TUNICA, Miss. (Monday, March 2, 2015) — Poker’s Chris Moneymaker is coming to Hollywood Casino Tunica for the Hollywood Poker Open. Anyone who even casually follows poker knows the story of Chris Moneymaker, the one-time accountant who would one day enter an online poker tourney that would take him on a journey to the World Series of Poker Main Event. There, a win over a large field of seasoned poker pros and a $2.5 million payday turned him into an overnight celebrity and helped fuel an explosion in the popularity of poker.
“I always like playing at home,” Moneymaker said, who played in Tunica poker rooms long before he became famous. He said the Tunica event is a great opportunity for players in the area. “The Hollywood Poker Open is a way for the average player to play in well-structured tournaments. In other tournaments structures get really fast. The HPO has more level structures with a big buy-in feel. Fees are lower, players are friendly as well, and the customer service is great.”
The year was 2003 and his WSOP final table duel with second-place finisher Sammy Farha would seal his life-changing victory and link them together forever in poker lore. While the two are joined together in history, they aren’t palling around with one another.
“After I won, he (Farah) didn’t speak to me for six years,” Moneymaker said, in an interview with Jackpot! Magazine. “Then, a rematch was arranged a few years later in a best-of-three, straight up. I beat him again.”
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| Chris Moneymaker |
The best-of-three event was a Poker Stars “grudge match” during the 2011 World Series of Poker.
“A few years later,” Moneymaker continued, “We were at a charity event and spent some time together that evening – pro and rookie. He said it was amazing how much I had improved. I really appreciated that.”
Getting the compliment from Farha means a lot to Moneymaker. Farha has made a fortune through his wins in many tournaments and has a knack for winning bracelets in World Series of Poker Omaha events. His second-place finish to Moneymaker in the Texas Hold’em 2003 WSOP Main Event was good for $1.3 million.
Moneymaker’s live tournament winnings exceed $3 million. Some of his best poker moments since his 2003 win, he said, include his experience on the “Heads Up” TV series finals on NBC, where he finished second to Poker Hall of Famer Erik Seidel and the World Poker Tour Shooting Stars event in 2004, where he finished second for a big $200,000 payday.
Moneymaker’s poker success since 2003 has come with some challenges, however. His celebrity status after 2003, with network television exposure and appearances on the “Late Show with David Letterman” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” made him something of a marked man at the poker tables. Imagine going from playing as an anonymous player to playing as the WSOP Main Event Champion – someone everyone knows. It’s something Moneymaker had to handle. “Seven to 10 years ago my game wasn’t advanced enough to handle it but I’m comfortable that everyone knows who I am,” he said.
Even though the championship win was more than a decade ago, it is rare for Moneymaker to meet someone in the poker world who doesn’t know or recognize him. “I ran across a guy in Prague who didn’t know who I was,” Moneymaker recalled. “It was really unusual.”
With the passage of time since his biggest win, Moneymaker now has something else to adjust to: A new generation of fans. “People will come up to me, and say, ‘I was 11 when you won, #legend,” and I’ll say, ‘Come on now, I’m still in my prime. I’m 39!”
Moneymaker has some advice for younger casual players and want-to-be professional poker players. “It’s really difficult to be a professional tournament poker player,” he said, explaining that the win percentages are low. He advised, “It takes a lot of patience. You have to wait for your spot and have the patience to do it.”
“It also takes great bankroll management,” he added, “And once you hit the table, a good memory helps. You have to be able to read people. It’s more about observance than following the patterns – simple observance. You’ll see things.”
Moneymaker is an ambassador for the Hollywood Poker Open and meets a lot of people along the way in his role. He’ll be at the tables some, playing in the main event and no doubt taking pictures with fans and signing autographs.
“I always like playing at home,” Moneymaker said, who played in Tunica poker rooms long before he became famous. He said the Tunica event is a great opportunity for players in the area. “The Hollywood Poker Open is a way for the average player to play in well-structured tournaments. In other tournaments structures get really fast. The HPO has more level structures with a big buy-in feel. Fees are lower, players are friendly as well, and the customer service is great.”
