Chris Ferguson 2017 WSOP POY Contender, Poker Community Not Exactly Thrilled
- Ferguson was tied to 2011 ponzi scheme involving Full Tilt Poker
- The poker pro currently ranked 8th on the WSOP POY Leaderboard
- One individual writes: “I feel like this would be about the biggest '**** you' that the American Poker Community could get”
- Ferguson is yet to issue an apology for his role in scheme
If Karma is a bitch, the poker community as a collective whole appears to be getting bitch slapped.
Chris Ferguson, who was implicated in a 2011 ponzi scheme involving now defunct Full Tilt Poker, is currently in the running for Player of the Year at the 2017 World Series of Poker, much to the chagrin of fellow players and especially those burnt in the Full Tilt fiasco. He ranks among the most reviled figures in the world of poker.
As of this past weekend, Ferguson ranked 8th on the WSOP POY Leaderboard.
“I feel like this would be about the biggest '**** you' that the American Poker Community could get if he actually managed to take it,” posted one individual on the TwoPlusTwo.com posting forum. The four-letter vulgarity used was not immediately known as it had already been replaced with asterisks.
Another posted: “This is the reason why some people in the poker community scam other poker players. Because they can get away with it np. Infact they'll scam you one day then sit at your dinner table the next day, because they know you won't do a thing. The guy fvcks up online poker for an entire country and he can still walk into the WSOP. Hilarious!”
Both Ferguson and another poker pro, Howard Lederer, were accused of having "lined their own pockets with funds picked from the pockets of their most loyal customers while blithely lying to both players and the public alike about the safety and security of the money deposited” based on an amended complaint by the US Government following an indictment of other individuals working on behalf of Full Tilt Poker. Ferguson’s role at Full Tilt was Director of Operations.
While Lederer has issued an apology, Ferguson is yet to do so.
Still, the odds as of July 4 were not in his favor, according to Beat The Fish.
Although Ferguson’s run is good enough to put him in a serious contention for the WSOP 2017 Player of the Year title, he hasn’t earned much more than POY points from it. A majority of his cashes are under $5,000 and he’s been playing in a lot of events this year.
- Ace King, Gambling911.com
