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The WSOP Gets Its World Rocked

The Moneymaker era

The year 2003 was a breakthrough for the World Series of Poker. The number of entrants grew to 839, a significant increase, but not the most groundbreaking aspect. The real game-changer was the arrival of a new breed of player: the online qualifier. For the first time, poker players sitting at home in front of their computers, with only a few dollars to spend, could now win a seat at the world’s biggest poker tournament. Online poker sites not only put up their $10,000 entry fee but also paid for their expenses, flying them to Las Vegas and putting them up in hotel rooms, giving them a shot at the world championship of poker. Their dreams could now become a reality.

The arrival of online qualifiers

Land-based professionals scoffed at these amateurs, feeling they were unworthy of even sitting down at the big event, let alone winning it. While amateurs had won the event a few times over the years, these were generally players who had the money to play and were somewhat experienced in land-based poker. Now, young kids with varying experience levels were showing up at the WSOP, sometimes having put down only a couple of bucks to qualify online. Many of these players had never even sat at a real poker table. Pros felt the honor of the WSOP, a competition among the world’s finest poker players, was in jeopardy. They didn’t consider that some of these online qualifiers were quite skilled, as they were about to find out.

Online poker is a different world from land-based poker tournaments. Land-based players might play a tournament every couple of weeks or less often, while online players can play a lifetime of poker hands in a relatively short period. Young online players tended to be well beyond their years in terms of playing experience. Online poker communities sprang up, where the better players shared their experiences and ideas, profiting further from that. By 2003, online poker was in its fourth year, ready to make a bigger splash in the poker world.

Chris Moneymaker’s story

Chris Moneymaker, aptly named, was a descendant of gold and silversmiths in Germany. Working full-time as an accountant and part-time at a restaurant, he played online poker in his spare time. He entered a $39 satellite at PokerStars, with the winner going to the WSOP main event. Luck was on his side, and he won the satellite and his seat.

Even back then, there were significant online tournaments. One might wonder why online players would want to play for a seat at the WSOP when they could play for cash. Competing in the world championship was a fantasy for many, and Moneymaker showed that this dream could come true, spurring online players into a frenzy of WSOP participation in the years to come.

Unlike other world championships, online poker satellite tournaments meant anyone could theoretically become the world champion. Just sitting at the table with some of the world’s best poker players was thrilling enough, but winning was something else altogether. Moneymaker turned this theory into practice and reality.

The impact of Moneymaker’s win

Around this time, the World Poker Tour emerged, and many thought it would overshadow the WSOP. However, they didn’t anticipate the impact of an online part-time player like Chris Moneymaker. His win was significant in inspiring fellow online players to compete, growing the WSOP exponentially. This period became known as The Moneymaker Era.

Online players have regularly won the championship since then, and it’s now surprising when a non-online player wins. Moneymaker was the first, turning $39 into millions and becoming the 2003 World Champion of Poker. Without his win, the World Poker Tour might have eclipsed the WSOP as the premier poker event.

Doyle Brunson lamented that the WSOP had become an anonymous event, moving from a social gathering for a close-knit poker community to one where he no longer recognized faces in the crowd. Despite this, the new popularity explosion at the WSOP and in poker, in general, compensated for any personal regrets. The WSOP’s growth continued at a rapid pace for several years.

Moneymaker’s final table performance

Moneymaker did online poker players proud. His final two opponents were high-caliber players, including world-famous Dan Harrington and experienced pro Sam Farha. Moneymaker played well, maximizing his hands and mixing in well-timed bluffs. In the end, Farha had top pair and got his stack in with Moneymaker, who had two pair. Moneymaker’s hand held up, completing his journey to the pinnacle of poker. He also achieved instant fame and won $2.5 million.

The Moneymaker era not only marked a new chapter for the WSOP but also inspired countless online players, showing that dreams can indeed come true in the world of poker.