The third season of the Hollywood Poker Open (HPO) is underway at Hollywood Casino Tunica through March 8 for big money and chances to win seats to the HPO Championship Event at the M Resort in Las Vegas.
In the HPO Feature Events at Hollywood Casino, winners will receive an HPO trophy, additionally the player with the highest point total (leaderboard) from the feature events (including the Main) will receive a seat in this year’s HPO Season 3 Championship
at the M Resort, June 26-28. The winner of the HPO Regional Main Event will also receive a $2,500 entry into the HPO Season 3 Championship at the M Resort in in June.
Remaining events and feature events (listed in red) at Hollywood Casino Tunica are:
No. 11 - Monday, March 2, 12 p.m., Satellite (Guaranteed Seat Event No. 12), buy-in is $70.
No. 12 - Monday, March 2, 3 p.m., NL Hold’em Deepstack, buy-in is $235.
No. 13 - Monday, March 2, 7 p.m., No Limit ($2,000 guarantee), buy-in is $125.
No. 14 - Tuesday, March 3, 12 p.m., Satellite (Guaranteed Seat Event No. 15), buy-in is $70.
No. 15 - Tuesday, March 3, 3 p.m., NL Pot Limit Omaha, buy-in is $235.
No. 16 - Tuesday, March 3, 7 p.m., No Limit ($2,000 guarantee), buy-in is $125.
No. 17 - Wednesday, March 4, 12 p.m., Satellite (Guaranteed Seat Event No. 18), buy-in is $70.
No. 18 - Wednesday, March 4, 3 p.m., NL Hold’em Deepstack, buy-in is $235.
No. 19 - Wednesday, March 4, 7 p.m., No Limit ($2,000 guarantee), buy-in is $125.
No. 20 - Wednesday, March 4, 12 p.m., Satellite (Guaranteed Seat Event No. 21), buy-in is $70.
No. 21 - Thursday, March 5, 3 p.m., NL Hold’em Deepstack Flight A, buy-in is $300.
No. 22 - Thursday, March 5, 7 p.m., NL Hold’em Deepstack Flight B, buy-in is $300.
No. 23 - Thursday, March 5, 10 p.m., Turbo Satellite (Main Event Seat Guaranteed), buy-in is $125.
- Friday, March 6, 12 p.m., Mega/Restart Flights.
No. 24 - Friday, March 6, 1 p.m., NL Hold’em Deepstack, buy-in is $300.
No. 25 - Friday, March 6, 3 p.m., Mega Satellite (Main Event Seat Guarantee), buy-in is $235.
No. 26 - Friday, March 6, 5 p.m., Turbo Satellite (Main Event Seat Guaranteed), buy-in is $125.
No. 27 - Friday, March 6, 7 p.m., Mega Satellite (Main Event Seat Guarantee), buy-in is $235.
No. 28 - Friday, March 6, 10 p.m., Turbo Satellite (Main Event Seat Guaranteed), buy-in is $125.
No. 29 -Saturday, March 7, 10 a.m., Mega Satellite (Main Event Seat Guarantee), buy-in is $235.
No. 30 - Saturday, March 7, 12 p.m., HPO Regional Main Event, buy-in is $1,115.
No. 31 - Saturday, March 7, 5 p.m., Ladies No Limit Hold’em, buy-in is $125.
No. 32 - Saturday, March 7, 7 p.m., No Limit ($2,000 guarantee), buy-in is $125.
No. 33 - Sunday, March 8, 11 a.m., Seniors No Limit (age 50 and older), buy-in is $235.
- Sunday, March 8, 12 p.m., Main Event Restart.
No. 34 - Sunday, March 8, NL Hold’em Deepstack, $235 buy-in.
Visit hollywoodpokeropen.com for more details or call the casino at (800) 871-0711.
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