poker

LAS VEGAS -- Chris Moneymaker is widely credited as the catalyst of the American poker boom, his rise from unknown amateur to unlikely World Series of Poker champion unleashing a flurry of interest in the game.

The former accountant from Nashville won his $10,000 buy-in to the 2003 Main Event by winning an online tournament with a $40 entry fee. He bested a field of 829 with a mix of bluffs, luck and unrefined skill, knocking out such poker luminaries as Phil Ivey and Dan Harrington at the final table on his way to the $2.5 million first-place prize and coveted bracelet.

ESPN cameras caught every moment of the drama.