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Moneymaker, Brown lead World Poker Open final table

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

It's a question for the ages: If a poker tournament happens in the middle of Mississippi and a television camera isn't there to cover it, did it really happen? The short answer is yes, it's happening right now, and two of the world's best known poker pros are leading the final table.

Heading into the final day of play at the World Poker Open, Team PokerStars Pros Chris Moneymaker and Chad Brown are the top of the leader board. And get this. With nine players remaining, the average stack is around 280,000. Brown is sitting on 433,500. Moneymaker? Well, Moneymaker has more than one million. If you couldn't deduce for yourself, that is good for the chip lead by more than double Brown's second place spot.

Though it may not seem like it anymore, there was actually a day when poker tournaments happened without television cameras around the final table. Frankly, it wasn't too long ago. At one time, the World Poker Open was a World Poker Tour event. As we all have seen recently, the WPT has changed what it covers these days, and the World Poker Open at the Gold Strike became just another place you could win a lot of money without the world knowing about it. Team PokerStars Pros Humberto Brenes and Barry Greenstein have both won this event. Daniel Negreanu has made the final table twice.

Now, Moneymaker and Brown are trying to reclaim the title for Team PokerStars Pro on the banks of the Mississippi River.

Good luck to both Pros as they go to work this afternoon.

Update: This evening, Moneymaker and Brown finished third and fourth respectively. Congratulations to them both.

Posted in Chad Brown, Chris Moneymaker, Pokerstars, Team PokerStars Pro, chrismoneymaker, worldpokeropen | Comments Off

WSOP Event #2: Strassmann falls to Moneymaker, Raymer soars

Friday, May 29th, 2009

Johannes Strassmann has become a force to be reckoned with in tournament poker, but he ran into the wrong man at the wrong time costing him his place in the $40,000 No Limit event. That man was Team PokerStars Pro Chris Moneymaker, who soars close to the one million chip mark as a result.

Strassmann, a member of Team PokerStars Germany Pro, has built up $820,000 in tournament winnings in EPT and WSOP events, and was deep here, inside the last 50 players with the money looming at 27th. But Moneymaker is a man rejuvinated, and it would take something special to set him back.

Johannes Strassmann

As it was, the pair were locked in a pot with the board showing Q-6-4. Strassmann led out, and Moneymaker re-popped another 55,000. The German moved all in, insta call, and they were on their backs:

Moneymaker: [ks][kh]
Strassmann: [ac][qd]

Moneymaker waked away, not liking the option of watching the remaining two cards come from the deck. But the turn was a 9 and the river a K - and Moneymaker raked in another 200,000.

"You could'nt bear to watch, hey?" shouted a member of the nearby rail.

"No. If I watch bad things tend to happen," came the reply, as Moneymaker stacked up the goods.

Greg Raymer

Also happy right now are Greg Raymer and Vanessa Rousso. Raymer shot through the million mark by busting Huck Seed and then Chad Batista soon after. Seed pushed from the button once too often with [6c][7c]. Raymer pondered, then made the call with [kh][9d], which held up. "I had to call," said the Fossilman. "He'd been pushing with so many hands."

The 2004 WSOP champ then accounted for Batista. The pair saw a flop of [2d][3h][jd] and Batista pushed with [kd][7d] for the flush draw to Raymer's [8h][8c]. Nothing changed and Raymer moved up among the chip leaders.

Rousso, meanwhile, found the golden double up she'd been waiting for when her [ks][4h] overtook fellow short-stack Bruno Fotoussi's [ad][qc] - and then doubled again with 10-10 v A-K to take her to 360,000 on the dinner break.

Vanessa Rousso

When they come back, blinds will be 6,000-12,000 (1,000). With just 45 players left, the average stack is 548,000 - just 45 big blinds. Tournament staff say the plan is to play four more levels after dinner, or down to 18 players, whichever comes first.

Posted in $40K No Limit, 2009, 2009worldseriesofpoker, Pokerstars, World Series of Poker, chrismoneymaker, johannesstrassmann | Comments Off

WSOP Event #2: I’ve got the monkey off my back, says Moneymaker

Friday, May 29th, 2009

Chris Moneymaker's superb run during day one of the $40,000 no limit yesterday impressed not just because of his chip count (805,000), but for the manner in which he got there. Since we watched in awe when he won the WSOP main event in 2003, he'll be the first to admit his form since has been patchy.

