More than two decades after igniting the poker craze with his victory in the 2003 World Series of Poker main event, Chris Moneymaker reclaimed the spotlight by clinching the championship at the 2024 Triton Poker Super High Roller Series Montenegro $25,000 GG Million$. Besting a field of 163 contenders, the 48-year-old seized both the coveted trophy and the top prize of $903,000.
This triumph marked the third largest payday in Moneymaker’s illustrious career, trailing only his $2,500,000 main event win and the $2,030,000 he earned for finishing fifth in the 2023 $250,000 Triton London Luxon Invitational. With this victory, the esteemed Poker Hall of Famer has amassed nearly $7 million in lifetime tournament earnings.
Confident in his play, Moneymaker remarked to Triton reporters, “I wasn’t going to lose today. I could have put it in with any hand and I would have won. I ran pure.” Reflecting on key moments, he noted, “I hit a three-outer, a six outer. I thought to myself, ‘You know what, this is going to be 2003. I’m not going to lose any more hands today.’”
In addition to the substantial cash prize and title, Moneymaker secured 1,092 Card Player Player of the Year points, marking his second POY-qualified score of the year. His recent achievements include a sixth-place finish in a $500 mystery bounty event at the Moneymaker Poker Tour Palm Beach stop and a notable sixth-place position in the ACR Poker Venom online event, where he earned $382,007.
The event drew a sizable crowd, creating a prize pool of $4,075,000 distributed among the top 27 finishers. Notable players who cashed include Aram Oganyan, Nick Petrangelo, Patrik Antonius, Phil Ivey, Hossein Ensan, Justin Saliba, and Byron Kaverman.
At the final table, Moneymaker entered as the chip leader with Biao Ding in second position. Isaac Haxton exited in ninth place, followed by Morten Klein in eighth. Subsequent eliminations featured Lewis Spencer and four-time bracelet winner Adrian Mateos, with Brian Kim emerging as a formidable opponent.
Moneymaker surged into the chip lead after doubling up against Kim, ultimately facing him heads-up. The final hand saw Moneymaker clinch victory with top pair, top kicker against Kim’s valiant effort. Kim secured the runner-up spot, adding $609,000 to his earnings.
With this triumph, Moneymaker reaffirmed his enduring prowess in the poker world, securing his status as one of the game’s legendary figures.
Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at the final table:
| Place | Player | Earnings | POY Points |
| 1 | Chris Moneymaker | $903,000 | 1092 |
| 2 | Brian Kim | $609,000 | 910 |
| 3 | Igor Yaroshevskyy | $419,000 | 728 |
| 4 | Biao Ding | $341,000 | 546 |
| 5 | Danilo Velasevic | $272,000 | 455 |
