WSOP Primary Event Champions 2003-05: Moneymaker, Raymer, Hachem

In the run-up to the 2022 World Series of Poker (WSOP), PokerNews is hunting back at all the past WSOP Primary Occasion champions because 2000. The first instalment of this series covered the careers of Chris Ferguson, Carlos Mortensen and Robert Varkonyi, while this edition focuses on Chris Moneymaker (2003), Greg Merson (2004) and Joe Hachem (2005).
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Chris Moneymaker: 2003 WSOP Primary Occasion Champion ($2,500,000)

Chris Moneymaker went from an accountant to an American household name following his 2003 WSOP Principal Occasion win. He would defeat Higher Stakes Poker legend Sammy Farha to win the world’s most well-known poker tournament and claim the $2.five million up top.
Moneymaker also despatched Phil Ivey, who is presently on a higher-roller hot streak, in memorable fashion. With just ten players remaining, Ivey was all-in at danger on the turn with a full property against Moneymaker’s three-of-a-kind. Moneymaker would boat up on the river to seal the verify mark whilst eliminating the favourite from the tournament.
Even though Moneymaker has failed to add any far more bracelets or seven-figure hauls to his resume, he has nevertheless had a profession many players dream of. His name is synonymous with the poker boom and helped take poker from a backroom game to a worldwide phenomenon.
Now practically 20 years on since his victory, Moneymaker has added close to $1.5 million in reside tournament earnings with his next most significant money coming in the 2011 NBC National Heads-Up Championship. He completed second in the event for $300,000, proving he wasn’t just a a single-trick pony.
In 2019, he was deservedly inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame and in late-2020 Moneymaker and PokerStars went their separate techniques following a partnership that spanned 17 years.
2003 WSOP Major Event Final Table Outcomes
Place | PLAYER | Nation | PRIZE |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Chris Moneymaker | United States | $two,500,000 |
2 | Sam Farha | United States | $1,300,000 |
3 | Dan Harrington | United States | $650,000 |
four | Jason Lester | United States | $440,000 |
five | Tomer Benvenisti | United States | $320,000 |
six | Amir Vahedi | United States | $250,000 |
7 | Young Pak | United States | $200,000 |
8 | David Grey | United States | $160,000 |
9 | David Singer | United States | $120,000 |
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The Moneymaker Impact
Following Moneymaker’s WSOP triumph, the poker landscape changed forever. Folks all about the globe saw an amateur poker player overcome some of the greatest players in the planet to win a life-changing quantity of cash. This then inspired a countless amount of folks to take up the game of No Limit Texas Hold’em, which is known as ‘The Moneymaker Effect‘
During the 2021 WSOP Primary Event, it appeared at 1 point that lightning would strike twice. Moneymaker had conjured up one more deep run and was the general chip leader at 1 stage. He sooner or later bowed out in 260th spot for $38,600 on Day five of the tournament.
Chris Moneymaker’s Best 5 Cashes since WSOP Major Occasion Win
Date | Acquire-in | Event | Location | Prize |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 2011 | $25,000 | NBC National Heads-Up Championship 2011 | 2nd | $300,000 |
March 2004 | $5,200 | World Poker Tour – WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star Championship | 2nd | $200,000 |
January 2011 | $10,300 | PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Primary Event | 11th | $130,000 |
June 2019 | $10,300 | partypoker MILLIONS Vegas | 9th | $80,000 |
August 2009 | $5,150 | 2009 Gold Strike World Poker Open Championship | 3rd | $60,110 |
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Greg Raymer: 2004 WSOP Principal Occasion Champion ($5,000,000)

