Chris Ferguson
Chris Ferguson is just about the most well branded poker player about. Whether it was on purpose or whether by luck Chris has become one of the most recognisable poker players around.
Known for his Cowboy hat, smart black suits and his ‘Jesus’ like beard, there are not many poker fans around that don’t know who Chris is.
To this day Chris remains one of the most popular poker players around with both poker fans and on the Pro circuit.
Like Howard Lederer, Chris has been around at Full Tilt Poker since the start and has had a massive input in shaping it into the online poker giant that it is today.
Background
Chris Ferguson is an academic through and through. Both his parents are academic professors at U.C.L.A. His father in particular had an influence on Chris as he held a doctorate in statistics and gaming theory and was always passing this knowledge onto Chris by playing various different games with him throughout his childhood. By the age of 10 Chris was already playing Poker and the statistical and analytical side of poker was already being taught to him by his father.
If you see this avatar on Full Tilt Poker then you are playing with
Chris Ferguson!
Chris went on to achieve similar academic achievements as his parents, first spending five years getting a bachelors degree in Computer Sciences. After this he then spent a further thirteen years as a graduate student working towards a PhD in Artificial Intelligence.
During this time Chris spent his spare time earning money as a day trader, which financed his other hobbies such as Ballroom Dancing, and computer technology.
In fact way before online poker, and even before the days of the world wide web as we know it, Chris was player poker with his friends over Internet Relay Chat (IRC) which essentially was an early version of the internet before it evolved.
Poker Career
Chris played Poker right throughout the 90′s and was entering local tournaments in L.A. He didn’t play too much on the tournament circuit and preferred playing his poker online at the time. He did however play in the WSOP events each year and he started to become noticed by other professionals and was well respected for his analytical approach to the game.
It was in 2000 that Chris ‘Jesus’ Ferguson was thrust into the public spotlight, when he booked his place in history and won the 2000 World Series of Poker Main Event and in doing so defeated one of the most respected and decorated Pro’s in T.J. Cloutier at the final table. Since then Chris has gone on to win over $3m in WSOP cashes.
After this, Chris became a regular on the Poker Circuit and built his persona around the nickname of ‘Jesus’ that he had been given. This persona is the same one that everyone recognises and loves today with the black suit, cowboy hat and trademark beard.
Chris’s love of Poker and his interest and academic background in computers came together when he took part in the design and creation of Online Poker giant FullTilt Poker and to this day is still heavily involved and is a proud member of Team Full Tilt.
Learn, Play and Chat with Chris Ferguson and the other Full Tilt Pro’s. Download Full Tilt Poker‘s free online poker software today.
