He inspired millions of players to begin playing poker online, as he had won entry into the World Series through an online qualifier. This was historic because Moneymaker’s win pushed forward the idea that anyone could achieve poker glory. The boom happened in 2003, when amateur player Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker Main Event. Texas Hold’em has seen an exponential increase in popularity in the past 15 years. Texas Hold’em - The World’s Favorite Poker game