After 17 years, Chris Moneymaker no longer represents the PokerStars brand. The Poker Hall of Famer shocked the poker world with the recent announcement. He says he's ready to move on to something different.
In 2003, Moneymaker won the WSOP Main Event. The historic victory sparked a massive poker boom. He quickly became one of poker's most beloved and important ambassadors. Shortly after being crowned world champion, PokerStars signed him as a Team Pro member.
The poker site and the 2003 world champ would work together for the next 17 years. And that well-publicized relationship was, at least publicly, quite pleasant and mutually beneficial.
Moneymaker famously won an $86 satellite on PokerStars in 2003 for a free entry into the WSOP Main Event. The accountant at the time would go on to win the tournament for $2.5 million, arguably the most important victory in poker history.
Moneymaker then joined PokerStars and used that platform to grow his own brand and promote the game of poker. He traveled all over the world promoting poker, signing autographs, and chatting with fans.
Chris Moneymaker ready to move on
All good things must come to an end, according to Chris Moneymaker. At the end of 2020, he ended his relationship with PokerStars after 17 years. He announced the decision in a brief Twitter video.
Moneymaker has spent much of the past 17 years traveling to various poker rooms, mostly in the U.S., to promote the poker site he represents. However, due to COVID-19, he's spent the past year at home. And he's enjoyed having more time to spend with his family.
So, he decided that he wants to be home more often, which means he must cut out his commitment with PokerStars.
There were no hard feelings between the two parties. They were both cordial on social media, which is to be expected given the length of the relationship. The poker site posted a "thank you" video to Chris Moneymaker.
Moneymaker won't announce his future plans yet. He said on Twitter that he won't go back to his job as an accountant, which he held prior to winning the 2003 WSOP Main Event. But he did tweet about creating a resume.
Poker.org reached out to the former world champ to find out some details about his next move. He said he isn't going to seek work outside of poker. And he said he'll have a "new site announcement in a month." So, we'll all wait and see where he ends up.
Featured image source: Twitter
