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Poker & Pop Culture: Mainstream America Watching Amarillo Slim

A little over two weeks after Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event, the Tennessee accountant appeared as a guest on the June 10, 2003 episode of Late Night with David Letterman.

At the time, Moneymaker wasn't especially enthusiastic about being thrust into the limelight, and would later describe getting over his initial trepidation about doing such publicity as the "biggest challenge" he faced following his WSOP victory. As we know, Moneymaker would go on to handle the role of "poker ambassador" especially well thereafter, playing an important role in that regard (along with others) during those initial years of the "poker boom.