Chris Ferguson

Born in Los Angeles in 1963, Chris Ferguson is an easily identified figure on the circuit; with his dark flowing hair, black shirts, and Stetson he could have stepped straight from a Clint Eastwood western, playing the cool dude to watch out for.

However, the gun-slinging persona hides an astonishing intellect. Ferguson has a PhD in artificial intelligence from UCLA and amongst other things is an advisor to the state of California for the California Lottery. Having parents who are both math PhDs, Ferguson has had a long relationship with the world of academia, and UCLA in particular.

Chris, who’s dark flowing locks and beard have given rise to the nickname Jesus, began his poker career in the early nineties, playing online on an IRC channel, and was soon its highest ranked player. From 1994, onwards he began playing small tournaments around Los Angeles and then in 1995 he won his first WSOP event.

The new millennium saw him win the first of the five bracelets he has won in his career to date including the victory at the main event of Texas Hold’em No-Limit in 2000 where he beat the formidable T.J Cloutier.

His most significant achievement in his poker career has been his five victories in four years in events at the World Championship.

Despite playing over 70 games a year, Ferguson found time in 2004 to launch the internet poker site, Full Tilt Poker.com, with a small team of fellow professionals, and as well as playing for the site he also helps design the software for Full Tilt Poker customers, thus ensuring that they have the most up-to-date games in the industry.

With his distinctive looks, Ferguson has been able to commercialise on his success away from the poker tables. He has starred in a series of Milwaukee’s Best Light beer ads, proving he has not only a self-deprecating sense of humour, but also a willingness to promote the game of poker to a wider audience.

He believes that poker has had a bad press in the past, with an image of smoke- filled rooms and a wasted life, an image players like Chris Ferguson are keen to dispel.

Although poker has brought in wealth and fame, he insists that he is not obsessive about playing, and he foresees a time when he will return to his university roots to teach the theory of poker playing.