 Chris"Jesus" Ferguson One of the most recognizable faces in poker. He has a unique look with his long hair, beard, sunglasses, and hat. He obviously got his nickname, "Jesus".
Chris lives in Pacific Palisades, California. He does not travel the circuit as much as he used to. He attends the larger, bigger buy-in events and focuses on other interests including day trading and swing dancing. I think the two are an ironic combination: the individual competition of poker with huge amounts of concentration, and swing dancing in which you must rely on a partner and just let go of your inhibitions.
Chris won the prestigious Championship No Limit Holdem main event at the 2000 World Series of Poker. He beat another top competitor, TJ Cloutier. The final hand of the series was one that will be remembered. TJ held AQ to Ferguson's A9. The flop came 2K4 with a King on the turn. If the board paired, the pot would have been split and Ferguson would have been saved, but if the 9 came the tournament would be all over. The 9 came and Ferguson was World Champion. The A9 combination was pivotal to Chris' win twice during the tournament. The night before he won, Annie Duke lost with the A9 to Chris giving him the chips that he needed to continue in the competition.
In one interview, Chris stated that his favorite place to play was at the final table. That is the mark of a true champion. I think the combination of the desire to make it to the final table and his mathematical skills is what makes him the great player that he is today. He has earned himself five World Series of Poker titles, two of them in 2003. His titles are 2000 Seven Card Stud, 2001 Omaha High-Low, 2003 Mixed Games, 2003 Omaha High-Low, and the main event in 2000.
His other finishes at the 2003 World Series of Poker were fourth in lowball, second in Pot Limit Holdem, and sixth in Omaha High. He won the No Limit Holdem Championship event at the Winnin' O' the Green in 2004. You can play with Chris at his own table at online card room Full Tilt Poker.
The Legend of Chris ''Jesus'' Fergusen My family has been a fan of gambling ever since I can remember, which is actually 25 years ago. I haven’t been a big fan of gambling, but I have been a fan of card games. While I love blackjack, I found poker to be too complicating to play and therefore I steered clear away from poker. That is until I watched Chris "Jesus" Ferguson play Texas Hold’em.
With his notorious black Stetson, his dark shades that seemed to reflect back on the poker table, and his long hair, Chris Ferguson was almost like a wrestling gimmick. But, don’t count Jesus short, he is indeed the messiah of Texas Hold’em. With 5 World Series of Poker bracelets, 23 final tables, 36 cashes, and close to 3 million dollars in prize money, it’s safe to say that Chris Ferguson is a legend at the poker table.
Chris is fun to watch on television. Sometimes it seems that he silent and deadly, and then sometimes he’s having fun just shuffling his chips (a trick I have yet to perfect). Chris also has endorsement deals with every poker company you can think of. From Pokerstars to FullTilt. He’s even modified in pixels as you can play him in the World Series of Poker the video game. Chris is even sponsored by Milwaukee’s Best Light Beer.
But where did the Messiah of poker come from? How did he get into poker? It’s simple really, he’s been playing since he was a little kid. By high school he would play every weekend with his friends. He attended UCLA in which he majored in computer science. He spent five years as a undergrad and another 13 years in a doctrine course. Finally, he was kicked out of UCLA in 1999, but his destiny lied with poker, not computer science.
Finally, it got to a point where he would assert himself and his knowledge of poker to Las Vegas. In 22 visits, he only lost twice. Chris would go on IRC chat rooms and play online. It was until 1996 where he won an opportunity to play in the World Series of Poker, and from then on he has been playing and being in the main event ever since.
In 2000, Chris Ferguson won his first poker bracelet in a game of five card stud, he would also go on to win the 2000 World Series of Poker world championship bracelet. Out of all the tournaments he has participated in the lowest ranking he’s ever gotten was 26th place.
Putting his knowledge of poker and computer science to use, he help construct and design Full Tilt Poker, a website that allows players online to play with the pros. Such pros like Jennifer Harman, Phil Ivey, and even Chris Ferguson himself.
With the poker boom increasing in popularity, and the fact that 60 billion dollars is being gambled every year, Chris Ferguson can reassure himself as the messiah of poker.
By Eric Schomburg |