Now, in a typically modest interview with the PokerStars Blog, Chris Moneymaker has revealed he understood and came to accept what the shortfalls in his game were - and has been working hard to improve them. And yesterday's performance showed just how far he'd come.

"I've been working on my game on PokerStars a lot because whenever I get chips in a tournament I play too fast and bluff them off. It was a real bad habit, so it's one key thing I have been working on - trying to slow down.

"I think I am better early in a tournament, but that counts for nothing when I would get too excited and play when I shouldn't, which meant I would get into bad spots. When the blinds get bigger and the antes are out there, I would think, 'Wow, look at those chips', and go after them when I shouldn't.

"As I said, that got me into bad spots and I'd lose my chips and momentum - and when I did that I had a second problem with my game... tilt. That's something else I've been working real hard on, and these kinks in my game are something I think I have got rid of now.

"I have a lot of fans, but I know I have a lot of knockers, too. You have to expect that, and they don't bother me. I feel I am a good player, and now that I have tried to improve further I think I can do well here. I've been really looking forward to this World Series because of that."

There was so much expectation on Moneymaker after he won the Main Event that he felt it contributed to the bad points in his game - being too aggressive and then tilting when things started to go wrong.

"Yes, winning the WSOP did create a monkey on my back for a while. But I learnt to live with that, and now I have tried to improve, I think it's gone and I can just let my poker do the talking."

He had some tough tables yesterday, facing off against the likes of fellow Team PokerStars Pro Barry Greenstein and Ireland's Andy Black. And today he kicks off with another tough one, sitting alongside the likes of Doyle Brunson and Ted Forrest.

"But, hey, it's a $40,000 event - so it's bound to be tough," he said.

We said in yesterday's blog that Moneymaker was looking like a man who means business, and now we know he's been working on his game so much, we can see why he is so full of confidence.

You can follow his progress in day two right here today - and Chris will also be updating his Twitter page as often as he can.

Posted in $40K No Limit, 2009, 2009worldseriesofpoker, News, Pokerstars, World Series of Poker, chrismoneymaker | Comments Off

WSOP Event #2: Team PokerStars Pro Chris Moneymaker storms day one

Friday, May 29th, 2009

Chris Moneymaker was the guy who did more than any other player to set off the online poker boom, winning the 2003 WSOP Main Event after qualifying for just $39 on PokerStars. Since then he has been desperate for another big WSOP win, and this might just be his time.

At the close of day one of the $40,000 No Limit Hold'em tournament, Moneymaker bagged up 805,000 in chips, just 7,000 or so behind leader Bruno Fitoussi. His rise up the chip ladder had not been down to some huge series of double ups, instead he increased his stack steadily, right up until the close of play when he was still re-raising and taking sizeable pots as a result.

Chris Moneymaker

While he must feel elated tonight - although knowing there's still a long, long way to go, with 89 of the 201 starters still in the hunt - Vanessa Rousso is delighted just to be in the table draw for tomorrow. She'd slid down to 60,000 or so and got all in with 8-8, which to her great relief was good on a board showing J-K-2-K-Q. With that she was bagging up just minutes later with 165,500 chips.

Finishing high in chips, just breaking the 600,000 barrier, is Team PokerStars Holland Pro player Lex Veldhuis, while Team PokerStars Pro Greg Raymer will be back with 213,000 (the chip average is 271,000), ahead of John Duthie, Humberto Brenes and Johaness Strassmann.

Greg Raymer

Those we lost include ElkY late on, Daniel Negreanu, Joe Hachem, Barry Greenstein, Gavin Griffin, Ivan Demidov, Peter Eastgate and Dennis Phillips.

