Playboy.com: What has sudden fame been like for you?

Chris Moneymaker: Personally, it has been a big change. Everybody in the world thought I was going to be this big star after I won the World Series, and I'm like, "No man, I'm going back to work and everything is going to be back to normal, no big deal." It so happened they were all right. I'm a humble guy who has a fear of public speaking and can't talk in front of a large group or in front of cameras, and they told me I was going on David Letterman and that I was going to be on all these shows. And I was like, "The hell I am! I'm not going anywhere close to that stuff." But they talked me into doing it and it's been a whirlwind ever since.

And it's been weird. I got friends back home who keep me sort of leveled and my girlfriend keeps me pretty level. I had a friend I play golf with and he would call me butthead all the time, but right when I got back he came up and said, "Mr. Moneymaker, can I get a picture made with you?" And I was like, "Man, what are you doing? You called me an asshole last week on the golf course."

PB: How has fame changed your game?

CM: Well, I am learning a lot more, first of all. Since I won I have been playing with a different caliber opponent, so I am definitely learning a lot more. I don't play as wild as I used to. I've got to play a little more conservative and watch what I do a little bit more.

PB: How much pressure is it to be the guy everyone wants to beat?

CM: That adds enormous pressure, but there is an enormous amount of pressure lifted when the money doesn't matter as much. Going into the first World Series, that money meant everything to me, so once you have the money it's a little bit easier.

PB: How have you handled the money you won? Did you splurge on a Ferrari or did you bank it?

CM: I paid a big chunk of it in taxes. I had some backers. I [will probably lose] half of it in a divorce I am going through. Other than that, I am building a house and then from there I am just playing off of it. I've put a lot of it back into savings and retirement and things like that.

PB: Is poker getting overexposed?

CM: They put it on so much, on so many different stations, it's like reality TV. It's eventually going to fall, and pretty soon you're going to see two things on TV: the World Series and the World Poker Tour. They keep having these tournaments of champions and specials, and it's all the same players. There are only so many times you can watch queens go up against an ace/king. So from a TV perspective, it's going to die off. But as far as the game itself, I think that's going to grow tremendously because it is such a fun game and it's so easy to learn and everybody does it. So I think you'll see more people playing it, but the TV side will fall off.

PB: Do you watch poker on television at home?

CM: Never. Since I won, I've probably watched three episodes.

PB: Are you getting burned out?

CM: I don't play near as much as these other guys. I play eight tournaments a year maybe. When I'm playing, I'm playing in a location like this. I get busted out and I go sit by the pool. How do you get burned out when you don't play that much?

PB: Are you still playing with your buddies?

CM: No. I play with one buddy sometimes, but most of them don't have the money and I'd feel bad if I took their money.

PB: People talk a lot about "tells" and being able to read other players. Is that aspect of the game overrated, or is that really crucial?

CM: It's one of the central parts of the game. That's huge. That's basically all my game is based on. I use what I think the other opponent has more than anything else.