Veteran poker Hall of Famer Chris Moneymaker won $903,000 this week at the Triton Super High Roller Series event in Montenegro.
The $25K No Limit Hold ‘Em tournament was held on Tuesday at the Maestral Resort & Casino in Budva, Montenegro.
Moneymaker, 48, beat out 163 entries to get the top $903,000 prize, taken from a total prize pool of $4.075 million. And not just any entries either – some of the biggest names in the poker world hit the felt at the event.
During the tournament, he survived after falling down to one chip, before beating Brian Kim in the final face-off to seal the top prize.
The $903K comes in as Moneymaker’s second-biggest cash of his career. That’s slotted after his famous $2.5 million victory at the World Series of Poker World Championship Main Event in 2003 and a $250,000 cash at the Luxon Invitational in 2023.
“I wasn’t going to lose today,” said Moneymaker, speaking to Triton Poker after his win.
“I could have put it in with any hand and I would have won. I ran pure.”
The Tournament
Early on during the tournament, Moneymaker was down to one chip, under pressure from Biao Ding. However, on the flop, he got the ace he needed for a pair to beat Ding’s pocket queens.
From there, Moneymaker felt like he was destined for victory. He swiftly rose up the rankings, and hit the final table with a substantial chip lead.
In the final hand against Kim, Moneymaker went with a $300,000 chip lead. His Ace of Clubs and 10 of Clubs met with a 10 on the flop to beat out Kim’s brick of a hand, and the tournament was done.
“I thought to myself, ‘You know what, this is going to be 2003. I’m not going to lose any more hands today,” Moneymaker said.
His 2003 WSOP world championship win famously saw a $2.5 million victory for the previously unknown, blue-collar Tennessee poker fan, who won an online tournament to gain entry. It was a big part of the poker boom of the early 2000s, as thousands tried to emulate Moneymaker’s feat.
“I don’t really play a whole lot of high rollers. But when I do, I enjoy it,” the Hall of Famer said after this week’s victory. “I probably won’t play a ton more. But I’m sure I’ll be back out at a Triton stop. They do a really good job. It’s insane how well they run tournaments.”
The Final Results
| Place | Name | Country | Prize |
| 1st | Chris Moneymaker | United States | $903,000 |
| 2nd | Brian Kim | United States | $609,000 |
| 3rd | Igor Yaroshevskyy | Ukraine | $419,000 |
| 4th | Biao Ding | China | $341,000 |
| 5th | Danilo Velasevic | Serbia | $272,000 |
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
