Online qualifiers, Pub Poker events and live qualifiers in Miami and Louisville are giving players more ways to earn their way to Aruba.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — August 20, 2026 — There is more than one road to Aruba.
This year, the Moneymaker Tour set out to create more ways for poker players to earn their way to Aruba for the Caribbean Poker Series, taking place September 17–27, 2026 at The Casino Aruba at Hilton. The result is a Road to Aruba qualifier campaign designed to reach players through traditional live poker rooms, online poker and free-to-play local Pub Poker events.
Players have been able to pursue Aruba packages through live qualifiers at Hialeah Park Casino in Miami and the Moneymaker Social Club in Louisville, Kentucky, free-to-play Pub Poker events in South Florida, and online through Americas Cardroom (ACR Poker).
While each path looks different, they all share the same goal: making the opportunity to experience a Moneymaker Tour destination event accessible to more players.
“The Moneymaker Tour has always been about giving players a chance to take their shot,” said Chris Moneymaker. “My own life changed because poker gave me an opportunity, and I want our Tour to keep creating those opportunities for other people. You never know where one opportunity can lead, and that’s a big part of what makes poker so special.”
Bringing the Opportunity to the Players
The Road to Aruba campaign reflects the different ways people play poker today.
For traditional live tournament players, the Moneymaker Tour partnered with poker venues in two different markets. At Hialeah Park Casino in Miami, players can compete in a $150 Road to Aruba qualifier for the chance to win a $3,500 package featuring a $1,700 Main Event entry, four-night hotel stay, $700 toward airfare and an invitation to the VIP Player Party.
The Road to Aruba also reaches Louisville, Kentucky, with a $150 live qualifier at the Moneymaker Social Club, where players will have their own opportunity to turn a local tournament into a $3,500 Aruba package and a seat in the $400,000 guaranteed Main Event.
But creating more opportunities means looking beyond the traditional poker room, too.
Online poker has long provided players with another way to turn a smaller opportunity into something much bigger — a story that is especially meaningful to the Moneymaker name. Through ACR Poker, where Chris Moneymaker serves as an ambassador, players have been able to compete online for complete Moneymaker Tour Aruba packages from home.
As part of this year’s Road to Aruba, ACR Poker hosted two $95 online qualifiers, each guaranteeing 10 $5,000 packages — 20 packages and $100,000 in guaranteed value altogether. Each package gives its winner the opportunity to take their game from the online tables to the Moneymaker Tour in Aruba.
The Road to Aruba is also reaching players outside traditional poker rooms and online play. Through free-to-play Pub Poker events at O’Shea’s Irish Pub in downtown West Palm Beach, local players can compete for Aruba packages without a traditional tournament buy-in, creating another way for recreational and social players to turn a local game into a destination poker experience.
Different Paths. One Aruba Experience.
The Moneymaker Tour heads to Aruba this September as part of the Caribbean Poker Series, taking place September 17–27, 2026, bringing together players from different poker communities for an international destination poker experience.
At the center of the Caribbean Poker Series schedule is the $1,700 Main Event with a $400,000 guarantee, beginning September 24. For the players who earn their way through the Road to Aruba, however, the experience extends well beyond a seat at the table.
They’ll arrive in Aruba with the opportunity to compete on a major stage, meet players from different poker communities and experience everything that comes with a destination event in the Caribbean.
For the Moneymaker Tour, that is what the Road to Aruba is ultimately about: creating opportunities that can take players further than they imagined when they first sat down to play.
ABOUT The Moneymaker Tour
The Moneymaker Tour is built around creating opportunities for poker players at every level, bringing exciting tournament experiences to communities across the country and around the world while giving more players the chance to take their shot on a bigger stage.
About Chris Moneymaker
Chris Moneymaker is the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event champion whose historic victory helped change the game of poker. After earning his seat through an inexpensive online satellite, Moneymaker went on to win the Main Event as an amateur, inspiring a new generation of players to believe they could take their own shot on poker’s biggest stage. The surge in participation and worldwide interest that followed became known as the “Moneymaker Effect.”
About Hialeah Park Casino
Located in Hialeah, in the heart of Miami-Dade County, Hialeah Park Casino is a historic South Florida gaming destination and home to Hialeah Park Poker. The poker room hosts live cash games, tournaments and special events for the Greater Miami poker community.
About Moneymaker Social Club
Located in Louisville, Kentucky, the Moneymaker Social Club provides a dedicated home for the local poker community and gives players the opportunity to experience the Moneymaker brand at the grassroots level.
About ACR Poker
ACR Poker is an online poker platform offering tournaments and qualifier opportunities to players around the world. Chris Moneymaker serves as an ACR Poker ambassador, and the platform has offered online qualifiers giving players the opportunity to win packages to Moneymaker Tour events, including Aruba.
About The Casino Aruba at Hilton
The Casino Aruba at Hilton offers premier gaming, dining, and entertainment in the heart of Palm Beach. Its poker room welcomes players from around the world during the Caribbean Poker Series and has become an international destination for the Moneymaker Tour.
About the Caribbean Poker Series
The Caribbean Poker Series brings together players from around the world to compete in one of the most exciting poker destinations on the globe. Hosted at The Casino Aruba at Hilton, the series features a wide range of events and generous guarantees, combining world-class poker with the unmatched atmosphere of the Caribbean.
Contacts
Dyanna Lopez
Moneymaker Tour
dyanna@moneymakerpt.com