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Chris Moneymaker is forever remembered for his improbable triumph at the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event, but few recall how close he came to capturing a second major title shortly afterward. In March 2004, Moneymaker finished runner-up at the inaugural WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star Championship, falling just short of a title that would have paired his WSOP bracelet with a World Poker Tour trophy within ten months.
The Bay 101 Shooting Star event had modest origins, starting in 1997 when Sam Merchant won a $1,060 buy-in tournament for $29,000. By 2004, with the World Poker Tour backing the event, the buy-in jumped to $5,200 and the field nearly doubled in size, a surge widely credited to the “Moneymaker Effect” following his historic 2003 WSOP win.
That year’s tournament attracted 243 entrants and generated a $1.1 million prize pool, drawing notable names such as Daniel Negreanu, Howard Lederer, and Prahlad Friedman among the 27 players who cashed.
Moneymaker reached the final table alongside Phil Gordon, a Full Tilt Poker pro and member of the well-known Tiltboys group. In a pivotal three-way all-in hand that also included eventual third-place finisher Masoud Shojaei, Moneymaker’s pocket jacks appeared dominant over Shojaei’s ten-six and Gordon’s ace-seven. However, an ace on the flop shifted the advantage to Gordon, who went on to win the title and the $360,000 top prize.
Reflecting on the moment in a 2025 interview with PokerNews, Gordon praised Moneymaker’s lasting impact on the sport, noting he was standing nearby when Moneymaker won his historic title.
The WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star Festival returns this year, running Oct. 16 to Nov. 1 in California, with the $5,300 buy-in Championship event scheduled for Oct. 23-27.
