Chris Ferguson Net Worth and History

Chris Ferguson Net Worth

Chris Ferguson Net Worth: Few poker players have genuinely experienced the instability a gambling career can cause and have made it through to the other side. Chris Ferguson, nicknamed ‘Jesus’, is one such player. Chris Ferguson

If you’re passionate about the game of poker and it’s players, then Chris’s story is one to learn from. So just what are Chris Ferguson’s failures and successes? What is it that makes him such a notable poker player? What’s Chris Ferguson’s net worth? Let’s find out.

NameChristopher Philip Ferguson
NicknameJesus
ProfessionProfessional poker player
Born11th of April, 1963
Net Worth$80 million

Chris Ferguson Early Career

Chris Ferguson was born in Los Angeles, California, on 11th April 1963. The man from LA has been playing poker since he was ten years old. Chris developed his poker skills by playing online and in chat rooms while he was attending college. His first few tournaments were in California in 1994, and he signed up for his first World Series of Poker (WSOP) event in 1995.

Chris Ferguson Poker Player

Ferguson studied and obtained a Ph.D. in Computer Science with a focus on viral network algorithms at UCLA. He’s a self-acclaimed computer guru, which is understandable due to the eighteen years of study it took him to pass his degree. His talent with computer systems and mathematics has allowed him to advance his career as a poker player to an extremely high level.

Chris was able to use his knowledge of mathematics to devise his own poker playing style. This gives him a quiet, collected approach when at the table playing a hand. He’s one of the most famous players in the industry and was especially prominent during the poker boom in the late 2000s.

Chris Ferguson Professional Poker Career

Chris Ferguson is a particularly recognizable figure in the poker industry. He’s well known for his signature ensemble of long hair and beard (hence his nickname, ‘Jesus’), sunglasses, and a wide-brimmed hat. This, alongside the characterized pose he assumes to prevent his opponents from getting any information from his stance, are the traits of the Chris Ferguson ‘brand’.

Christopher Philip Ferguson Full Tilt Poker

Ferguson is a genius with his insights into computer simulations and game theory. His mathematical approach to the game has given him the skill to win six World Series of Poker events. These include titles such as the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship in 2008 and the 2000 WSOP Main Event.

It was at the 2000 WSOP event where Chris won his first bracelet in the $2,500 Seven Card Stud event. It was at this same event that he earned the winning prize of $151,000. He went on from this to beat T.J. Cloutier, a poker pro, in the Heads-Up of the Main Event. This defeat contributed significantly to his net worth, earning him $1.5 million.

After this impressive initial success, Ferguson went on to compete in several more WSOP events. In the 2004 Main Event, he finished 26th out of 2,576 professional poker players. He was the runner up at the 2005 National Heads-Up Poker Championship, being beaten to the win by Phil Hellmuth. He achieved the same position at the 2006 event, this time losing to Ted Forrest. He finally won the tournament in 2008, by defeating poker pro Andy Bloch.

In the 2017 WSOP, Ferguson set a new record by achieving a total of 23 cashes. The sum of Chris Ferguson’s 90 WSOP cashes comes to over $6,000,000. Chris Ferguson net worth is considered in the top 5 among the worlds richest poker players.

Chris Ferguson Achievements at a glance

World Series of Poker Bracelets

TournamentWinningsYear
$2,500 Seven-Card Stud$151,0002000
$10,000 No Limit Texas Hold’Em World Championship$1,500,0002000
$1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo Split Eight or Better$164,7352001
$2,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Split Eight or Better$123,6802003
$2,000 ½ Limit Hold’Em – ½ Seven-Card Stud$66,2202003
€1,650 Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better€39,2892017

World Poker Tour Titles

TournamentWinningsYear
The Bicycle Casino Legends of Poker$23,1752003-2004
Caribbean Poker Adventure$14,3672003-2004
WPT Legends of Poker$11,5702004-2005
WPT Aruba Poker Classic$10,0002004-2005
WPT Celebrity Invitational$15,0002004-2005
WPT World Championship$132,0952004-2005
WPT Doyle Brunson North American Poker Championship$34,4852005-2006
WPT Foxwoods World Poker Finals$21,3202008-2009
WPT L.A. Poker Classic$240,5382008-2009
WPT World Championship$49,0252008-2009
WPT Festa al Lago$23,8552009-2010

