Moneymaker-esque Story Emerges from Inaugural Moneymaker Poker Tour Stop

From May 10-24, the Moneymaker Poker Tour made its inaugural stop at the Palm Beach Kennel Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Over the course of 21 events, the stop catered to 2,677 entrants and awarded $1,416,840 in prize money.

The first stop for the new poker tour created by Chris Moneymaker and Moneymaker Executive Manager Tony Burns also provided plenty of satellite opportunities, including several with an $86 buy-in – the same satellite buy-in amount Moneymaker parlayed into a 2003 WSOP Main Event entry en route to the victory that revolutionized the game.

Among those to claim titles during the series were Raminder Singh, who won Event #16: $186 Moneymaker Mega Stack NLH, and David Shmuel, who won back-to-back tournaments by winning the first-ever Moneymaker Tour trophy in Event #2: $300 H.O.R.S.E, before he claimed another piece of hardware the very next day as he emerged victorious in Event #3: $300 Omaha 8/B.

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Mike Rossi Wins Moneymaker Main Event in Familiar Fashion

The marquee event of the series was the $2,500 Moneymaker Main Event – a five-day tournament with a $500,000 guarantee and a live-streamed final table.

The Main Event amassed 262 entrants over three starting flights to generate a $589,500 prize pool and was ultimately won by Mike Rossi of Tampa, Florida. Rossi navigated a final table that included reigning GPI Player of the Year Stephen Song and overcame a three-to-one deficit to defeat two-time WPT champion James Carroll in heads-up play.

Rossi multiplied his previous biggest live win by a factor of nearly 20, according to The Hendon Mob. In a story similar to the tour’s namesake, Rossi earned his entry through a $90 online satellite offered on America’s Cardroom, evoking memories of an amateur accountant turning a small investment into a big score.

Another aspect to add to Rossi’s magical win was the fact that it came exactly 20 years to the day since Moneymaker’s Main Event triumph. Inspired by Rossi’s relatable run, Moneymaker and ACR CEO Phil Nagy decided to sweeten Rossi’s experience even further by gifting him a $10,000 WSOP Main Event ticket and a $100,000 Triton London package to extend his extraordinary journey.

Moneymaker Main Event Final Table Results

100-Year-Old Eugene Calden Claims a Trophy

On May 14, Event #5: $500 Moneymaker Mulligan NLH saw 25 players battle it out on the felt for a $10,750 prize pool paid out to the top three finishers.

The event was won by 100-year-old World War II veteran Eugene Calden. The centenarian has numerous live poker results on The Hendon Mob dating back to 2010 when he was but a young 87-year-old player.

The Moneymaker Tour will also be sponsoring Calden into the WSOP Main Event where he is set to become the oldest-ever participant in the World Series of Poker. Calden would surpass Jack Ury who last played in 2010 at the age of 97, and who poker fans may remember for a good-natured slowroll caught on camera during the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

Event #5 Final Table Results

Zhen Cai Takes Down Moneymaker Kickoff Event

The series began with the $500 buy-in Moneymaker Kickoff with six starting flights and a $250,000 guaranteed prize pool along with some live-streamed action.

The opening event was won by Zhen Cai, who claimed the trophy and $55,158 following a three-way deal with Marc Levy and Roberto Bendeck. Cai added the five-figure score to his poker résumé which includes a sixth-place finish in the 2019 WSOP Main Event for $1,850,000.

Moneymaker Kickoff Final Table Results

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Moneymaker Poker Tour Winners

Next Stop

_{*Images courtesy of the Moneymaker Tour.}