Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati is set to host the Moneymaker Tour, the iconic poker event promoted by the man himself, Chris Moneymaker. This year’s collaboration with PokerStars marks the 20th anniversary of Moneymaker’s legendary World Series of Poker victory in 2003.
The tour’s main event will take place at the Hard Rock Event Center from Sept. 21 through Oct. 2. The Moneymaker Tour is among several poker events coming to Ohio casinos in the coming weeks.
Moneymaker Tour is the legacy of a poker legend
Some of us remember that day when Moneymaker made history by turning a $86 online qualifier into a $2.5 million victory at the WSOP Main Event.
Everyone loves an underdog story, and Moneymaker’s unexpected triumph gets a lot of credit as the spark that set off the poker boom in the following years. He showed that big things were possible for the poker Everyman.
Since that landmark win, Moneymaker has continued to be an influential figure in poker, both as a player and ambassador. While the Moneymaker Tour itself is not officially affiliated with WSOP, the shared history and Moneymaker’s connection with PokerStars have allowed the tour to rise to prominence as one of the most popular poker events today.
The Moneymaker Main Event
A nod to Moneymaker’s own journey, the tour includes satellite tournaments with buy-ins of $86. The Main Event at Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati has a buy-in of $1,500 and promises a $1 million prize pool. The final table is scheduled to start on Sept. 27, culminating on Oct. 2.
In total, the Moneymaker Tour will feature more than $2 million in prize pool guarantees, offering 18 trophy events for players. In addition to the ever-popular Texas Hold ‘Em events, the tour will offer some Omaha events as well.
Alongside the Main Event, players can try their hand in the Moneymaker Mystery Bounty. The bounty event comes with a buy-in of $600, and a $500K guaranteed prize pool.
The full schedule and structure sheets can be found on Hard Rock Cincinnati’s website.
Hard Rock’s poker room manager Chris Herbert expressed the venue’s enthusiasm about the first Moneymaker Tour stop to hit the Midwest. And the excitement was echoed by the Moneymaker team as well. Tony Burns, Moneymaker executive manager, called the collaboration with Hard Rock an “amazing opportunity all around.”
Other Ohio poker tournaments
A popular Ohio poker tournament just wrapped at Hollywood Casino Columbus. An exciting two weeks of the Columbus Summer Classic concluded with 705 entries, 71 players in the money, and a Main Event champ who took home over $98K.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the state, poker players are gearing up for the Mid-States Poker Tour, taking place at JACK Cleveland Casino. Slated to span from Aug. 30 to Sept. 4, this event also offers a mix of Hold ‘Em and Omaha action. Satellite events begin on Aug. 25.
The event officially gets going with a $300 Seniors NLHE event for players aged 50 and over on Aug. 30. The senior event features a $40K guaranteed prize pool. The Main Event kicks off on Aug. 31 with a $500K prize pool on offer.
A Last Chance NLHE event wraps things up on Labor Day, Sept. 4, giving players one last shot at a $50K prize pool, with a buy-in of $400.
In the meantime, Hard Rock Cincinnati continues its daily events, drawing players on weekdays with $100 tournaments in the morning (10:15 a.m.) and evening (6:15 p.m.). The weekends bring $200 NL tournaments, with the Sunday games coming with an attractive $10K guarantee.
