Moneymaker, by Chris Moneymaker

Moneymaker, no doubt a suitable title for a poker book written by anyone who has managed to win the main event at the World Series Of Poker - undisputedly so, for a bookwritten by someone who won his seat into the main event of the 2003 World Series through a $39 sattelite tournament at the PokerStars online poker room, and then went on to win the whole thing. That Moneymaker happens to be the authors last name as well, is of course pure coincidence, but it couldn't be more fitting… The rest is history, and Christopher Bryan Moneymaker, the 27-year-old 2003 winner of the World Series Of Poker, quietly traded his job as an accountant comptroller, for the life of a traveling poker pro, while famous players such as Johnny Chann, Dan Harrington, and finally Sam Farha found themselves outplayed, and outdrawn by the new kid in town. The main event that year became the start of something that would change the dynamic of the World series forever, the “Moneymaker effect, which has seen player numbers rise from 839 participants in the 2003 main event, to 7319 players at the main event of 2010, in spite of the $10000 buyin. Chris Moneymaker’s autobiography, Moneymaker: How an Amateur Poker Player Turned $40 into $2.5 Million at the World Series of Poker was published in March 2005. This book isn't a strategy guide and it won't improve your play. I have included it here as more of a motivational tool. The reasons should be obvious to anyone: Chris Moneymaker went from never having played a "live" poker tournament, to knocking out the top pros at the 2003 World Series Of Poker. He did luck out quite a bit on his way to winning the title as World champion, but then again, it's impossible to win a poker tournament without a tremendous amount of luck to accompany one's skills. The important thing is that he did win, and although many previously unheard of online players have won the WSOP since, he was still the first person to show that anyone with a bit of skills, luck, and determination can do well even at such a prestigious tournament. It's possible that Chris Moneymaker doesn't come across to you as being a particularly skilled poker player, but read his book anyway. It is fascinating reading. You'll especially enjoy the play-by-play at the final table. I highly recommend it. Helene Jangenfält