Chris Moneymaker Talks About Upcoming Hollywood Poker Open Championship$2,500 Buy-In Event Starts Friday and Features Generous Structure and $500,000 Guarantee |
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The Hollywood Poker Open Championship kicks off this Friday at the M Resort Spa Casino. The $2,500 buy-in event, which features a $500,000 guarantee, will close out the third season of the HPO tour.
In 2014, the event drew a field of 692 entrants, creating a total prize pool of $1,560,450. Eventual winner Simon Deadman picked up $351,097 for the victory. This year, the HPO believes they’ll get close to the $2 million mark.
Leading the way for the players is HPO ambassador Chris Moneymaker, who has been a tour representative for the last two seasons. The 2003 World Series of Poker main event champion will be in Las Vegas for the event and is confident that the rest of the poker world will join him for what promises to be a fun tournament.
Card Player: What do you think separates the Hollywood Poker Open from some of the other tours out there?
Chris Moneymaker: We really listen to our players and then react to what they want to see out of the tour. The first year that we ran the Hollywood Poker Open, we had a price point that we realized was probably a little too high, so we listened to the players and lowered the buy-ins. Our structures are better than anybody else out there and our fees are lower than our competitors. The bottom line is that you get more bang for you buck and I think the players appreciate that.
I also think that if you go out to some of these other events, the players are kind of treated like cattle. They take your money and push you right on through. If you come out to our events, you’ll understand really quickly that we don’t do things that way. I think we do a good job of showing our appreciation to the players and putting out a good product, which is why I’m happy to put my name on it.
Card Player: Why do you enjoy playing on the HPO tour?
Chris Moneymaker: I go to all of the regional stops and play in all of the main events. My first season with the tour was season 2, and every year we’ve been able to grow the fields at each stop. I think there’s a lot more relaxed vibe on the tour. At some of these other tours, it’s all business. The players are very serious, tense and it’s not very fun. But with the HPO, we attract the players who are out to enjoy themselves. These aren’t grinders, these are the weekend warriors who still love to play the game and are looking for an opportunity to play in a great event. It’s a blast.
Card Player: It seems like a lot of good players are coming up from regional tours like the HPO these days.
Chris Moneymaker: Definitely. With the absence of online poker in most of the United States, these smaller regional tours are really the only way for beginning tournament players to build a bankroll and start to make a name for themselves. The best part about our events is that because our structures are so good, I think newer players can come in and experiment and learn without having to take a shot at some of the bigger buy-in stuff out there. They can get the experience of playing in a big event without blowing their whole bankroll.
Card Player: What’s surprised you the most about the poker world over the last ten years?
Chris Moneymaker: A lot has changed about the game in the last decade, but I’m impressed with how good the players have become during that time. The average player today would have been a top player back then. The demographics have changed as well. Back then the average player was in their 50’s and weighed 250 pounds. Now, the players are basically young athletes with personal trainers looking out for their nutrition. Who would have ever thought that would happen?
Card Player: The poker boom is named after you. Do you feel a responsibility to be an ambassador and to always promote the growth of the game?
Chris Moneymaker: I wouldn’t call it a responsibility. It’s cool that some people named it after me, but to be honest, I wasn’t very comfortable with it at the beginning. I was so nervous after I won the main event that I didn’t want to speak in front of anybody. But having been an ambassador for so long, I think I grew into the role and sometimes I actually like it more than actually playing poker. I usually get more of a kick from doing appearances and charity events than tournaments.
Players can buy-in directly or participate in single table satellites with buy-ins of $100 or $300. The M Resort Spa Casino will also be hosting four mega satellites for $235, a $555 Seniors Championship event and two additional no-limit hold’em tournaments. Take a look at the full schedule. Also be sure to check out the main event structure.
Players who wish to stay at the M Resort Spa Casino are eligible for a rate of $125 per night between June 25-28. Call 1-866-986-9929 and mention the code MHPO15 to receive the player’s rate.
Other stops on the tour this season included the Hollywood Casino Toledo, Hollywood Casino Tunica, Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, Hollywood Casino St. Louis, Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races and Hollywood Casino Columbus.
To learn more about the Hollywood Poker Open, visit the tour website or follow the HPO on Facebook or Twitter.
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