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The Moneymaker effect

In recent years, the WSOP has become a household name not because of legendary players, but because of the "no-name" amateurs that have taken the title of World Champion.

In recent years, the WSOP has become a household name not because of legendary players, but because of the "no-name" amateurs that have taken the title of World Champion. The most famous poker players in the world -- including legendary gamblers such as T.J. Cloutier, Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Men Nguyen and Amarillo Slim -- have regularly graced the tables of the World Series. Almost all of them have won. But the 2003 champion, Chris Moneymaker, infamously won entry to the WSOP from a $39 buy-in satellite mini-tournament. Moneymaker was inspired to learn poker by the movie Rounders, starring Matt Damon. In turn, he has inspired thousands of others to try their hand at the most exciting and competitive poker tournament in the world.

The winner of the final event at the 2005 Atlantic City Circuit Tournament, Henry Tran, was one of those dreamers. He watched Moneymaker win the main event in 2003, and decided to learn to play poker. He read a couple of books and brushed up on his live game with coworkers. When Tran arrived in Atlantic City, he had only requested two days worth of vacation -- Friday and Monday. At the end of Monday, when he realized he was still in the game, he had to call his boss to request a "personal day."

While these amateur winners are not necessarily considered "lucky," the fact that these players have nowhere near the number of wins that the poker greats have collected speaks volumes. For example, within the World Series of Poker, there are many events leading up to the Championship Event (where the World Champion is crowned). Each event has a winner, and each winner receives a bracelet, arguably the most coveted prize in poker. Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan and Phil Hellmuth each have 9 bracelets, but only Chan and Brunson have won the Championship Event more than once. Over two hundred players have won bracelets throughout the history of the WSOP -- with amateur players like Moneymaker and Tran holding up the bottom of the list with one each.

So it's understandable that professional poker players bristle when they are asked if they consider themselves "lucky." To them, winning poker games requires skill and talent. The luckiest man alive could lose a game of poker to a sucker if he doesn't have the skill to read his opponent and know how to trap him in a series of checks and raises.

For more stories like this, check the official site of the WSOP:

http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/