

In the dash-as a lot as the 2022 World Collection of Poker (WSOP), PokerNews is taking a stare serve at the total past WSOP Main Occasion champions since 2000. The first instalment of this series covered the careers of Chris Ferguson, Carlos Mortensen and Robert Varkonyi, while this version focuses on Chris Moneymaker (2003), Greg Merson (2004) and Joe Hachem (2005).
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Chris Moneymaker: 2003 WSOP Main Occasion Champion ($2,500,000)

Chris Moneymaker went from an accountant to an American household name following his 2003 WSOP Main Occasion raise. He would defeat Excessive Stakes Poker legend Sammy Farha to raise the area’s most effectively-known poker match and bellow the $2.5 million up high.
Moneymaker moreover despatched Phil Ivey, who’s in the intervening time on a excessive-curler hot budge, in memorable vogue. With real ten avid gamers ultimate, Ivey changed into once all-in in effort on the flip with a plump home against Moneymaker’s three-of-a-kind. Moneymaker would boat up on the river to seal the test brand while eradicating the favourite from the match.
While Moneymaker has did no longer add any longer bracelets or seven-figure hauls to his resume, he has peaceful had a occupation many avid gamers dream of. His name is synonymous with the poker boost and helped obtain poker from a backroom sport to a world phenomenon.
Now nearly 20 years on since his victory, Moneymaker has added shut to $1.5 million in live match earnings with his next most energetic cash coming in the 2011 NBC National Heads-Up Championship. He performed 2nd in the match for $300,000, proving he wasn’t real a one-trick pony.
In 2019, he changed into once deservedly inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame and in unhurried-2020 Moneymaker and PokerStars went their separate techniques following a partnership that spanned 17 years.
2003 WSOP Main Occasion Closing Table Results
PLACE | PLAYER | COUNTRY | PRIZE |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Chris Moneymaker | United States | $2,500,000 |
2 | Sam Farha | United States | $1,300,000 |
3 | Dan Harrington | United States | $650,000 |
4 | Jason Lester | United States | $440,000 |
5 | Tomer Benvenisti | United States | $320,000 |
6 | Amir Vahedi | United States | $250,000 |
7 | Young Pak | United States | $200,000 |
8 | David Grey | United States | $160,000 |
9 | David Singer | United States | $120,000 |
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The Moneymaker Enact
Following Moneymaker’s WSOP triumph, the poker landscape changed endlessly. Of us all world broad saw an amateur poker participant overcome one of the dear finest avid gamers in the area to raise a lifestyles-changing quantity of cash. This then impressed a a kind of quantity of folks to obtain up the game of No Restrict Texas Contain’em, which is identified as ‘The Moneymaker Enact‘
At some point soon of the 2021 WSOP Main Occasion, it looked at one point that lightning would strike twice. Moneymaker had conjured up but one more deep dash and changed into once the total chip leader at one stage. He lastly bowed out in 260th space for $38,600 on Day 5 of the match.
Chris Moneymaker’s High 5 Cashes since WSOP Main Occasion Design shut
Date | Obtain-in | Occasion | Plot | Prize |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 2011 | $25,000 | NBC National Heads-Up Championship 2011 | 2nd | $300,000 |
March 2004 | $5,200 | World Poker Tour – WPT Bay 101 Taking pictures Huge name Championship | 2nd | $200,000 |
January 2011 | $10,300 | PokerStars Caribbean Fade Main Occasion | 11th | $130,000 |
June 2019 | $10,300 | partypoker MILLIONS Vegas | Ninth | $80,000 |
August 2009 | $5,150 | 2009 Gold Strike World Poker Originate Championship | Third | $60,110 |
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Greg Raymer: 2004 WSOP Main Occasion Champion ($5,000,000)

