 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
With one week until the beginning of the World Series of Poker, The Hand of the Day will be looking at seven of the greatest moments in Series history this week. We start today with the hand that launched a thousand television shows; Chris Moneymaker’s bluff of Sam Farha five hands before the end of the 2003 Main Event.
Moneymaker got Farha to fold top pair in the pot that would ultimately decide it all. If Farha calls, the WPT and ESPN would still have launched their respective popular series, but it was the victory by the relatable amateur with the memorable name that would capture the attention of the world. The logic went that if Moneymaker could qualify on the Internet and win the world championship, so could anyone. It was a remarkable convergence of events.
It was past 2AM when Chris reached for his chips to raise his Ks-7h. Sammy joked “Don’t do it!” to no avail. With the blinds $20K-$40K, Moneymaker’s raise to $100K was a small one. Sammy called and the flop came 9s-2d-6s. Both players checked and the turn came 8s.
Sam couldn’t have liked the turn. Sitting with Qs-9h, he still had top pair, but now he was staring at some very real straight and flush possibilities. He wanted the hand to be done with, and to that end, he bet of $300K into the $210K pot. Chris quietly announced a raise, then did it a second time with a little more emphasis when Tournament Director Matt Savage announced a call. It was $500K back to Farha. He called the bet, adding “We said it was going to be over soon.”
The river was 3h. Moneymaker had missed every draw and there was a cool million in the pot. Farha checked and Chris moved all-in, putting Sam to a decision for his tournament. Sammy didn’t skip a beat; “You must have missed your flush, eh?” he guessed correctly. “I could make a crazy call on you. It could be the best hand.” Despite his efforts though, Farha couldn’t get Moneymaker to give an inch. Finally, convinced there would be better moments, he picked up his hand and threw it into the muck.
Moneymaker exhaled, showing his pleasure at Farha’s decision. The sequence put Farha on tilt, and it was a few hands later that Moneymaker would get the rest of the professional’s chips. Now, we see the wake of that moment in every tournament and television show the game produces. Thank you, dear lord, for Chris Moneymaker.
Gary Wise
gary@wisehandpoker.com