We'll have the full official chip counts up when we get them, but in the meantime reporting restrictions mean we can go with the unofficial top ten only:

Bruno Fitoussi, 812,500
Chris Moneymaker, Team PokerStars Pro, 805,000
Emil Patel, 615,000
Lex Veldhuis, Team PokerStars Holland Pro, 606,500
Justin Bonomo, 570,000
Michael DeMichele, 550,000
Kyle Wilson, 520,000
Brian Townsend, 512,000
Alan Sass, 440,000
Matthew Marafioti, 415,000

We'll be back for day two of this four-day event tomorrow, when we'll also be keeping an eye on the start of event #3, the Omaha Hi-Low Split 8 or Better $1,500 event, which Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu has said he plans to enter.

Posted in $40K No Limit, 2009, 2009worldseriesofpoker, Pokerstars, World Series of Poker, chrismoneymaker | Comments Off

WSOP Event #2: Moneymaker mission

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

Chris Moneymaker has the look of a man who means business. In fairness, he's had that look from the moment he sat down on the WSOP main event final table six years ago before going on to take the $2.5 million title, all for an initial outlay of just $39 on PokerStars. He's been desperate to pick up another bracelet since then, and he's in good shape to have a run at it here.

As the remaining 150 players returned from dinner on day one of the $40,000 No Limit Hold'em event, the Team PokerStars Pro sat third in chips with 415,000. And much of it had to do with a man called Jesus.

Chris Moneymaker

On a board of [jd][9h][8s] Moneymaker bet 9,000. Fellow Team PokerStars Pro Humberto Brenes called, but then Ferguson moved all in for 71,000. Moneymaker dwelled briefly but made the call, Brenes folded:

Ferguson: [10h][10s]
Moneymaker: [10c][jc]

Moneymaker had Jesus in a world of pain, and the turn and river blanked out to give him the pot. Soon after the return from dinner, he dropped 35,000 but is still in the chip-lead mix.

Top ten chips at the start of level 7, blinds 1,000-2,000 (300), 149 players left:

Antonia Esfandiari, 470,000
Justin Bonomo, 470,000
Matthew Glantz, 400,000
Chris Moneymaker, Team PokerStars Pro, 380,000
Bruno Fitoussi, 367,000
Andy Black, 343,000
Lex Veldhuis, Team PokerStars Holland Pro, 330,000
Mark Seif, 330,000
Isaac Haxton, 324,000
Ted Forrest, 315,000

******

By now many of you will be following the PokerStars Blog on Twitter. Today, and throughout the World Series, many of our Team Pro players will be updating their progress - or lack of - on their own Twitter page.

You follow Vanessa Rousso, Daniel Negreanu, Barry Greenstein and Peter Eastgate, while Terrence Chan is also Tweeting from the $40,000 event.

Posted in $40K No Limit, 2009, 2009worldseriesofpoker, Pokerstars, World Series of Poker, chrismoneymaker | Comments Off

All Star Week: Pros revel in their comeback

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

If the Team PokerStars Pro players hadn't done something good last night, they might well have just given up. The All Star Challengers had jumped out to a 7-3 lead on Day 2 of PokerStars All Star Week and didn't look to be giving up.

When Day 3 arrived, Team Pro had to step up. That was exactly what they did. Winning four out of five matches, Team PokerStars Pro brought the score to 8-7 in favor of the Challengers. You can read all about it on the All Star Week Day 3 report.

Among yesterday's winners was 2003 World Series of Poker champion Chris Moneymaker. The man they call "Money" won a two and half hour match against bluffblocker last night for the final victory of the day.

"This competition is great. It pits Team Pro against the top online players in the world. Not only is it entertaining to those involved, PokerStars gave everyone a shot to have an interest in the matches," Moneymaker said after his win. "With the FPP tourneys people played in, it gave them a chance to vote for a winner and possibly win."

Moneymaker with fellow Team Pro Joe Hachem

Moneymaker gave a lot of credit to bluffblocker after the match.

"After about 15 minutes, I knew my match was going to be a long one unless a cooler took place," Moneymaker said. "Bluffblocker was a great opponent and was very good about not paying off value bets or getting stuck in hands."

Team PokerStars Pro will attempt to take the overall lead today in a series of five more matches. You can watch them beginning at Noon ET under EVENTS -- SPECIAL in the PokerStars Tournament lobby.

Good luck to all the players.

