Chris Moneymaker on Heater at Rock “N” Roll Poker Open
Chris Moneymaker is having himself quite the time down in South Florida. The 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event champ has been down at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for the Rock “N” Roll Poker Open (RRPO) and thus far it’s been a profitable visit.
Just over a week ago, Moneymaker jetted down there for his namesake Moneymaker Tour, which offered players a shot at a $30,000 Platinum Pass for a low buy-in of just $86. The tournament drew 957 hopefuls and for a while it looked as if Moneymaker was going to win his own event. Of course, if he had, the Platinum Pass would have been awarded to the runner-up.
Moneymaker: "I put a lot of work in to improve my game and to get up with the current times and try and be competitive."
Instead, it was Moneymaker who would finish in second place for $8,135 while Andres Risquez won the once-in-a-lifetime package to the PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC) in The Bahamas.
“It’s been awesome. I mean, it’s been a really fun tour. It’s been very relaxing,” Moneymaker told RRPO officials. “I mean, everybody having a good time. You know, poker is supposed to be enjoyed and this whole tour is about enjoyment. It was just easy to play poker where everybody is having a good time. There’s not any pressure. It’s just a game.”
A few days later, Moneymaker redeemed himself by winning the Feeding South Florida Charity Event, a $300 buy-in tournament that drew 89 runners. More than $14,000 was raised for charity, and in addition to cash and prizes, players were competing for a $30,000 PokerStars Platinum Pass.
Since he was ineligible to win that prize, the Platinum Pass went to runner-up Esteban Garcia. For his victory, Moneymaker won $3,000 cash and a $5,250 SHRPO prize package.
Charity Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Moneymaker | $3,000 + $5,250 SHRPO entry, 4-night stay, dinner for two |
| 2 | Estaban Garcia | $2,000 + $30,000 Platinum Pass |
| 3 | Jorge Aristizabal | $1,400 + $3,500 entry, dinner for two |
| 4 | Harold O’Brien | $1,100 + Hard Rock AC 4-night stay |
| 5 | Nagui Yass | $800 + Ferragamo wallet, $200 gift card |
| 6 | Jack Sumner | $700 + Ferragamo wallet, $200 gift card |
| 7 | Antonio Arencibia | $600 + Michael Kors wallet, $200 gift card |
| 8 | Rick Levy | $500 |
| 9 | Kimberley Kusser | $400 |
| 10 | Aaron Allen | $300 |
Two Trophies in Two Days
As if winning the Charity Event wasn’t enough, Moneymaker turned around and topped a 96-player field to win the RRPO Event #2: $360 Omaha 8-or-Better for $9,136 the very next day.
“I win a lot of mix tournaments,” said Moneymaker. “When I play mix, I generally do pretty well. I won several mix tournaments online in New Jersey, I won Monte Carlo and I really enjoy mix.”
Moneymaker attributes a lot of his recent success to a new approach to the game. Earlier this year, he signed up with Chip Leader Coaching where he’s receiving lessons from 2015 WSOP champ Joe McKeeheen.
"For a long time, I took the game for granted."
“It’s just been so different,” Moneymaker told RRPO officials of the game today. “It’s just not the same as it was. I mean, I put a lot of work in to improve my game and to get up with the current times and try and be competitive. For a long time, I took the game for granted, I fell behind the times and I just said ‘you know, I need to continually work on my game or this game’s not going to be there for me 15 years from now.'”
Official Event #2 Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Moneymaker | $9,136 |
| 2 | Perry Klein | $5,472 |
| 3 | Claudangelo Beaudouin | $3,456 |
| 4 | Georges Boyadjian | $2,232 |
| 5 | Scott Brooks | $1,728 |
| 6 | Zachary Milchman | $1,368 |
| 7 | Monte Adler | $1,152 |
| 8 | Charles Jacoby | $1,008 |
| 9 | Daniel Brown | $914 |
Images courtesy of Seminole Hard Rock and Image Masters
