Chris Moneymaker

I've been watching the heads-up championship and watching Moneymaker play confirms what I've always thought. He's not a great poker player, not even a good one, just a lucky one. JMO

He seems to do okay on Pokerstars (or 'did' okay.. in MTT play).
So in that NBC HU championships, do they show all hands played?

Oh goodness no. They have 4 tables running simultaneously and one feature table. On the feature table they show a few hands, but the focus is more on personality and background. They occasionally zoom over to a side table for all-in action. Lots of charming exit interviews.

I'm taping the series and watch when I can. In all fairness, as the field narrows I expect they will show more hands played. Last year the semis and final were pretty good.

I OPR'd Moneymaker's ID (Money800), to get an idea of his online history:

95.86% 2007
99.94% 2008
47.65% 2009
99.87% 2010

Yeah, he had kind of a sucky year in 2009, but otherwise he's way ahead of the curve.

I really don't understand why everyone loves to bash Chris.

Sure, he isn't the best out there, but I tell you something he's in the very short list of poker players who are profitable ones. People always say "He luck boxed the WSOP Main Event"

Now, first off - EVERYONE has to get lucky in these tournaments to win. End of. No one can win on skill alone. So, now we have that out the way, you still say how much he sucks.

Lets have a look at his live results,


2003 WSOP $10,000 Main Event May 2003 1st $2,500,000

WPT Bay 101 Shooting Stars $5,500 Main Event March 2004 2nd $200,000

2004 WSOP $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha May 2004 10th $21,000

EPT London £5,200 No Limit Hold’em September 2007 17th $24,480

PokerStars WCOOP $10,300 No Limit Hold’em September 2008 6th $139,635

PCA Main Event January 2011 11th $130,000

National Heads-Up Poker Championship March 2011 2nd $300,000


Now, explain to me why these results are so bad? Are you telling me you would classing yourself as a bad player and lucky donk for cashing in these? I don't understand your logic, it seems you are like everyone else who wants to jump on Chris, makes no sense. Everyone always says bad stuff about his play and how lucky he is etc. If these was anyone elses results, no one would say anything, why is it CHRIS everyone says it about?

Now, lets go to his online earnings.

So, UNLIKE many good live players he has a positive ROI% with nearly 100k in prizes. So yeah he must run good and be lucky to turn over a positive ROI with 2500 tournaments played, right?


I have a question for you. Do you even know why you think he sucks or is just a luck box? Are you like a sheep who has to follow what everyone says and actually have no idea what your going on about? Is it because you want people to reply to say "yeaha, I agree" just because it seems normal for everyone to bash Chris.

Lets also not forget one thing, you most like 80% of other players who call chris this and that woulden't even be playing if it wasn't for him.

So please...christ people like you annoy me. What do you want from him? He's a profitable player over a good sample of live/online tournaments what the hell more do you want? Do you want him to be a losing player online like most live "pros" or what?

e's not a great poker player, not even a good one, just a lucky one. JMO < < As for that comment. Yeah I can imagine you could teach him a few things or too eh? Not even a good one, just pure luck. Hell, why not put all your money from savings/house or whatever and play him over a decent sample size and bust him? Or not maybe? I'm guessing you would most likely back out because even if you played 100k games he would still be catching his cards to bust you or something?

How on earth can a part-time player (probs smallish stakes like me) dare have the cheek to even say someone playing the stakes he does he sucks and isn't even "good". Don't even say his play confirmed what I always thought, you maybe saw a few hands of his whole life of playing poker lol.

My comment might of come across a bit abrupt and rude but I'm sick to the back teeth of hearing all this garbage from people about how someone is so bad and lucky and actually have no idea what they are talking about.

It's usually directed at Chris and I have no idea why, everyone slates him all the time for no good reason! Anyone in the world could boost about scores like this, Chris for some reason can't no one likes him, yet the results are very respectable in my opinion.

The only people in the world who can say someone is a bad player or not even good is someone who is actually better than him and can post better results online/live like him. Not very many can, only the Ivey's, Daniels etc and I think you have a cheek to even call him when you most likely haven't even earnt 0.0001% of the money he has. I think you're very disrespectful too.

I'm sorry if I have offended you, but I don't like people who bash other people without good reason.

I think it all boils down to what other people say about people. If a million people are saying someone is bad, then everyone tends to believe them. Try having your own mind and don't become a sheep!

ps: Headsup has the most varience etc. I'm guessing if the hands you watched were the exact same hands as Chris and played exactly the same way you would be saying "how great he played" if that person was Phil Ivey.

Rant over.

