Chris Ferguson
Encyclopedia
Christopher Philip Ferguson (born on April 11, 1963) is an American professional poker
player. He has won five World Series of Poker
events, including the 2000 WSOP Main Event
, and the 2008 NBC
National Heads-Up Poker Championship
. On September 20, 2011, the U.S. Justice Department filed a motion to amend a civil complaint, alleging that Ferguson and three other directors of the poker website Full Tilt Poker
were running a Ponzi scheme
that paid out $444 million of customer money to themselves and the firm's owners.
. Both Ferguson's parents have doctoral degrees in mathematics and his father, Thomas Ferguson, teaches game theory
and theoretical probability at UCLA.
Ferguson attended UCLA
where he earned a Ph.D.
in computer science
(focusing on virtual network
algorithms) in 1999 after five years as an undergraduate and 13 years as a graduate student. His Ph.D. advisor was Leonard Kleinrock
.
playing poker for play money in chat rooms. In 1994, he began playing in tournaments in California
and in 1995, he entered his first World Series of Poker
. Ferguson beat T. J. Cloutier at the main event of the 2000 WSOP
to win the $1.5 million prize. In 2004, he entered the WSOP main event, earning $120,000 for his 26th place finish (out of 2,576 players). Also in 2004, Ferguson helped launch the online poker site Full Tilt Poker
.
Ferguson finished runner-up to Phil Hellmuth
in the 2005 National Heads-Up Poker Championship
. He made the finals again in 2006, but again finished second, this time to Ted Forrest
. In 2008 he made the finals for the third time, this time defeating Andy Bloch
and winning the title. At one time he had the most event wins, but he is now second to Huck Seed
.
In 2008, Ferguson cashed for US$677,905 at the WSOP, a number that greatly exceeded his 2007 WSOP cash total of $84,562. As of 2010, his total live tournament winnings exceed $8,000,000. His 63 WSOP cashes account for $4,051,104 of those winnings and put him third for most cashes at the WSOP, behind Phil Hellmuth
and Men Nguyen
.
He claims to have turned $1 into more than $20,000 playing online poker over six months as a personal challenge. He talked about this as a guest on Poker Night Live
. Similarly, to show that it could be done, he turned $0 into $10,000 on Full Tilt by first winning freeroll tournaments. Despite achieving his goal, Ferguson has continued the challenge and was at one point over $20,000. He has developed an algorithm for deal making for players who reach the final table in Full Tilt Poker's online tournaments.
He is a relatively quiet player who often adopts a characteristic motionless pose to avoid providing information to his opponents. He adopted his trademark wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses consciously, trying to disguise the fact that he was a college student.
His style is highly mathematical, using a strong knowledge of game theory
and developing computer simulations to improve his understanding of the game.
Ferguson is nicknamed "Jesus
" because of his trademark long brown hair and beard.
In addition to these bracelets, Ferguson is the only player to have won three World Series of Poker circuit events
.
amended an existing civil complaint against Full Tilt Poker
, an online poker company of which Chris Ferguson was a director. The amended complaint alleged that Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer
and Rafe Furst "lined their own pockets with funds picked from the pockets of their most loyal customers while blithely lying to both players and the public alike about the safety and security of the money deposited.”
A lawyer for Ferguson has denied the allegations, suggesting that the issues may have been the result of mismanagement not malice.
club at UCLA, as well as his ability to throw playing card
s fast enough to cut through bananas, carrots, and even melons.
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player. He has won five World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
events, including the 2000 WSOP Main Event
2000 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 512 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament.Ferguson had a 10 to 1 chip lead when starting his heads-up vs Cloutier. After a see-saw battle, Ferguson decided to call Cloutier's AQ all-in with his own A9...
, and the 2008 NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
National Heads-Up Poker Championship
National Heads-Up Poker Championship
-2006:- 2007 :-2008:In additional to the poker professionals, several poker-playing celebrities from other fields were invited: Gabe Kaplan, Don Cheadle, Jennifer Tilly, Shannon Elizabeth, Jason Alexander and Orel Hershiser. Also invited was Alisha Kunze of Greensburg, Indiana, who won her seat...
