Christopher Moneymaker was born November 21, 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia and is widely recognized as the biggest reason for the poker explosion. Chris Moneymaker as an amateur poker player won the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event as a virtual unknown. Moneymaker's victory was a tremendous boost to poker reaching the masses as a sport because it taught the world that anyone could make money playing poker if the win a tournament even if that person is not a pro. Chris Moneymaker was working as a Tennessee accountant when he won a seat into the WSOP main event by winning a $39 satellite tournament on PokerStars, a popular online poker room. Chris Moneymaker $2.5 million win put him into the media spotlight and when it was revealed that this was his first live poker tournament the story exploded. 
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His autobiography, Moneymaker: How an Amateur Poker Player Turned $40 into $2.5 Million at the World Series of Poker was published in March 2005. His last name, Moneymaker, which added to the attention he received, is his true last name of German origin.
Chris Moneymaker success could be compared to a band making a one hit wonder. Since his win, Moneymaker has had almost no poker accomplishments. He is often referred to as being a fluke and many players use Moneymaker as joke, though his contribution to the sport of poker will never be forgotten.
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