Posted in All Star Week, Pokerstars, allstarweek, chrismoneymaker | Comments Off

PCA 2009: The Post-Modern American Dream Revisited

Tuesday, January 6th, 2009

I would not have a job in poker if it were not for Chris Moneymaker. In fact, there are several hundred players in today's event that would not be here in the Bahamas if it were not for Chris Moneymaker.

The eternal flame of the American Dream has dulled to a tiny flicker. Millions of lost souls found themselves sleepwalking through life, unexcited about the things, the places, and the people around them. That was until a mild mannered accountant from Tennessee by the name of Chris Moneymaker became the focal point of the gambling world. You know the Cinderella story: Moneymaker won a seat in the 2003 WSOP via a satellite on PokerStars and parlayed a $33 investment into $2.5 million.

Chris Moneymaker revitalized the American Dream. Underneath the bright lights of downtown Las Vegas, Moneymaker's run at the Horseshoe Casino in May of 2003 captivated an international audience as he busted poker greats such as Phil Ivey and Humberto Brenes. Moneymaker survived an epic heads up battle against local high roller Sammy Farha, which gave poker players at home something that had been absent from their lives for a very long time... hope.

In physical appearance, Moneymaker looks like any guy in your home game. He was clad in a PokerStars branded golf shirt and hat and wore sunglasses as he stared down the slick and cool Sammy Farha, clothed in an expensive black dinner jacket and his trademark unlit cigarette dangling from his lips. ESPN's cameras caught one of the greatest bluffs of all time from Moneymaker. It's moments like that which rattled the competitive juices inside everyone who watched. Moneymaker represented the average Joe Sixpack online poker player and he took down a Vegas shark in Farha.

Witnessing that epic feat gave thousands of other players encouragement to sit down and take a shot at the big time. Moneymaker was the snowball that launched an avalanche of online poker. Instead of working dead end jobs, today many college kids have found unique ways to generate money on the side. One of those alternative means of support is online poker. Raised in the video game age, most of the members of Generation Y easily adapt to the fluidity of online poker. Just ask ElkY, who won last year's PCA. The Team PokerStars Pro from France moved to South Korea to become a professional gamer before he made the transition into online poker.

Even though there's money on the line, poker still a game to the bulk of twenty-something players that make up most of the field in the PCA. Generation Y is also heavily influenced by television so it's no surprise that episodes of the World Series of Poker were a contributing factor to poker's popularity, particularly in the 18-35 year old demographic.

While poker's popularity was boiling over in America, the rest of the world started to catch the poker bug. When John Duthie launched the European Poker Tour, the tournaments were an instant hit. Right away, it was evident that poker was just not an American fad because players from all over the world were just as fascinated and enraptured.

Chris Moneymaker is often listed as one of the primary causes of the 21st century's poker boom. It's not so much a boom as a viral infection or an epidemic and if you play online poker or participated in the EPT, LAPT, or APPT, then you'll see the Moneymaker Effect in full force on a global scale. Poker players from the farthest corners of the world used to have to fly into Las Vegas to get their shot at fame and glory. These days, some of them do not even have to leave their own country. Alas, the Moneymaker Effect has rippled all over the globe with the expansion of a three international PokerStars sponsored tournament series and the upcoming launch of the Russian Poker Tour.

At the start of Day 1B of the PCA, Moneymaker found tennis legend Boris Becker sitting to his left. Poker's popularity in Germany is surging so it was not unusual that Becker would also catch the poker bug. Becker made an early departure from today's field and he was replaced by PokerStars sponsored player Maria "Maridu" Eduarda Mayrinck. The young Brazilian player is a perfect example of the latest wave of poker enthusiasts. Not only are more females participating in poker, but there's also an influx of other South American players.

The Post-Modern American Dream has been exported around the world as poker experienced a boom on the international scale. Poker is just not for Americans sitting around in kitchens chomping down on stale cigars and sipping cheap whiskey. Now we have Scandis wandering around through the tournament area in garish hoodies, punters from the UK sporting their favorite football jerseys, and young Americas compulsively clad in designer sunglasses and flat-billed hats.

Only a few years ago the American Dream had been flickering on the verge of extinction, but thanks to Chris Moneymaker... five and a half years after his monumental victory in Las Vegas, the dream is a raging inferno in the Bahamas.