One year on from the heroics of Moneymaker, the quantity of entries in the 2004 WSOP Principal Occasion swelled to 2,576, which was far more than three times the quantity of players from the preceding year (839). This saw the prize pool balloon to an unprecedented $24,224,400, with 1st-spot taking residence $five million.
Greg Raymer overcame a stacked final table, which integrated players like David Williams, Josh Arieh and Dan Harrington, to win the massive one particular. Prior to etching his name in the poker history books for all eternity, Raymer, like Moneymaker, was also a reasonably unknown player. He had only 1 WSOP cash to his name and just $5,345 in WSOP earnings.
A single of the key hands from Raymer’s road to riches story came against Mike Matusow exactly where the former would get a full double up thanks to a turned flush. He would get an additional double with aces shortly after to turn out to be one particular of the massive stacks as the Major Event reached the final table.
Raymer would then go onto knockout five players on the final table to win last ever WSOP held at the Binions Horseshoe Casino.
2004 WSOP Major Event Final Table Outcomes
Spot | PLAYER | Nation | PRIZE |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Greg Raymer | United States | $five,000,000 |
two | David Williams | United States | $3,500,000 |
3 | Josh Arieh | United States | $2,500,000 |
4 | Dan Harrington | United States | $1,500,000 |
five | Glenn Hughes | United States | $1,one hundred,000 |
six | Al Krux | United States | $800,000 |
7 | Matt Dean | United States | $675,000 |
8 | Mattias Andersson | Sweden | $575,000 |
9 | Mike McClain | United States | $470,400 |
Raymer’s all-time reside earnings at the moment stands at $eight,101,540 meaning he at present sits in 142nd place in The Hendon Mob all time income list. He created yet another deep run in the Main Occasion the following year, finishing in 25th location for a further a $304,680.
In much more current instances, Raymer picked up a six figure score in January 2020, winning the Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) Ameristar East Chicago $1,650 Primary Occasion. It was his fifth HPT Principal Occasion title, the most any individual has recorded.
He also booked his place at the 2023 PokerStars Players Championship right after obtaining his hands on a coveted platinum pass at last year’s Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Game Festival.
Greg Raymer’s Prime five Cashes considering that WSOP Main Occasion Win
Date | Purchase-in | Occasion | Spot | Prize |
---|---|---|---|---|
May 2009 | $40,000 | World Series of Poker 40th Anniversary Event | 3rd | $774,927 |
July 2005 | $10,000 | World Series of Poker Principal Occasion | 25th | $304,680 |
January 2020 | $1,650 | Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) Ameristar East Chicago Main Occasion | 1st | $171,411 |
September 2012 | $1,650 | Heartland Poker Tour Principal Event | 1st | $121,972 |
June 2005 | $1,500 | World Series of Poker $1,500 No Limit Hold’em | 6th | $119,450 |
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Joe Hachem: 2005 WSOP Main Event Champion ($7,500,000)

The 2005 WSOP Primary Event continued the trend of producing record attendances, this time setting the bar at five,619 entries. The prize pool of $52,818,610 was the biggest ever for a single tournament and the $7.5 million up prime was also the most significant ever tournament payout.
Joe Hachem became the first-ever Australian to win the Primary Occasion after he defeated amateur poker player Steve Dannenmann in heads-up play. His exploits on the felt inspired a poker boom Down Below, cementing his legacy as 1 of the most influential WSOP Primary Event winners of all time.
2005 WSOP Major Event Final Table Outcomes
Place | PLAYER | Country | PRIZE |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Joe Hachem | Australia | $7,500,000 |
two | Steve Dannenmann | United States | $four,250,000 |
3 | John “Tex” Barch | United States | $2,500,000 |
four | Aaron Kanter | United States | $two,000,000 |
5 | Andy Black | Ireland | $1,750,000 |
6 | Scott Lazar | United States | $1,500,000 |
7 | Daniel Bergsdorf | Sweden | $1,300,000 |
8 | Brad Kondracki | United States | $1,150,000 |
9 | Mike Matusow | United States | $1,000,000 |
Hachem went on to have a glittering career in poker, adding over $5 million in tournament earnings considering that his Primary Event win. A bulk of that came the following year exactly where he would go onto win the WPT Doyle Brunson North American Poker Classic for $2,207,575. Appearances on poker Tv shows like The Huge Game also helped Lebanese-born player grow to be a household name for the duration of the height of the games reputation.
Joe Hachem’s Best five Cashes since WSOP Main Event Win
Date | Purchase-in | Occasion | Place | Prize |
---|---|---|---|---|
December 2006 | $15,400 | WPT Doyle Brunson North American Poker Classic | 1st | $two,207,575 |
January 2012 | $one hundred,500 | Aussie Millions Poker Championship – $one hundred,000 Challenge | 3rd | $339,726 |
March 2011 | $5,000 | The Large Event, Major Event | 2nd | $300,000 |
June 2006 | $2,500 | World Series of Poker $2,500 Quick Handed No Limit Hold’em | 2nd | $256,800 |
June 2019 | $10,000 | Planet Series of Poker $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha – Hi-Lo eight or Greater 8-Handed Championship | 3rd | $201,041 |