Chris “Jessus” Ferguson is one of the most popular poker players in the world. He was at the peak of his career when he was accused of being a major part of the Full Tilt Poker Scam, in which people lost millions of winnings. Here is everything you need to know about Chris Ferguson, who is widely known for his long hair, french beard and a cowboy hat.
Chris Ferguson’s Early Life
Chris Ferguson was born on April 11, 1963, in Los Angeles, California. His father, Thomas Ferguson, was a renowned mathematics professor at UCLA. This is how Ferguson got interested in math and game theory. His father also wrote books on probability theories and Game theories. So, it was natural for Ferguson to develop an interest in strategic games like Poker.
He started playing poker at age 10 and went to UCLA to complete his undergraduate degree in math and computer science. He later went on to pursue a Ph. D. in Computer Science.
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He is a self-acclaimed computer guru and his computer systems and mathematics has allowed him to advance his career as a poker player to a higher level. Chris used his knowledge of mathematics to devise his own poker playing style. He is one of the most famous players in the industry and was highly prominent especially during the poker boom in 2000s. His mathematical approach enabled to win an impressive six WSOP bracelets in his career.
Chris Ferguson’s Poker Career
Famous with his nickname ‘Jesus’, Ferguson is a six-time bracelet winner with more than $ 9 million in live tournament earnings. During his time at UCLA, he started playing in online poker rooms and honed his skills. He started playing live tournaments in 1993. His first live title came in the $300 LowballMasters Of Poker Championship in 1994. The next year, in 1995, he took the big step of participating in his first-ever World Series of Poker (WSOP) event. He entered the $1,500 Seven-Card Rizz event, and he finished in 5th place for $10,350.
WORLD SERIES OF POKER (WSOP) Bracelets
Ferguson continued participating in WSOP and posted several final table finishes. It was 2000 when Ferguson won his first ever WSOP Bracelet in a $2,500 + 70 7 Card Stud event and earned $151,000. The same year, he went on to win his second WSOP Bracelet by winning the $10,000 No Limit Texas Hold’Em World Championship for $1,500,000. Ferguson didn’t stop after this and went on to win another three WSOP Bracelets by 2003. His sixth bracelet came in 2017 when he won €1,650 Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better to claim his sixth bracelet and €39,289.
| Tournament | Winnings | Year |
| $2,500 Seven-Card Stud | $151,000 | 2000 |
| $10,000 No Limit Texas Hold’Em World Championship | $1,500,000 | 2000 |
| $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo Split Eight or Better | $164,735 | 2001 |
| $2,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Split Eight or Better | $123,680 | 2003 |
| $2,000 ½ Limit Hold’Em – ½ Seven-Card Stud | $66,220 | 2003 |
| €1,650 Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better | €39,289 | 2017 |
The National Heads-up Poker Championship played a big role in making some poker players famous, as it used to be telecast on TV. In the inaugural season of the National Heads-up Poker Championship, Chris Ferguson was the runner-up, while Phill Hellmuth was the winner of it.
He secured the same position at the 2006 event, this time losing to Ted Forrest. He finally took down the tournament in 2008 after defeating poker pro Andy Bloch.
As of now, Ferguson has a total poker live earnings of $9.5 million. He is no longer active on the poker scene and seems to have taken a break from poker. His last tournament cash was $ 29,160, which earned in the $10k NLH WSOP Super Million$ at the WSOP Online 2020.
Chris Ferguson Full Tilt Poker Scandal
Full Tilt Poker was founded in 2004 by Chris Ferguson and other prominent poker pros, it became one of the biggest online poker sites at that time. It used to give tough competition to PokerStars.
On April 15, 2011 F.B.I and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) blocked the domain of Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars citing Illegal Gambling as the reason. Players were in shock after learning about this, some players had six and seven-figure money in their online poker accounts. However, FTP assured its customers that their funds are in safe hands.
The DOJ didn’t find anything against PokerStars but they did find a lot of shady stuff against Full Tilt Poker. The DOJ alleged that Full Tilt Poker had used its players’ funds to pay executives and board members, rather than separating players’ deposits from operational expenses. As a result, Full Tilt Poker’s operations were shut down worldwide.
Ferguson was one of the prominent figures associated with Full Tilt Poker, he faced significant criticism from poker commonly for his role in the Scandal. Even though he said that he didn’t know about the Scandal all along, according to some players he should have apologized to the poker community for his involvement with Full Tilt Poker, rather than refusing.
Chris Ferguson’s Return to Poker
After a significant break from Poker, Ferguson returned to Poker World in 2016 and started participating in Tournaments. In 2017 he won his sixth WSOP Bracelet and also won the Player of the Year Award for his amazing performance in WSOP 2017.
Ferguson’s comeback was short-lived as he again took a break from Poker World in 2021. Ferguson hasn’t participated in any Live or Online Poker tournaments since 2021.
Chris Ferguson’s Net Worth
Ferguson’s net worth is expected to be around $80 Million coming from his Poker live earnings and his year as Full Tilt Poker co-founder. As per rumors during the FTP Scandal, Ferguson had some accounts that no one knew about. He may have a bigger net worth than what we are quoting.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. While we strive to present accurate and up-to-date information, we do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any data, facts, or figures mentioned. Readers are advised to verify any information and use their discretion before making any decisions or judgments based on the content of this article.
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