Hands I Still Think About Years Later

By Chris Moneymaker

Some hands fade with time. Others stay with you, not just for what they meant in chips, but for what they taught you about risk, pressure, and how fragile momentum can be. When I look back, the ones that still stand out are mostly tied to big swings in money. Some went my way, some didn’t. But they all shaped how I play and think about the game today.

Here are hands that live rent-free in my head.

The Bluff vs. Sam Farha

This one still makes me smile. We were heads-up in the 2003 Main Event. I pulled off one of the biggest televised bluffs in poker history. My hands were shaking. My face was a mess. And somehow, I got it through. Sam folded, and I took the momentum. That moment changed everything.

K♦ 6♦ in a SCOOP $10K Final

This was one I want back. I was at a SCOOP final table. Seven players left. The button had a massive chip lead and was raising every hand. He open-shoved into a 5BB short stack and my 17BB big blind. I felt like I was ahead and called with K6 suited. I was right — but I got outflopped and busted.

The real mistake wasn’t the hand — it was ignoring ICM. I was third in chips and punted. That hand taught me that not caring about ICM can work until it really doesn’t.

The Dutch Boyd Hand (Pocket Threes)

People always talk about the final hand against Farha, but the real turning point came earlier. I had pocket threes against Dutch Boyd. He needed to hit a king or queen to bust me. If he does, I make a little money and that’s it. No poker career, no boom, no anything.

But my threes held. That was the moment that put me on track to actually win the thing — and changed my life.

No Gamble, No Future – Flush Draw vs. Aces

I was in a high-stakes cash game on No Gamble No Future. I had a low flush draw against pocket aces. If I miss, I’m down $100K in just nine hands and out of the game. But I hit. That changed everything.

From that hand on, I went on to dominate the session and ended up making half a million dollars. One turn card was the difference between a painful bust and a huge win.

The Sean Deeb Hand

This one stuck with me as a teacher more than a player. Years ago, Sean Deeb 5-bet shoved Q5 into my AK online. I won the hand, but it opened my eyes to how far ahead some players were thinking.

It made me take a much deeper look at game theory and what modern aggression really looks like. I’ve used that hand in coaching sessions ever since.

Trying to Bluff the Wrong Players

Not one specific hand, but a pattern I had to unlearn. In low-stakes games, I used to try fancy bluffs — repping ranges, telling a story, setting up river spots. But the players weren’t thinking that way.

They had top pair and weren’t folding. That’s it. That lesson — don’t bluff the wrong opponent — took a while to sink in but has saved me thousands since.

Equal Focus on Result and Process

When I revisit these hands, I split my focus evenly between the decision and the result. Yes, I want to make the best possible choice in the moment. But in big events, the result matters.

One river card can change your career. You live with both — the logic and the outcome.

That K6 Hand, with Solver Eyes

If I could run one back today with modern solver knowledge, it’s the K6 hand from the SCOOP final. Back then, I didn’t weigh ICM or bubble pressure the way I do now.

Solvers would probably say fold, preserve the stack, play position, find a better spot. It’s not about whether I was ahead. It’s about whether calling was worth the risk.

Stay in the Game, Give Yourself a Chance

There’s a common thread through most of these hands: give yourself a shot to win. Don’t self-destruct. Don’t take yourself out of the tournament.

You can’t get lucky or make a deep run if you’re not in the game.

Strategic Takeaway for Every Reader

If there’s one piece of advice I’d give from looking back at all of these hands, it’s this: Don’t bluff players who aren’t thinking on your level, and don’t ignore ICM when it matters.

Poker rewards patience and punishment. Stay alive, pay attention, and your opportunity will come. That’s what happened to me in 2003, and it’s still true today.

Want to review hands like these in your own career?

Start your journey at the tables on Americas Cardroom. Whether you’re chasing your first tournament score or managing a growing bankroll, every hand you play could be the one that defines your story.

Play smart. Stay in the game. Give yourself a shot.