Chris Moneymaker is an American poker player best known for winning the 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event.
His victory is particularly notable because he qualified for the tournament through an online satellite event, turning a $39 entry fee into a $2.5 million prize.
Moneymaker’s win is often credited with sparking the “poker boom” of the early 2000s, as it demonstrated that amateur players could compete and succeed at the highest levels of the game.
His success inspired many others to take up poker, both online and offline.