. On September 20, 2011, the U.S. Justice Department filed a motion to amend a civil complaint, alleging that Ferguson and three other directors of the poker website Full Tilt Poker
Full Tilt Poker
Full Tilt Poker is an online poker card room that opened in June 2004 with the involvement of poker professionals Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Andy Bloch, Mike Matusow, Jennifer Harman and Chris Ferguson...
were running a Ponzi scheme
Ponzi scheme
A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that pays returns to its investors from their own money or the money paid by subsequent investors, rather than from any actual profit earned by the individual or organization running the operation...
that paid out $444 million of customer money to themselves and the firm's owners.
Early life and education
Ferguson was born in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. Both Ferguson's parents have doctoral degrees in mathematics and his father, Thomas Ferguson, teaches game theory
Game theory
Game theory is a mathematical method for analyzing calculated circumstances, such as in games, where a person’s success is based upon the choices of others...
and theoretical probability at UCLA.
Ferguson attended UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
where he earned a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
(focusing on virtual network
Virtual network
A virtual network is a computer network that consists, at least in part, of virtual network links. A virtual network link is a link that does not consist of a physical connection between two computing devices but is implemented using methods of network virtualization.The two most common forms of...
algorithms) in 1999 after five years as an undergraduate and 13 years as a graduate student. His Ph.D. advisor was Leonard Kleinrock
Leonard Kleinrock
Leonard Kleinrock is an American engineer and computer scientist. A computer science professor at UCLA's Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, he made several important contributions to the field of computer networking, in particular to the theoretical side of computer networking...
.
Poker
Ferguson began playing poker at the age 10. In college he honed his skill on IRCIRC poker
IRC poker was a form of poker played over the IRC chat protocol before the surge in popularity of online poker in the early 2000's. A computer program was used to deal and manage the games. Commands could be typed in directly with a standard IRC client but point-and-click graphical clients were...
playing poker for play money in chat rooms. In 1994, he began playing in tournaments in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and in 1995, he entered his first World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
. Ferguson beat T. J. Cloutier at the main event of the 2000 WSOP
2000 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 512 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament.Ferguson had a 10 to 1 chip lead when starting his heads-up vs Cloutier. After a see-saw battle, Ferguson decided to call Cloutier's AQ all-in with his own A9...
to win the $1.5 million prize. In 2004, he entered the WSOP main event, earning $120,000 for his 26th place finish (out of 2,576 players). Also in 2004, Ferguson helped launch the online poker site Full Tilt Poker
Full Tilt Poker
Full Tilt Poker is an online poker card room that opened in June 2004 with the involvement of poker professionals Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Andy Bloch, Mike Matusow, Jennifer Harman and Chris Ferguson...
.
Ferguson finished runner-up to Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth is an American professional poker player. He is best known for holding a record 11 World Series of Poker bracelets, for winning the Main Event of the 1989 World Series of Poker and for his temperamental, "poker brat" personality...
in the 2005 National Heads-Up Poker Championship
National Heads-Up Poker Championship
-2006:- 2007 :-2008:In additional to the poker professionals, several poker-playing celebrities from other fields were invited: Gabe Kaplan, Don Cheadle, Jennifer Tilly, Shannon Elizabeth, Jason Alexander and Orel Hershiser. Also invited was Alisha Kunze of Greensburg, Indiana, who won her seat...
. He made the finals again in 2006, but again finished second, this time to Ted Forrest
Ted Forrest
Ted Forrest is an American professional poker player, currently residing in Las Vegas, Nevada.- Tournament Wins:...
. In 2008 he made the finals for the third time, this time defeating Andy Bloch
Andy Bloch
Andrew Elliot Bloch is a professional poker player. He holds two electrical engineering degrees from MIT and a JD from Harvard Law School.-Poker:...
and winning the title. At one time he had the most event wins, but he is now second to Huck Seed
Huck Seed
Huckleberry Seed is an American professional poker player best known for winning the main event of the 1996 World Series of Poker.-Early Life:...
.
