Chris Moneymaker Wins Enjoy Poker Tour Main Event

Chris Moneymaker is having one in every of his greatest years but on the stay match circuit in 2024. The 48-year-old earned his second title and fourth final-table end of the 12 months on Wednesday, Aug. 7, taking down the Take pleasure in Poker Tour $1,650 buy-in $1,000,000 assured fundamental occasion at Punta del Este. The 2003 World Sequence of Poker fundamental occasion winner earned $179,770 for this newest victory, which can deliver his profession earnings to greater than $7.5 million.

Along with the cash and the title, Moneymaker was additionally awarded 840 Card Participant Participant of the Yr factors. He’ll climb to 59th place within the 2024 POY standings offered by International Poker.

Earlier this 12 months Moneymaker completed sixth in a Moneymaker Poker Tour $500 thriller bounty occasion earlier than taking down a $25,000 buy-in on the Triton Poker Tremendous Excessive Curler Sequence Montenegro pageant for $903,000.

Just a few days faraway from that win, Moneymaker positioned third in a $40,000 buy-in thriller bounty occasion on the similar collection for an additional $311,000.

The Take pleasure in Poker Tour fundamental occasion attracted 657 complete entries, with the highest 83 finishers incomes a share of the prize cash. By the point the ultimate desk was set, Moneymaker had climbed to 3rd chip place behind solely Oscar Alache and Gaspar Fernandez.

Moneymaker survived to the ultimate six after which received a giant pot with a turned straight to maneuver into second place on the leaderboard. He then knocked out Bartolo Belluscio (sixth – $36,260) to proceed his climb. The subsequent huge all-in noticed Moneymaker’s A-J maintain in opposition to the A-2 of Gaspar Fernandez (fifth – $45,315) to slender the sector to 4.

Oscar Alache acquired all-in with A-Ok main the Q-10 of Francisco Benitez. The flop gave Benitez queens and tens, however Alache turned an ace-high straight to regain the lead. The river introduced one other ten, although, giving Benitez tens filled with queens for the win. Alache earned $59,125 because the fourth-place finisher.

Gonzalo Jose misplaced a flip with Ok-Q in opposition to the pocket threes of Moneymaker. Neither participant related with the eight-high runout and Jose was kncoked out in third place ($81,230).

Heads-up play started with Moneymaker holding 11,100,000 to the 8,625,000 if Benitez. He was capable of prolong that lead even additional in time for the ultimate hand of the occasion. Benitez min-raised to 400,000 from the button with 95 and Moneymaker known as with Ok5. The flop got here down 1054 and Moneymaker checked with center pair. Benitez guess 250,000 and Moneymaker known as. The flip introduced the Ok and Moneymaker checked along with his kings and fives. Benitez guess 650,000 and Moneymaker check-raised to 1,400,000. Benitez known as and the river was the 4. Moneymaker moved all-in and Benitez known as off his final 3,500,000. With that the occasion concluded, with Benitez incomes $126,020 because the runner-up.