Confirmed total fish

Nice read ...

Question to OP, so if they only show a few of the hands played, how can we make an accurate assumption of the player's ability? I mean for any decent player they'd understand there are metagame things goin' on.. & without having seen other hands played it's pretty difficult to assess one's skill level (ie. what hands lead up to the hand that was captured for televised viewing audience).
fwiw, I have pokerprolabs 'topshark' (tournamentshark) attached to all tables I'm playing (&/or 'observing)& recall seeing Moneymaker deep in one of the HSMTT on Stars & was actually kinda surprised to see he had decent stats. (many poker site 'pros' don't have the greatest of online MTT stats.,.....I think he had profit of over $150k if I'm not mistakin'.. which is better than a fish obv.) I could check again... if he were playing that is... lol.

i think he is a way below avg. player compared to the pros but am not surprised at all that he has a profitable roi online. i'm sure he capitalizes on the fish who are trying to make moves on him because of his name and also using his "luckbox" reputation against people who don't respect his game. his live earnings are pretty terrible, if you account for the cost of buyins and travel expenses he would have paid if not for his sponsorship he would have been broke a while ago. not a fan or a hater of him but i think showing his live cashes isn't a fair way to gauge his skill level, there are members here that would have put up similar or better numbers if given his sponsorship deal imo. i think he catches a bad rap for someone who has done a great job marketing the game and being a decent payer who holds his own for the most part.

I Cant believe you guys shit on a player thats won more in the last 5 years then you will make ever..Its such jealousy.

Really? Cuz I kinda doubt this. I mean the guy plays regularly in stuff like the $1,000 SuperTuesday so I kinda doubt that there's a bunch of fish tryin' to make moves on him in it.
His avg. buyin in MTT's on Stars is $256.23 (< not really too fishy of games) & he's played 2,584 mtt's, with an ROI +24%, Profit of $162,108 (not 'winnings'.. but 'profit'). That's far from great amongst the online MTT players but it's also far from bad imo.
Some of his bigger cashes are:
6th in $10,000 WCOOP-05 nlhe (Aug.2008) $139,635.00
3rd in $1,000 SCOOP-05-'H' PLO 1R/1A $55,257.00
1st in Wed. QuarterMillion ($300buyin) (Nov.2009) $46,875
5th in WCOOP-16 $215 PLO 1R/1A $28,665
4th in $1,000 SuperTuesday (Dec.2009) $28,462

In $1,500 avg. buyin HU Sng he's got a +ROI% (250'ish games played).

I an another who cannot understand how people keep on slating
Chris Moneymaker and saying he is a bad player who has just been lucky.

It is impossible to win the WSOP by being a bad player who has a lucky run.

I agree he is not the greatest player who ever lived but give the guy a break, he has won the WSOP and millions of dollars.

On top of that he seems a genuinely nice guy, I would much rather sitting at a poker table with him than Phil Helmuth or Tony G anyday.

If that's luck, I wish I had just a fraction of it.

Seriously though, there's part luck involved in any gambling game but the numbers presented here must mean something skill wise.

I agree with everything except the bolded part. My answer is there. I agree that Chris is very good and a heck of a lot better than 99% of the people that bash him.

he is good poker player but i dont think he is the best in the field i think that andrew ropel and allan bosquit is the headsup spasailest
there is alot of luck in headsup tournemnet more than cash games that dosent show how good the player is the best poker player is the cash game spacialest

he does just fine for himself... i hope to someday have half his bankroll.....

i find he is so over-rated its ridiculous.the guy has no idea after flop how to play.

chris moneymaker might be the reason why im playing poker
hes the example for me and he made a good career
i usally watch him on TV and see him in videos

i think so me too... and others like gold and danneman are not great poker player but they were lucky....

Hell, I'll take luck over skill everytime,,,can't even tell how many times I have the beat hand with all my chips in the pot and lose.....it's alot more than when I win...just saying I have lousy luck !!

I can't comment on if C.M. is good or not. I have watched him play online and he seems decent enough. What I do know is that he gets heckled by watchers mercilessly and needlessly.

Even if you think he can't play and it's all luck, it's like making fun of someone because they won the lottery. Why do it?

I'm sure when Chris soaks in his jacuzzi, pops open some Cristal to relax, the first thought on his mind is, "How come beantownmaniac doesn't respect my game?"

well between Moneymaker and Varkonyi ... this is why most of us got into it ... these guys were not impressive players, but they won and let's face it ... IMO, most any of us on this board could win the big one

let's put it this way ... u got a way better chance of winning the WSOP than winning the lottery ... even if you are only an above average player