Posted in 2009 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, 2009pca, Day 1B, Pokerstars, chrismoneymaker, pca | Comments Off

2009 PCA: Day 1B Early Musings

Tuesday, January 6th, 2009

I love to stroll the aisles in the early levels of the opening flights of a major tournament like the PCA. There's a collective buzz and energy in the Imperial Room that will slowly dissipate as the tournament progresses. You also get a glimpse of the weird and eccentric players which comprise a major tournament.

Here's what I noticed on my last lap of the room...

- There's a random guy sitting with a large suitcase behind him. I have yet to determine if he recently arrived moments before the tournament began and did not check in yet... or... if he was preparing for an early exit on Day 1B.

- Tournaments can be festive affairs. Aside from the guy in the Cookie Monster outfit, there's another guy with dyed pink hair and another guy sporting a fake dreadlocks. Jah, mon!

- Allen "Chainsaw" Kessler and WSOP bracelet winner Dan Heimiller are two Las Vegas pros that don't get much attention. They are true grinders more out of the Joey Knish variety. Heimiller and Kessler are seated at the same table. Chainsaw was snacking on a slice of pizza with an entire box sitting on his lap.

- Former bracelet winner Kathy Liebert and the 2008 PCA champion Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier are seated at the same table.

- Joe Sebok and high stakes cash games guru Eli Elezera are tablemates. Elezra regularly played in the Big Game in Las Vegas with Sebok's father Barry Greenstein.

- Former EPT Champion Brandon Schaefer drew the same table as wunderkind Stevie Chidwick.

- And then there's the Team PokerStars Pros table that includes Noah Boeken, Dario Minieri, and Alexande Gomes.

- The massage girls are out in full force and have their hands fully occupied. Among those getting worked on? Victor Ramdin, Jeff "Happy" Shulman, Isabelle Mercier, and Jean-Robert Bellande. Poker players have it tough.

- Former tennis pro Boris Becker was sipping a Red Bull in between folding hands. Becker is sitting at the same table as Chris Moneymaker. If you polled all the participants in the PCA and asked them who was more recognizable, Moneymaker or Becker, without a doubt Moneymaker would win hands down. The majority of people (and media) in the Imperial Ballroom are here because of the Moneymaker Effect. Somewhere back in the States John McEnroe is reading our coverage on PokerStars Blog and screaming at his laptop, "You can't be serious!!!"

- And take a peek at the latest video blog from Victor Ramdin titled "Victor Ramdin Poolside..."

Watch PCA 09: Victor Ramden Poolside.... on PokerStars.tv

Posted in 2009 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, 2009pca, Day 1B, Pokerstars, chrismoneymaker, pca | Comments Off

2008 World Series: Moneymaker grinding after hours, no more today

Thursday, July 10th, 2008

Our spies in the Palms poker room sent over this story this morning...

Day 2 of the World Series is always a tough day. Regardless of age, nationality or gender, most people find it pretty gruelling to sit at a poker table, for ten hours at a stretch, with more than $9 million at stake - and stay focused and on the ball.

Day 2B of the World Series main event - which, with nearly 2,500 starters, had a much larger field here than Day 2A - was particularly arduous. You grind away and every time you look at the screen, there are STILL hundreds of players left in.

So you would think that once the day finally ends most survivors would be heading straight to their rooms to get some well-earned shut-eye before doing it all over again on Day 3.

Most people, yes. But not Team PokerStars Pro Chris Moneymaker. At the end of Day 2B, Chris bagged and tagged his $40,000, then headed straight to the No Limit room at the Palms where he handed over $500 and plonked himself down in Seat 1 at the $1-$3 table.

The rest of the table - almost exclusively players who had already bust out of the main event - were gob-smacked. Is the guy nuts? Or simply a poker phenomenon? Chris seemed totally unphased by the attention. He chatted for a bit, posed for photographs, signed some autographs, won three hands in a row - and then moved over to the $2-$5 table where a seat had just come up.

Chris finally left the room at around 3am, with what looked a load more chips than he'd started with.

So you would think that might be the end of his poker until he got back to the Rio today. But no. At 11am this morning, Chris was at the tables yet again, spinning it up in a $15-$30 cash game on PokerStars.

