Chris Ferguson

Some call him “Jesus” because of his appearance – beard and long hair. Others call him one of the most intelligent poker players of the modern era. No matter how you look at this guy, Chris Ferguson is a force in the world of professional poker.

Doctored Appearance?

Ferguson was born in 1963 in Los Angeles to parents who both have doctoral degrees in mathematics. Ferguson also holds a Ph.D (in computer science) though it took him about 18 years to complete the process.

Ferguson has played poker since he was a child, getting a lot of his experience online. He started playing live tournaments in his home state of California and entered the World Series of Poker for the first time in 1995. He was 32. He continued to succeed as a poker pro and won the 2000 main event, taking home $1.5 million. He finished in 26^th place in the main event in 2004.

His other WSOP bracelets came in the 2000 $2,500 Seven-Card Stud event, the 2001 $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo event, the 2003 $2,000 Omaha Hi/Lo event and the 2003 $2,000 combination event (Limit Hold ‘Em and Seven-Card Stud).

Chris Ferguson – Full Tilt Founder

Ferguson was one of the founding members of Full Tilt Poker, which is now one of the largest and most-popular online poker sites in the world. In the last five years Ferguson has finished second in the National Heads-Up Poker Championship two years in a row and made the finals for the third time in 2008. He also made the cash level in the 2008 WSOP, taking home a total of $677,905 from all finishes. To date, Ferguson has made more than $8 million in tournament poker. He has also won three WSOP Circuit events.

Ferguson is recognized not only for his hair and beard but also for his sunglasses and his very quiet demeanor. He is usually seen in a large, black cowboy-style hat and sunglasses, a look he adopted to cover his college-student appearance.

Slicing and Dicing

His poker success is due to strong mathematical skills and an amazing knowledge of game theory. He has constructed original computer models to help him learn more about the game of poker. Television watchers may have seen Ferguson slicing vegetables with his card-throwing skills. He is also an avid swing dancer and frequents the clubs in California when he can.

Ferguson has a unique appearance and some interesting hobbies but is quite serious when he sits down at the poker table.