Chris Moneymaker Debuts WSOP Vlog

7-time WSOP gold bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu is the pioneer among big poker names creating WSOP vlogs. Since then, a number of others have joined the ‘vlog game’. This year, Czech high-stakes player known for his “lively” table presence Martin Kabrhel started his own series. Soon after, a true legend of the game, the namesake of an entire era of poker history, Chris Moneymaker uploaded his first WSOP vlog as well.

Moneymaker’s historic feat of turning an $86 satellite ticket into the $2.5 million first prize in the WSOP Main Event in 2003 inspired a global poker boom.

This was referenced in the title of his first vlog, “I Turned $90 Into $2.5M Winning The World Series Of Poker - Can I Do It AGAIN?”. However, this was quite a bit of clickbait by the poker legend — he enters no low-buy-in satellite in his inaugural vlog. 

Early Tournaments

The video dropped on Wednesday, June 3rd. In it, Moneymaker shows his first experience with a badugi tournament, playing in the $1,500 event in the unique draw poker game. As he had shown us in his legendary 2003 WSOP Main Event victory, inexperience is not something that can easily stop him: he ended up coming in 12th place out of 554 entries, and cashed for $7,095.

In the $1,500 6-handed NLHE event, Moneymaker fell victim to a meme: his opponent decided to call his all-in pre-flop with ♣6♣7. Despite being far ahead by holding ♦K♠K, and another player also being in the pot with pocket Jacks, Moneymaker ended up busting as the board brought running 7’s on the last two streets. However, the hero was level-headed about the run-out, saying “That is just part of poker, you don’t want to ever discourage someone to do that with 6-7” in his vlog.

Moneymaker also took a slight little jab at fellow WSOP vlogger Daniel Negreanu. After retrieving a selfie stick from his hotel room, he quipped that he could now throw it if he wanted to, referring to an incident at the $250,000 Super High Roller event at the 2022 World Series where Negreanu chucked his selfie stick away in anger after being outdrawn in an all-in pot.

Encounters with Mike Matusow and an unlucky GGMillion$ run

At the $1,500 Omaha mixed event, Chris Moneymaker was drawn to the same table with another big name, Mike ‘the Mouth’ Matusow. He did not seem to be in a good mood, and was giving the novice vlogger a hard time for wearing the jersey for the US national team. 

Despite the FIFA World Cup being hosted in the United States for the second time this year, Matusow’s distaste for the sport did not subside. Moneymaker, on the other hand, showed in his video the vast number of national team jerseys he bought. 

He donned the shirt of Mexico for the $10,000 GG Million$ NLHE event. However, it did not bring him any luck, as he got eliminated early after going all-in preflop with AK against pocket Aces.