Chris Ferguson Biggest Cashes

TournamentWinningsYear
WSOP Main Event$1,500,0002000
WSOP Circuit Main Event San Diego$655,2202005
NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship$500,0002008
WSOP Circuit Main Event Las Vegas$362,0882005
NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship$250,00020052006
$10K LA Poker Classic Main Event$240,5382005

Chris Ferguson Recent Earnings

TournamentWinningsDate
$600 Pot Limit Omaha – Deep Stack$1,02610 June 2019
$1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo 8 or Better$2,33710 June 2019
$3,000 No Limit Hold’Em – 6-Handed$4,66712 June 2019
$2,500 Mixed Big Bet$4,84318 June 2019
$500 No Limit Hold’Em WSOP.com Online Turbo Deepstack$1,19319 June 2019
$800 No Limit Hold’Em – Deepstack 8-Handed$1,70423 June 2019
$1,000 No Limit Hold’Em WSOP.com Online Double STack$2.15323 June 2019
$1,500 No Limit Hold’Em – Super Turbo Bounty$3,26924 June 2019
$10,000 Razz Championship$131,19426 June 2019
$1,500 Limit Hold’Em$33,94829 June 2019
$1,000 No Limit Hold’Em WSOP.com Online Championship$38,37630 June 2019
$1,000 No Limit Hold’Em – Mini Main Event$2,7621 July 2019
$1,000 No Limit Hold’Em – Little One for One Drop$1,5006 July 2019
$1,500 No Limit Hold’Em – The Closer$3,30812 July 2019
€550 Pot Limit Omaha – 8-Handed$92214 October 2019
€1,350 No Limit Hold’Em – Mini Main Event$2,33716 October 2019
€1,650 Pot Limit Omaha/No Limit Hold’Em Mix$7,70320 October 2019
€550 No Limit Hold’Em – The Colossus$6,89428 October 2019
$1,700 No Limit Hold’Em – WSOPC Harrah’s Las Vegas Main Event$2,94719 December 2019

Chris Ferguson Net Worth

Something that cannot go unmentioned in a page dedicated to Chris Ferguson is the Full Tilt scandal. Due to his skill as both a computer guru and a poker player, Ferguson is extremely gifted at developing gaming software. He helped to create the software for what became one of the largest online poker platforms.

After only a short time, the Full Tilt poker platform exploded in terms of its popularity and player base. However, when the United States Government shut down all poker sites on 15th April 2011, the Full Tilt site crashed almost as quickly as it had built up. A lot of things went wrong for the company after the shut-down for various reasons. The lawsuit that built up was because owners and professionals had claimed more than $300 million belonging to players from around the world.

On 19th February 2013, Ferguson made a settlement plan with the Department of Justice. He agreed to forfeit the contents of two accounts, and his lawsuit was dismissed. Later, Ferguson made an apology video online, saying that he regretted being able to prevent the incident but not doing so. However, this was posted in 2018, eight years after the players had suffered through the scandal.

Chris Ferguson’s current net worth is around $80 million. He did have to part with some of his wealth during the Full Tilt scandal. During this time, it also became apparent that there may be additional accounts that the general public does not know about. Potentially, this could mean that Chris Ferguson’s net worth is higher than the current estimate.

Personal Life

Ferguson has other interests outside of poker. One way he enjoys spending his free time is dancing. He was once president of a swing dance club at his university, and still goes out to clubs when he’s free. Ferguson has experience of dance, having taken classes in several different styles, including tango and foxtrot.

A more well-known hobby is his penchant for card throwing. He has a particular flair for cutting different fruits and vegetables in half with his throws. He has been known to do this with bananas, apples, and even melons. This is, according to Ferguson, his preferred method of making a fruit salad.

Chris has had girlfriends in the past, but never any long-term relationships. He describes himself as a lone wolf and says that he’s happy to live his life without any romantic attachments.

Conclusion: Computer Genius Equals Poker Pro

Chris Ferguson’s early introduction to the game, as well as his in-depth knowledge of mathematics and algorithms, have allowed him to grow into a world-class poker player. During his career as a professional player, he has won six World Series of Poker bracelets and can boast a total of sixty-three money finishes.

Ferguson is the only player in the poker industry ever to win three World Series of Poker circuit events. While the scandal he was involved with may not make him the most likeable player, he’s definitely earned his place as a pro.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Ferguson