(PRESS RELEASE) -- Twenty one years after Chris Moneymaker sparked the poker boom, The Moneymaker Tour is heading to Las Vegas, the tour announced today. An agreement with MGM Grand Hotel & Casino Las Vegas will see the Tour’s first edition in the city that witnessed the original arrival of its founder to the poker scene.
The Moneymaker Tour will join the summer poker action in Las Vegas from 28 June to 6 July at MGM Grand with a series guarantee of $1.3 million across six trophy events.
The feature event of the stop will be the $1,700 Main Event which boasts a $1 million guarantee and will run from 3-6 July. MGM Grand will host its third Summer Poker festival starting 29 May and feature 39 trophy events and over $3.7 million in total guarantees (including the Moneymaker Tour week).
"Las Vegas is the beating heart of the poker world. It's where the game's legends and stories, including Chris', have been made,” said Tony Burns, Executive Manager. “To host an event in the same city that Chris won the 2003 Main Event in is a full circle moment. We are excited to partner with MGM Grand this Summer and look forward to being a part of their festival on 28 June thru 6 July.
The Moneymaker Tour was created in 2023 by 2003 WSOP Champion and ACR Team Pro, Chris Moneymaker and Moneymaker Tour Executive Manager, Tony Burns. The Tour was conceived as a way for Moneymaker to give poker players opportunities to have their own ordinary to extraordinary moments as he did. Since its inception, there have been seven events in locations such as Florida, Cincinnati, Houston and Ohio.
Steven Pique, MGM Grand’s Director of Poker, said, “Our 2024 Summer Poker Festival kicks off later this month and we look forward to hosting the Moneymaker Tour in our MGM Grand Poker room. The main event will culminate with a No Limit Hold ‘em $1 million guarantee, one of the highest we’ve offered our tournament players. Chris Moneymaker embodies the spirit of poker through his tireless efforts and positive contributions to this great game.”