Poker News

Chris Moneymaker - the man who sparked the online poker boom nearly a decade ago - is hunting down his biggest pay cheque for eight years.

The 35-year-old, whose triumph in the 2003 World Series of Poker prompted the 'Moneymaker Effect' is in prime position to challenge for the PokerStars Carribean Adventure 2011 title - the first major silverware of the year.

It would mean a payday of $2.3million for the Nashville-born star, whose last major cash was for $ 200,000 at the WPT in San Jose back in 2004.

Moneymaker, who lies in fifth position with a healthy 1,636,000 chip stack after day three of the PCA, has endured a miserable run of form since then and struggled to go deep in big money WSOP, WPT and EPT events.

But, after showing signs of a return to form in Monte Carlo last year, where he made a healthy $33,282 for finishing 69th in the €10,000 EPT Main Event, he could finally be in with a chance of landing his second major title.

The overnight chip leader is American online pro Chris Oliver, who has 3,675,000 and boasts $3m million career winnings to his name - about the same as Moneymaker, telling proof of how the latter's win changed the game a decade ago.

All 48 remaining players are guaranteed at least a $52,000 payday at the PCA.

Also in the hunt is former APPT Macau winner Eddy Sabat and EPT Vilamoura winner Toby Lewis.

A total of 1,560 players entered the 2011 PCA main event  to generate a staggering prize pool of $15,132,000

PCA Main Event: Chip Count at end of Day 3
Level 22: 10,000-20,000, 2,000 ante
Entries: 1,560, 48 remain

Chris Oliver    USA        3675000
Max Lehmanski    Germany         2324000
John Andress    USA    1985000
Galen Hall    USA        1677000
Chris Moneymaker    USA        1636000
Philippe Plouffe    Canada        1566000
Matt Lichtie    USA    1463000
Ilan Rouah    France        1349000
Mike Sowers    USA    1340000
Dmitriy Stelmak    Russia        1303000