Not since a young accountant from Tennessee named Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 Main Event at the World Series of Poker has a name been so fortuitous as that of a poker dealer named Kelly Money, which works well for someone who wants to be the most famous poker dealer in the world. And yes, just like Moneymaker, Money is his real last name.
From Waco to Vegas
Money’s poker journey started in Waco, Texas, back in the early 2000s. His brother-in-law ran a movie rental shop near Baylor University, and they hosted a weekly poker game.
What began as a casual Wednesday night thing turned into a full-blown underground poker room after they ran a charity tournament that drew 300 people.
We trained sorority girls to deal, he says. They didn’t know much, but we made it work.
The game got so big they rented an apartment, ran three tables until 2 a.m., and Money quit his day job.
I was making more in one night than I did in two weeks at my old job.
Eventually, the underground scene dried up (the apartments got torn down to build Baylor’s football stadium), and Money moved on to dealing at legal card rooms.
He spent years at Redmond’s in Waco, dealing wild Omaha games before finally making the jump to Vegas three years ago.
The WSOP Grind
It was a long-term goal of Money’s to one day deal at the World Series of Poker (WSOP).
We used to give away a seat to the WSOP Main Event every year, and I would go and check it out, and I said to myself, I want to deal this one day.
Now, he’s a regular at the World Series, dealing everything from dailies to bracelet events. He’s not on the feature tables yet—but he’s angling for it.
I want to deal the Main Event final table. I figure it’s easier to deal my way there than play my way there.
He’s not wrong. Kelly’s an avid player when he’s not dealing, but he’s realistic about his tournament chances. “I don’t fire $1,500 bullets,” he admits. “I’m not that guy.”
Long Term Goals
At the end of the day, Kelly just wants to be remembered, whether it’s dealing a TV table, cracking a joke at the right moment, or finally getting that YouTube channel off the ground.
With a name like Kelly Money,” he says, I should definitely win something.
For now, though, he’ll settle for hearing the room chant his name one more time.
* (If Kelly ever starts that YouTube channel, we’ll let you know.)
