Exclusive interview with Chris Moneymaker for Pokerflow

While working on Chris Moneymaker's biography, we got in touch with the legend and took a short interview. The 2003 world champion and ambassador of the poker boom answered our questions about the realities of the modern game, the future of online, and the style of Russian-speaking players.

Chris, your success proved that dreams come true. What would be your main piece of advice today for micro and mid-stakes players who are fighting variance, grinding through the nights, and dreaming of repeating the "Moneymaker effect"?

Justin Arnwine clearly demonstrated the perfect plan for players without much money. Just play low stakes, win, and save.

What could trigger a new poker boom these days? Is it even possible?

Legalization in the US or a movie on the level of "The Queen's Gambit" — those are probably the only things capable of getting things off the ground. Right now, it all depends heavily on advertising and on how often you flash in front of people's eyes. In that respect, it's hard for us to compete with the bookmakers.

What do you think about the further development of poker given the recent RTA scandals and the possible emergence of AI tools for cheating?

Online poker will be under constant attack because of the development of new AI and hacking tools. The only good news is that security departments will come up with ways to fight it. In general, it's a fight I don't fully understand. Live poker — that's the real future, and online is now only needed for learning and small-scale grinding.

Today, players from Eastern Europe, including the Russian poker school, dominate the world poker scene. Do you notice a difference in their playing style compared to the Americans?

They play in a style that very strongly resembles the Brazilians. They're absolutely wild. Over the last five years, the game around the world has become tighter, and it's exactly that Russian style — with constant pressure and no fear — that pays dividends against that backdrop.

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