Former
World Champion Chris "JESUS" Ferguson,
from Pacific Palisades, CA Wins $2,000
Omaha High-Low Event at 2003
World
Series of Poker
There's
nothing better than coming into this tournament
and winning one of the early events because,
you know no matter what -- you are not
going to have a bad World Series.
-- Chris "JESUS" Ferguson
For
the second time in just three years, Chris
"JESUS" Ferguson won the $2,000 buy-in
Omaha High-Low event at the World Series
of Poker. He now moves into select company,
having won at total of four gold bracelets
during his lifetime (the same number won
by the late Stu Ungar). Given his relatively
young age (40) it's quite conceivable
Ferguson could eventually challenge living
poker legend Doyle Brunson's record for
lifetime wins at the World Series of Poker,
with eight.
Ferguson
came to the final table sixth in chips,
and faced a 2 to 1 disadvantage to the
chip-leader Doug Saab. Over the next five
hours, Ferguson went on a rampage. He
seized the chip lead with six players
remaining in the tournament, then traded
the lead back-and-forth several times
with Barry Bindelglass, who would turn
out to be his toughest adversary at the
final table. After a one-hour head up
duel where Ferguson won an astounding
twenty pots in a row at one point versus
Bindelglass, the man everyone calls "JESUS"
(it's spelled with capital letters --
insists Ferguson) collected $123,680 in
prize money and snapped gold bracelet
number four on his wrist.
"This
win tonight is just as satisfying to me
as any of the other three," said Ferguson
when asked how the victory compares to
his previous wins. "Of course the 2000
World Championship (in the main event)
was the best of all, but this one is really
special to me because I've won this event
before and proved I could win it again."
Despite
perceptions that former world champions
are immune from the troubles that afflict
all poker players -- namely running bad
-- Ferguson admitted that this win came
at a great time. "I've been running bad
for a while," he said. "I hadn't made
a final table at a tournament in six months.
I can't think of a better place to break
a cold streak than the World Series of
Poker."
The
win certainly boosted Ferguson's confidence.
"There's nothing better than coming into
this tournament and winning one of the
early events because, you know no matter
what -- you are not going to have a bad
World Series," he said.
The key stage of the tournament occurred
four hours into the final table when Ferguson
was outchipped about 2 to 1 by Barry Bindelglass
and it appeared the momentum had shifted
away from the former champion. Then out
of nowhere, Ferguson went on a monster
rush that effectively destroyed any chance
of a victory by Bindelglass, who is well-known
in Atlantic City as one of the East Coast's
best high-limit stud players. Ferguson
won an astounding twenty pots in row,
including several hands with no flop --
still, an almost inconceivable streak
in heads-up play. "He went on a tear,"
said Bindelglass afterward. "The cards
hit me yesterday, and they hit (Ferguson)
today. It's when you catch a streak that's
important."
The
final decisive hand of the night, hand
number 200, was dealt in front of hundreds
of spectators at Binion's Horseshoe and
a worldwide audience tuned-in to the live
Internet webcast. Desperately short on
chips after facing a torrent of bad cards
and bad luck, Bindelglass made his last
stand with A-J-8-9 against Ferguson's
7-7-6-4. The final board showed 7-4-3-2-K
giving Ferguson both a set of 7s and a
low, good enough to scoop the entire pot.
"I
was never any danger of busting in this
tournament. I was never low on chips.
I was fortunate to catch a couple of big
rushes, but my chips stayed steady through
the event," Ferguson explained afterward.
Interestingly
enough, despite his exalted status as
a former world poker champion and four-time
winner, Ferguson does not consider himself
to be a professional poker player. He
enters approximately 60 tournaments a
year, and refuses to play in cash games.
"I consider myself a student," said Ferguson,
who earned a Ph.D. in mathematics five
years ago from U.C.L.A. For his opponents
at the poker table, it's scary to think
that Ferguson continues striving to improve
his knowledge and skills in poker. Can
a fifth gold bracelet be far away?
-- by Nolan Dalla
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