In 2003, Chris Moneymaker, an amateur player, won the World Series of Poker, besting 838 entrants. His payoff was $2.5 million dollars. He set off a poker boom. Moneymaker’s win said to players, “I can beat the pros.” The next year, a semi-pro, Greg Raymer, defeated more than 2,500 entrants and pocketed over $5 million. The explosion had begun. Online poker sites proliferated. Televised tournaments and, especially, the hole card camera further enhanced poker’s popularity. It built the reputation of many pro players who emerged from the shadows. In 2018, there were almost 8,000 competitors at the WSOP and the winner was paid $8.8 million. It’s quite a story and is now referred to as the “Moneymaker Effect.”
By Howard Hian