***

By noon today Chris was in the Amazon Room of the Rio, where he both hoped and expected to spend at least 13 hours playing cards. Alas, it is not to be.

Miuntes into the start of play today, Chris Moneymaker had his chance to double up, gtting AJ in against 9T pre-flop. Does it matter if it was a nine or a ten on the flop? Well, it was a ten, and Chris Moneymaker is done at the World Series for another year.

In other Team PokerStars Pro news, Vanessa Rousso managed to double up her short-stack at the start of play, while Noah Boeken has already found the door, his top trips falling to a full house.

That leaves us with John Duthie, Vanessa Rousso, ElkY, Hevad Khan, and Victor Ramdin. Ramdin is running hot at the moment and looks good to make a deep run today.

Posted in 2008 World Series, 2008 World Series, Chris Moneymaker, Main event, Pokerstars, chrismoneymaker | Comments Off

2008 World Series: Moneymaker back on TV

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

By our count, five former World Series champions remain in the field of the 2008 World Series of Poker. Among these players are Team PokerStars Pros Joe Hachem and Chris Moneymaker. Hachem, as mentioned here, is sitting in a quiet dark corner, quietly plotting to chip up before day’s end. Moneymaker, however, does not have such a quiet place for reflection. His day started and continues to be on the ESPN featured table, in front of the cameras, under the lights, and with everyone at the table gunning for him.

Moneymaker seems to be in a good place this week. He’s dropped some pounds, spent a lot of time with his family, and when playing poker (even just for fun in the Palms poker room), he seems happy. It’s not always as easy under the lights, though. After he limps, it’s a raise, and a re-raise before it gets back to him. His cards get to the muck quickly, and when the next bet is an all-in, Moneymaker literally reaches over his shoulder and pats himself on the back.

His constant sweater, aka his father, sits in the stands watching every move. When Chris turns to find his bottle of water empty, his father stands and brings a fresh one. These guys have been together at the World Series since that fateful night five years ago when Chris turned his $39 PokerStars satellite entry into $2.5 million. Now, Dad sits by while his son tries to create another storybook tale.

The past hour could’ve been better for Moneymaker. After limp-folding in the hand before, Moneymaker once again limped, but this time, after getting raised to 3,200, Moneymaker fired back a raise for 7,500 more. A smooth call came in, followed by a flop of Kd9dTh. Moneymaker put 11,000 in the middle and his opponent pushed all-in for 55,000 more. With not a hint of a smile, Moneymaker folded. He put his sunglasses on top of his head, put his head down on the table, and tried to stare under the bill of his opponent’s cap.

The crowd laughed appreciatively and a railbird called, “Good fold, Chris!”

The next time, it fails to go as well. Moneymaker got AKo all-in pre-flop against aces for a 40,000 pot. He picked up a gutshot draw on the flop, but bricked twice. He walked back over to his dad, talked for a bit, then returned to the table, flipping his 50-chip ante into the pot with a sigh. It wasn’t his best level of the tournament, but he’s still in good shape.

In other news, Hevad Khan, Victor Ramdin, and ElkY are all doing well today and sit with more than 100,000 chips.

Finally, the PokerStars Video Blog team caught up with EPT commentator and PokerStars-sponsored player Kara Scott at the break.

Watch WSOP 08: Kara Scott Day 2b Chat on PokerStars.tv

Posted in 2008 World Series, 2008 World Series, Chris Moneymaker, Main event, Pokerstars, Video Blog, chrismoneymaker, videoblog | Comments Off

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Archive for the ‘chrismoneymaker’ Category

Moneymaker, Brown lead World Poker Open final table

WSOP Event #2: Strassmann falls to Moneymaker, Raymer soars

WSOP Event #2: I’ve got the monkey off my back, says Moneymaker

WSOP Event #2: Team PokerStars Pro Chris Moneymaker storms day one

WSOP Event #2: Moneymaker mission

All Star Week: Pros revel in their comeback

PCA 2009: The Post-Modern American Dream Revisited

2009 PCA: Day 1B Early Musings

2008 World Series: Moneymaker grinding after hours, no more today

2008 World Series: Moneymaker back on TV