Chris Money Maker - What I've learned from Poker

Whatever the future of online poker, Chris MoneyMakers World Series win in 2003 will resonate for years to come. He shares the ups and downs of the last eight years.

..I've always been an act first, make decisions later kind of guy
If a business idea came my way I would always say, "Lets do this" But poker has taught me to be patient and just wait things out. Don't overreact to situations, keep my composure.

..The key to being a poker player is to have a respect for money
exept when your playing at the table. That's whats so difficult about being a poker player. You've got to have very disciplined bankroll management, but whne you do set it aside you've got to be prepared to go broke. That's a tough mindset.

..The only thing I regret is that I didn't play poker and work on my game earlier than I did.
From 2003 to 2007 I could have made so much money, but I didn't play that much. I could probably have trained a chimpanzee to make money back then. I took it for granted that poker players would stay bad. I didn't expect them to get good like they have.

..Winning the World Series was obviously the biggest high I've ever had
but once I'd got down to the final table there was no more pressure. I'd made more money than I thought I would ever make in my lifetime. Real pressure comes when your $4000 into your bookie and you have $2,000 to pay him and you have to double up in a game to pay him.

..The biggest change for me has been getting over my fear of public speaking.
Going into the main event, public speaking was probably my greatest fear in life. I would rather have drowned than go up in front of people to speak. If you watch my ESPN interview with Norman Chad after my win, I don't know what to say, I was petrified. For the first year I'd get butterflies whenever I knew I had to do an interview - even when it was on the phone.

..I sometimes think about how I would do today given the same set of circumstances.
I don't think I would have won the main event if I'd played like I do at the moment, but if I played like I did in todays environment I would never win a tournament. My ignorance of the game back then helped me in certain spots.

..I've learnt to just do what I want to do when I play poker.
I don't need to re-invent the wheel and make a billion dollars. Just be happy with a million and move on with life.

..Pokers taught me to appreciate the things I have.
At first I didn't appreciate the fact that I get to travel the world. You start seeing how people live and you realise how good you have it.

..For a couple of years after I won I was a big kid.
I was really self centred and thought that the whole world reveolved around me. Chris did what Chris wanted to do and when he wanted to do it. If I could meet me as I was ten years ago I would probably kick my ass!

..If I had come second
we wouldn't be having this conversation, id be a footnote.

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