Chris Moorman Seeks Redemption in the WSOP Summer Solstice
With $13,384,183 in online tournament earnings, making him the biggest winner in the history of the virtual game, and another $4,109,169 in live tournament scores, including a seven-figure win in the 2014 World Poker Tour L.A. Poker Classic, 888poker ambassador Chris Moorman has nothing to prove.
But despite booking 26 World Series of Poker cashes, four final tables, and two runner-up finishes, to the tune of $2,403,469 in WSOP earnings to date, Moorman has yet to secure World Series gold.
These days he finds himself on many of the dreaded "Best Player Without a WSOP Bracelet" lists, and is starting to consider desperate measures to get off of it.
"[Winning a bracelet] would mean the world to me," he told PokerNews. "This is maybe my 10th or 11th World Series and pretty much every year I've had a chance, which is quite hard to do in no-limit hold'em, because the fields are so big.
"I'm starting to think that if it doesn't happen over the next couple of years I'll start playing the mixed games. I don't really want to, but I might have to do it, because I'll only have to beat 100 or 120 players in those things instead of thousand."
Moorman might not have to resort to such a drastic plan just yet, however. After bagging a short stack on Day 1 of the $1,500 Summer Solstice event at the 2016 WSOP, he's had the kind of Day 2 on Tuesday that dreams are made of.
"This has been far better than I thought," he said of the renamed Extended Play event, featuring increased level lengths. "A lot of my friends didn't end up playing because there was the $5K Six-Max the next day, and they didn't want to miss that to play a small buy-in event with 90-minute levels where it's going to take five days to win it all. But I bought in yesterday after the England [football] game, and I'd had a few drinks. Luckily enough, I doubled up early on and was able to focus.
"In the end, I had a really tough Day 1 and finished with just 8,000 chips. It was frustrating, but I just kept myself in it and today, before that big hand against [James] Akenhead, everything I'd touched turned to gold. I've been getting big hands, getting paid off and my bluffs have been getting through. Everything has really gone right today, except for that one big hand, so no complaints."
That particular big hand in saw Moorman double up Akenhead, failing to connect with big slick versus the fellow Brit and former November Niner's queens deep on Day 2.
It knocked Moorman out of the top five on the chip count list temporarily, but certainly didn't knock him off his game.
"At the end of the day, I lost that pot, but I still had nearly 100 big blinds and was still in great position," Moorman explained. "I've seen so many people just give chips away over the last couple of days in this tournament, so it's important to remind yourself of that. You're going to lose pots, you've just got to keep a level head and play your game."
When Day 2 ended, Moorman bagged up 411,500 in chips — good enough for a spot amongst the leaders with under 100 players left from the field of 1,840. Now, he'll be looking to make his new team, team 888poker, a bit more proud.
Moorman's addition to the team at 888poker came just a little over a week ago, and he couldn't be happier with the move.
"888poker has a really good team already, especially with Dominik Nitsche, who has been crushing the past couple of years," Moorman said. "Three bracelets and he's still only 25 or something. I'm really excited. The company seems to be going in the right direction, I'm excited about the ideas they have going forward, and I think they're trying to build poker back up again, which would be great for all of us."
Moorman had a slow start to the Series, finding just one small cash in Colossus II, but as he bobs and weaves his way through the field in the Summer Solstice, heading to the event's third day, he's beginning to believe this could be the start of something big, and few would doubt it.
"This is the first real shot I've had this series so far," he said. "It's actually only the second time I've made a Day 2 and the other was in the $1,500 limit, so it doesn't really count.
"It's really nice to get some chips and build some confidence. I'm happy with where my game's at and it's a long way to go, but hopefully I can keep it going."
Moorman also spoke to PokerNews' Sarah Herring in the video below:
As the 2016 WSOP rolls on, be sure to stay tuned to PokerNews for continued coverage, brought to you by our sponsors, 888poker.
*Online statistics according to PocketFives.com.
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