris Moneymaker’s WSOP experience and how his victory has affected his life, please read this detailed biography.
Early Years
On November 21, 1975, Chris Moneymaker made his dramatic entrance into the universe. Although he was born in Atlanta, Georgia, he spent the vast majority of his adolescence in Knoxville, Tennessee. Moneymaker, who had an elder sibling and a younger sister, was the middle child.
His father’s employment at a travel agency provided the family with numerous complimentary excursions throughout the years. One of Moneymaker’s most cherished childhood recollections took place during one of these complimentary excursions. It was the first time for the family on a cruise ship. He recalls plotting with his brother and sister to enter the ship’s casino without their parents or security noticing.
They once reached a slot machine and pulled the handle before being escorted out of the casino. Unfortunately, they did not profit from the endeavor.
His mother’s job did not provide free vacations, but it did occasionally provide free alcohol. Due to the fact that his mother’s family owned a liquor store, Moneymaker spent many afternoons working there. He was primarily responsible for cleaning the store and assisting consumers in locating items. After a lengthy day of labor, his grandfather would permit him to break open a lager so that they could share it together.
If he wasn’t working at the family liquor store, he was presumably in the cellar of their home with his brother and their acquaintances.
There, they would play pool, foosball, and even engage in some wagering.
Their preferred game was a dice game created by Moneymaker, which was essentially a watered-down variant of craps. There were three dice and one roller. The
The roller was required to wager on a number between 1 and 6. The roller’s compensation was determined by the frequency with which that number appeared. If it did not appear at all, the bettor would have to forfeit his wager.
When he was younger, he would wager anywhere from a few pennies to a couple quarters. As he grew older, the bet per roll increased to nearly $5. There was never a significant amount of money at stake, but this experience gave him an early taste for wagering. Early on, he also developed a fondness for card games, as he frequently played bridge with his grandmother and roulette with his father.
A Normal Life
After graduating from Farragut High School near the top of his class, Moneymaker received a scholarship to attend the University of Tennessee. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting after devoting six years of his life to his studies.
Soon after graduating from college, he began working as an accountant for a small Nashville restaurant chain. During this period, he also married his long-term fiancée, Kelly. The newlyweds moved to the suburbs to begin their life together, and within two years, they had a lovely baby girl named Ashley.
As a devoted spouse and new father, Moneymaker never contemplated gambling as a profession. Once a week with his friends and occasionally online at PokerStars, he enjoyed playing poker, but that was all the excitement he required. He was generally content with his ordinary existence. His overwhelming credit card debt was the only thing that was causing him frustration.