Chris Moneymaker

In 2003, an unknown accountant from Tennessee showed up at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. He had won a small online tournament, and his prize was a seat at the World Championship. He'd never played in a live tournament before, and he had certainly never played against pros. But that unknown accountant came out of nowhere, stormed the WSOP, and conquered the pros. He turned a $39 tournament into a $2.5 million World Championship win. It was the ultimate Cinderella story, and all over the world, people began to believe that they too could be the next champion. New players took to poker in droves.

Today that previously unknown accountant from Tennessee is a very famous man with an equally famous name: Chris Moneymaker.