LAS VEGAS (AP) — It was only fitting that an accountant named Moneymaker would put down $40 and ultimately walk away with $2.5 million and the title of champion Saturday in the 34th annual World Series of Poker.
Known to his friends as "Money," Chris Moneymaker, 27, also became the first person to win the prestigious tournament by qualifying on the Internet.
"I got lucky along the way," Moneymaker said. "I bluffed a lot during this tournament, but somehow I got away with it."
Players and experts said Moneymaker's win will revolutionize poker, solidifying the merger of the Internet and big-name casinos and boosting the game's popularity.
Moneymaker, who donated $25,000 of his winnings to cancer research, said being an unknown worked to his advantage.
"I was a little underestimated because no one knew who I was," he said. "If I can win it, anybody can.