One one year on from the heroics of Moneymaker, the sequence of entries in the 2004 WSOP Main Occasion swelled to 2,576, which changed into once larger than three times the sequence of avid gamers from the outdated one year (839). This saw the prize pool balloon to an unparalleled $24,224,400, with first-space taking home $5 million.
Greg Raymer overcame a stacked closing desk, which included avid gamers like David Williams, Josh Arieh and Dan Harrington, to raise the gargantuan one. Sooner than etching his name in the poker history books for all eternity, Raymer, like Moneymaker, changed into once moreover a reasonably unknown participant. He had finest one WSOP cash to his name and real $5,345 in WSOP earnings.
One among the dear arms from Raymer’s aspect highway to riches fable came against Mike Matusow where the ragged would safe a plump double up thanks to a grew to alter into flush. He would safe but one more double with aces quickly after to alter into one among the gargantuan stacks because the Main Occasion reached the closing desk.
Raymer would then run onto knockout 5 avid gamers on the closing desk to raise closing ever WSOP held at the Binions Horseshoe On line casino.
2004 WSOP Main Occasion Closing Table Results
PLACE | PLAYER | COUNTRY | PRIZE |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Greg Raymer | United States | $5,000,000 |
2 | David Williams | United States | $3,500,000 |
3 | Josh Arieh | United States | $2,500,000 |
4 | Dan Harrington | United States | $1,500,000 |
5 | Glenn Hughes | United States | $1,100,000 |
6 | Al Krux | United States | $800,000 |
7 | Matt Dean | United States | $675,000 |
8 | Mattias Andersson | Sweden | $575,000 |
9 | Mike McClain | United States | $470,400 |
Raymer’s all-time live earnings in the intervening time stands at $8,101,540 which diagram he in the intervening time sits in 142nd space in The Hendon Mob all time money record. He made but one more deep dash in the Main Occasion the following one year, finishing in 25th space for a extra a $304,680.
In extra latest times, Raymer picked up a six figure ranking in January 2020, winning the Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) Ameristar East Chicago $1,650 Main Occasion. It changed into once his fifth HPT Main Occasion title, primarily the most anybody has recorded.
He moreover booked his space at the 2023 PokerStars Avid gamers Championship after getting his arms on a coveted platinum pass at closing one year’s Cardplayer Standard of living Blended Sport Festival.
Greg Raymer’s High 5 Cashes since WSOP Main Occasion Design shut
Date | Obtain-in | Occasion | Plot | Prize |
---|---|---|---|---|
Could per chance merely 2009 | $40,000 | World Collection of Poker 40th Anniversary Occasion | Third | $774,927 |
July 2005 | $10,000 | World Collection of Poker Main Occasion | 25th | $304,680 |
January 2020 | $1,650 | Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) Ameristar East Chicago Main Occasion | 1st | $171,411 |
September 2012 | $1,650 | Heartland Poker Tour Main Occasion | 1st | $121,972 |
June 2005 | $1,500 | World Collection of Poker $1,500 No Restrict Contain’em | sixth | $119,450 |
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Joe Hachem: 2005 WSOP Main Occasion Champion ($7,500,000)

The 2005 WSOP Main Occasion persisted the style of manufacturing file attendances, this time setting the bar at 5,619 entries. The prize pool of $52,818,610 changed into once the ideal ever for a single match and the $7.5 million up high changed into once moreover the finest ever match payout.
Joe Hachem grew to alter into the main-ever Australian to raise the Main Occasion after he defeated amateur poker participant Steve Dannenmann in heads-up play. His exploits on the felt impressed a poker boost Down Below, cementing his legacy as one among primarily the most influential WSOP Main Occasion winners of all time.
2005 WSOP Main Occasion Closing Table Results
PLACE | PLAYER | COUNTRY | PRIZE |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Joe Hachem | Australia | $7,500,000 |
2 | Steve Dannenmann | United States | $4,250,000 |
3 | John “Tex” Barch | United States | $2,500,000 |
4 | Aaron Kanter | United States | $2,000,000 |
5 | Andy Dusky | Eire | $1,750,000 |
6 | Scott Lazar | United States | $1,500,000 |
7 | Daniel Bergsdorf | Sweden | $1,300,000 |
8 | Brad Kondracki | United States | $1,150,000 |
9 | Mike Matusow | United States | $1,000,000 |
Hachem went on to possess a glittering occupation in poker, in conjunction with over $5 million in match earnings since his Main Occasion raise. A bulk of that came the following one year where he would run onto raise the WPT Doyle Brunson North American Poker Classic for $2,207,575. Appearances on poker TV exhibits like The Mammoth Sport moreover helped Lebanese-born participant change into a household name for the duration of the tip of the games reputation.
Joe Hachem’s High 5 Cashes since WSOP Main Occasion Design shut
Date | Obtain-in | Occasion | Plot | Prize |
---|---|---|---|---|
December 2006 | $15,400 | WPT Doyle Brunson North American Poker Classic | 1st | $2,207,575 |
January 2012 | $100,500 | Aussie Hundreds of thousands Poker Championship – $100,000 Trouble | Third | $339,726 |
March 2011 | $5,000 | The Mammoth Occasion, Main Occasion | 2nd | $300,000 |
June 2006 | $2,500 | World Collection of Poker $2,500 Short Handed No Restrict Contain’em | 2nd | $256,800 |
June 2019 | $10,000 | World Collection of Poker $10,000 Pot Restrict Omaha – Hi-Lo 8 or Better 8-Handed Championship | Third | $201,041 |

Editor & Live Reporter
Calum has been a ingredient of the PokerNews group since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and straight away fell in fancy with the game. Calum’s proudest poker success is winning the finest match he has ever played in Las Vegas, the accepted $60 Flamingo evening match.