In 2008, Ferguson cashed for US$677,905 at the WSOP, a number that greatly exceeded his 2007 WSOP cash total of $84,562. As of 2010, his total live tournament winnings exceed $8,000,000. His 63 WSOP cashes account for $4,051,104 of those winnings and put him third for most cashes at the WSOP, behind Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth is an American professional poker player. He is best known for holding a record 11 World Series of Poker bracelets, for winning the Main Event of the 1989 World Series of Poker and for his temperamental, "poker brat" personality...
and Men Nguyen
Men Nguyen
Men "The Master" Nguyễn is a Vietnamese-American professional poker player.-Early years:In 1967, he dropped out of school at age 13 and became a bus driver to help support his family. In early 1978, a staunch anti-Communist, he escaped from the Communist regime of Vietnam by boat and sailed with...
.
He claims to have turned $1 into more than $20,000 playing online poker over six months as a personal challenge. He talked about this as a guest on Poker Night Live
Poker Night Live
Poker Night Live was the United Kingdom's first live Internet poker show, broadcast between 2005 and 2007 on Pokerzone, usually between 9pm and 1am...
. Similarly, to show that it could be done, he turned $0 into $10,000 on Full Tilt by first winning freeroll tournaments. Despite achieving his goal, Ferguson has continued the challenge and was at one point over $20,000. He has developed an algorithm for deal making for players who reach the final table in Full Tilt Poker's online tournaments.
He is a relatively quiet player who often adopts a characteristic motionless pose to avoid providing information to his opponents. He adopted his trademark wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses consciously, trying to disguise the fact that he was a college student.
His style is highly mathematical, using a strong knowledge of game theory
Game theory
Game theory is a mathematical method for analyzing calculated circumstances, such as in games, where a person’s success is based upon the choices of others...
and developing computer simulations to improve his understanding of the game.
Ferguson is nicknamed "Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
" because of his trademark long brown hair and beard.
World Series of Poker bracelets
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | $2,500 Seven Card Stud | $151,000 |
| 2000 | $10,000 No Limit Texas Hold 'em World Championship | $1,500,000 |
| 2001 2001 World Series of Poker -Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 613 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter what was the largest poker tournament ever played in a non-online casino at the time.-Final table:-Other High Finishes:... |
$1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo Split Eight or Better | $164,735 |
| 2003 2003 World Series of Poker -Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 839 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter what was the largest poker tournament ever played in a brick and mortar casino at the time... |
$2,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Split Eight or Better | $123,680 |
| 2003 | $2,000 1/2 Limit Hold'em - 1/2 Seven Card Stud | $66,220 |
In addition to these bracelets, Ferguson is the only player to have won three World Series of Poker circuit events
World Series of Poker circuit events
The World Series of Poker Circuit is a series of poker tournaments held annually at a variety of casinos since 2005 as a build-up to the World Series of Poker ....
.
Full Tilt Poker scandal
On September 20, 2011 the United States Department of JusticeUnited States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
amended an existing civil complaint against Full Tilt Poker
Full Tilt Poker
Full Tilt Poker is an online poker card room that opened in June 2004 with the involvement of poker professionals Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Andy Bloch, Mike Matusow, Jennifer Harman and Chris Ferguson...
, an online poker company of which Chris Ferguson was a director. The amended complaint alleged that Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer
Howard Lederer
Howard Henry Lederer is an American professional poker player and brother of poker professional Annie Duke, and author and poet Katy Lederer. On September 20, 2011, the U.S...
and Rafe Furst "lined their own pockets with funds picked from the pockets of their most loyal customers while blithely lying to both players and the public alike about the safety and security of the money deposited.”
A lawyer for Ferguson has denied the allegations, suggesting that the issues may have been the result of mismanagement not malice.
Personal life
His interests include his presidency of a swing dancingSwing (dance)
"Swing dance" is a group of dances that developed with the swing style of jazz music in the 1920s-1950s, although the earliest of these dances predate swing jazz music. The best known of these dances is the Lindy Hop, a popular partner dance that originated in Harlem and is still danced today...
club at UCLA, as well as his ability to throw playing card
Playing card
A playing card is a piece of specially prepared heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic, marked with distinguishing motifs and used as one of a set for playing card games...
s fast enough to cut through bananas, carrots, and even melons.