https://twitter.com/CMONEYMAKER/stat...93129371389954
But looks like it might have been his decision.
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https://twitter.com/CMONEYMAKER/stat...93129371389954
But looks like it might have been his decision.
Thought he would be a lifer.
According to a brief post by Moneymaker in the 2+2 thread about it, he claimed he chose on his own to quit, and that a renewal offer was on the table.
Moneymaker was the last original "Pokerstars Pro" to leave the company. In general, he's well liked throughout poker, as he has a reputation for being nice, humble, and accessible. Even at the peak of his fame, he was never arrogant.
Chris agreed a few months ago to come onto PFA Radio, but it never quite happened. Maybe I'll approach him again.
He has had some gambling issues over the years, including a weird dispute with fellow poker player Jason Young, where it appears both were trying to freeroll each other in a bet, without realizing the other's circumstance. (However, I'll say that Moneymaker had a clear income coming in, so he was less likely to ultimately stiff than Young.)
Anyway, Moneymaker was a great ambassador for Pokerstars and a very positive face for poker, and this definitely ends an era there.
I'm a little surprised but not too much.
It's likely Pokerstars offered him a shitty ass deal or wanted more from him with travel which nobody is doing much of now and he declined.
He will have plenty of sponsor options, esp in the midwest once casinos come back again (well, if they ever so).
Truly an end of an era tho.
I was at the 2003 WSOP playing the cash games. The final event was played upstairs in Benny's Bullpen (the old bingo room). There was a big screen downstairs so cash game players could watch what was happening upstairs. I was in a cash game when Chris won it.
There were 839 entrants that year. I remember when it was all over a couple of dealers came walking by me. One said "I wonder how many they'll get next year." The other said "probably over a thousand." But Moneymaker's win drew big attention worldwide. The next year there were 2,576 entrants in the final event. The poker boom was on. I remember the line to register ran from Benny's Bullpen down the escalator, out the door, and down the street. That's when I thought the WSOP was getting to big for the Horseshoe.
As I was "there" April 2003, Binion's....I was under the Impression $makr was Under a Life time contract with pokerstars...
Can we ask him ?
I'm a little surprised but not too much.