Chris Ferguson

  • Name: Christopher Philip Ferguson

  • Nickname: Jesus

  • Current Residence: Pacific Palisades, California

  • DOB: April 11th of 1963

  • Birth Place: Los Angeles, California, USA

  • Sponsored by: Full Tilt Poker

  • WSOP Bracelets: 5

  • Total Winnings: $8,032,900 (March 2010)

  • Marital Status: Single

  • Children: None

  • Age Started Playing Poker: before 10

Who is Chris Ferguson?

Chris Ferguson is one of the most liked and respected poker players. He holds a UCLA Degree in Game Theory and spent there 5 years as an undergraduate student and 13 years as a graduate student until he was asked to leave. Chris began playing poker online in 1989 on the IRC Poker Network when it still was text only. Right after he finished his academic life, he won his first WSOP bracelet. He is also one of the collaborators that helped design and create Full Tilt Poker's software.
Chris is one of the most famous poker faces, his great poker skills and his look (long brown hair, beard and black hat) are hard to overlook. His professional poker career began in 2000 when he won the World Series of Poker Main Event. Since his debut in the WSOP he has won 4 more bracelets, made it to 25 finals, and he also has 3 WSOP Circuit rings.

Besides being an outstanding poker pro, Chris is also famous for his photographic memory and for his dancing abilities (he is an avid swing dancer). He is also well known for his card tricks, he can cut fruit and vegetables by throwing a regular card from a 10 ft. distance.

‘Jesus' is also respected because he is polite to his opponents at the tables and has never showed bad temper when playing a bad game or when being teased by other players.

Where does the nickname ‘Jesus' come from?

Chris is called Jesus because of his aspect: long hair and beard, and because of his calmed gentlemanly attitude. Even though we call him Jesus, he has pronounced himself an atheist.
Public Perception and Reputation: Acts like Jesus, plays like the Devil.

‘Jesus' is considered a kind man with gentle manners, he is respected because he is always polite to his opponents. He rarely makes mistakes due to his mathematical skills that help him control the game, many say he may act and look like Jesus but at a tables he is a real devil.

Chris often fights people's perception of him as an academic. He started wearing the hat and the sunglasses to hide his scruffy student look.

Poker Techniques

At the tables, Chris often wears a black hat and sunglasses to avoid giving his play away. Some may say this is not even necessary as he adopts a motionless position and shows almost no emotions making it impossible to get any reads off him.

His approach to the game is analytical as he learned from his parents, who were both mathematicians. He told the UK Inside Poker Magazine at an interview: ‘Most poker players don't understand what it is they do,' he says. ‘I understand what I do. The core strategy I use is based on mathematics and is very difficult to play against. When I think about poker, I'm concentrating more on my own game than my opponents. If I had to tell my opponent how I'm going to play every single hand, how would I play? I'm trying to come up with a strategy that even if he knows how I'm going to play, he's not going to be able to beat me - even if he watches me for hours. That's the way I think about poker.'

Media Exposure