The Americas Cardroom Pro and 2003 world champion provides an inside look.

SAN JOSÉ, COSTA RICA / ACCESS Newswire / August 3, 2026 / Americas Cardroom Pro Chris Moneymaker has provided an exclusive analysis of the hand that ended his run on the money bubble of the 2026 World Series of Poker Main Event.

The 2003 WSOP Main Event champion reviewed the hand street by street, explaining how his stack size, the approaching bubble and his assessment of opponent Antonio Vargas influenced his decisions.

Moneymaker began Day 4 with 221,000 chips, representing approximately 27.6 big blinds. There were 1,389 players remaining, with 1,382 scheduled to finish in the money.

Although only seven eliminations separated the field from the paid positions, Moneymaker believed his stack remained large enough to continue playing rather than fold until the bubble ended.

His analysis focused heavily on Vargas, whom he viewed as an active opponent capable of applying pressure during a critical stage of the tournament.

After Moneymaker raised from the hijack, Vargas three-bet. Moneymaker called because he believed Vargas could be playing a wider range than a more conservative opponent would use near the bubble.

The hand continued through bets on the flop and turn. The river then placed a full house directly on the board, and Vargas moved all in for Moneymaker's remaining chips.

Moneymaker explained that the final decision was not based on believing his own cards were ahead. Instead, he considered whether Vargas could be bluffing with enough hands that would use the same five community cards and split the pot.

He emphasized that the call was specific to Vargas and would not necessarily have been made against a tighter player.

Vargas revealed pocket aces and won the pot, eliminating Moneymaker.

Moneymaker was one of three players eliminated during the same hand-for-hand sequence. With only two $15,000 payouts available, the combined $30,000 was divided equally, giving each player $10,000.

The outcome was confirmed only after the remaining tables completed play and was unknown when Moneymaker faced the river decision.

The complete analysis is available through the Americas Cardroom blog.

About Americas Cardroom

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SOURCE: Americas Cardroom