AS VEGAS (May 24) - It was only fitting that an accountant named Moneymaker woul d put down $40 and
ultimately walk away with $2.5 million and the title of champ ion Saturday in the 34th annual World Series of Poker. Known to his friends as ``Money,'' Chris Moneymaker, 27, also became the first p erson to win the prestigious tournament by qualifying on the Internet. ``I got lucky along the way,'' Moneymaker said. ``I bluffed a lot during this to urnament, but somehow I got away with it.'' Players and experts said Moneymaker's win will revolutionize poker, solidifying the merger of the Internet and big-name casinos and boosting the game's populari ty. ``This is the sonic boom of poker,'' said Nolan Dalla, media director for the Wo rld Series of Poker. ``This means anyone in their home can become a poker player .'' Amid cheers of ``Go Money,'' the Spring Hill, Tenn., resident faced off against Ihsan ``Sam'' Farha in a final round that began Friday afternoon and ended early Saturday, at Binion's Horseshoe Hotel & Casino. After seven other players had been eliminated, $2.5 million in cash was placed o n the green-felt table and the final hands were dealt. Moneymaker, with his meta llic wraparound shades, clutched a small crystal in his hand for good luck. Farh a of Houston, Texas, had an unlit cigarette in one hand and a tiger figurine by his side. The game was No-Limit Texas Hold'em, in which the players are dealt two cards ea ch and share up to five additional cards that lie face up on the table. Moneymaker drew a five and a four to Farha's jack and ten. After the dealer laid out a jack, a four and a five on the table, Moneymaker sto od holding two pairs to Farha's pair of jacks. Without knowing Moneymaker's cards, Farha wagered it all - more than $1 million in chips. Moneymaker matched the bet and watched the dealer draw the final shared cards, a n eight and a five. The cards gave him a full house (three fives and two fours) and the victory. He threw up his fist and hugged his father, Mike Moneymaker of Knoxville, Tenn. ``I saw the four-five come up and I think my heart did a double-take,'' said the younger Moneymaker, who said he only began playing poker three years ago. In his first ``live'' poker tournament, Moneymaker beat a handful of former Worl d Series of Poker champs, including Dan Harrington, who was at the final table a nd finished third with $650,000. The tournament began Monday with a record-breaking 839 players. A surge in onlin e gambling and a rise in the game's popularity drew dozens of unknowns and a 33 percent increase in attendance over 2002. For more than five weeks, Binion's had been a hub of excitement as players who c ouldn't afford the $10,000 buy-in vied for spots in the final by winning side to urnaments with entry fees as low as $50. Of the 839 players, only 63 paid the bu y-in price.
Others, like Moneymaker, qualified on such sites as ParadisePoker.com, ultimateb et.com and PartyPoker.com. Moneymaker, a father of a 3-month-old girl, was among 37 players sent to the tou rnament after paying $40 and qualifying at PokerStars.com. Dan Goldman, vice president of marketing for PokerStars.com, credited Moneymaker 's win to his natural card sense and the experience he gained while playing onli ne. ``We've proven that people who play on the Internet are just as good as those wh o play in casinos,'' Goldman said. The other players at the final table were: Amir Vahedi, a professional poker pla yer from Southern California; Tomer Benvenitsi, a Las Vegas resident and expedit ion tour guide; David E. Singer, a professional player from Mamaroneck, N.Y.; Ja son Lester, Wall Street investor from New York City; Young Pak of Bainbridge, Wa sh.; and professional gambler David Grey. Moneymaker, who donated $25,000 of his winnings to cancer research, said being a n unknown worked to his advantage. ``I was a little underestimated because no one knew who I was,'' he said. ``If I can win it, anybody can.''
