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| 2005 Harrah's Rincon Poker Tournament World Series of Poker Circuit Event Tournament Results |
| World Series of Poker Circuit Events 2005 Harrah's Rincon Poker Tournament Main Event No Limit Hold'em Final Results |
| March 2, 2005 Harrah's Rincon Poker Tournament Harrah's Rincon Casino & Resort San Diego, California |
Buy-In:
Prize Pool:
Entries:
Prize Pool:
Entries:
| Chris Ferguson |
|
Tournament Report
'Jesus' Chris SuperStar!
2000 World Series of Poker Champion Chris 'Jesus' Ferguson triumphs in
13-hour final table marathon, outlasts Prahlad Friedman in heads-up duel.
For the first time ever, the World Series of Poker came to the golden state of
California as the Harrah's Rincon Casino and Resort hosted WSOP Circuit
event number two. The luxurious coastal mountain resort was the second of
five stops on this year's national Circuit, which began last month in Atlantic
City. The Rincon Native-American Tribe proudly welcomed thousands of poker
players who came from all parts of the United States and abroad to compete
in the world's most prestigious poker tournament. How appropriate that
"Rincon" which means 'roadrunner' in the native tribal language, hosted
poker's longest-running tournament, which dates all the way back to 1970.
At the finale, hundreds of spectators filled The Pavilion arena at Harrah's
Rincon. Those who came and lasted the ordeal were treated to an epic
marathon, a grueling slugfest of dexterity and willpower that lasted a
whopping 13 hours. At tournament's end there was but one man left
standing - make that sitting at the final table. Chris "Jesus" Ferguson
mercifully raked in the final pot of the night just a few ticks shy of 3 am,
leaving even the most enthusiastic poker fans mentally and physically
exhausted.
It was hardly a surprise that this ended up being one of the longest and
most hard-fought final tables ever in memory. Consider the talent. The final
table included one former world champion (Ferguson), three former gold
bracelet winners (Ferguson, Williamson, Friedman), and two players who
made it to the final table of the main event at the inaugural WSOP Circuit
event (Ferguson finished 9th and Brown finished 7th). The depth of final table
experience would be illustrated at this finale as three players -- Ferguson,
Friedman, and Brown all made it down to the final trio.
The tournament's main event started three days earlier (actually four days
earlier, considering the length of the final table). Day One started the
previous Sunday with 209 players. The final 18 were paid, in amounts
ranging from $19,855 up to $655,220 - the prize for first place. ESPN, the
leader in sports television was on hand to film the championship event, which
is expected to be broadcast in July.
After Tournament Director John Grooms introduced Harrah's executives and
the final ten participants, the players were eliminated in the following order:
10th Place - Naseem Salem arrived desperately low on chips with just 21,500
in his paltry stack and desperately needed to win his first confrontation. He
managed to do exactly that and doubled up early to nearly 50,000, but then
exited a short time later when he moved 'all in' with 7-7 and was called
instantly by Alex Prendes, with 10-10. When a 10 flopped, Salem was all but
eliminated. Salem, a 36-year-old Iraqi-born business owner from San Diego,
collected $27,795 for 10th place.
9th Place - Mark Hanna (a.k.a. "Big Daddy from Cincinnati") also arrived with
a short stack. The big man managed to last a bit longer, nearly two hours
into the finale. On his final hand, Big Daddy took a horrible beat when he was
dealt pocket Kings, normally a terrific chance to double up and get back into
contention. Trouble was, Hanna caught the Kings at the worst possible time
as Robert Williamson III looked down and saw pocket Aces. When an Ace
flopped, Big Daddy's last vestige of hope vanished. Hanna, who has spent
the last eight months doing what many poker players dream -- traveling
around North America in a motor coach playing poker along the way,
accompanied by his wife and three pet terriers - made some extra gas
money, $39,710 for 9th place.
8th Place - Lonnie Alexander hung around for three full hours, staying in the
100K-200K range most of the day. Then, Alexander lost most of his chips with
A-Q when a Queen flopped as the high card. Alex Prendes was 'all in' and
happened to be holding A-A. Alexander called out for a Queen, hoping to put
his version of a bad beat on Prendes. The poker Gods were not listening.
Alexander watched helplessly as two blanks fell on the turn and river, which
left the 47-year-old poker pro with only a few thousand in chips. Alexander
went out on the next hand. This marked Alexander's biggest tournament
payday to date. He collected $59,565 for 8th place.
7th Place - Crowd favorite Robert Williamson III went out next on a hand that
he is sure to remember and strategists will discuss. Williamson was dealt K-Q
and was delighted to see the flop come Q-10-8 giving him top pair.
Williamson bet out with about half of his 200K stack and was raised 'all in' by
the chip leader, Prahlad Friedman. On the hand, Friedman had 8-8 and
flopped a set of 8s. The next three minutes of deliberation were grueling for
Williamson. He knew he was very likely beat, and would have to commit his
last 100K to make the call. Trouble for Williamson was, he had a vulnerable
kicker and reasoned that Friedman probably had A-Q or better, making
Williamson a significant dog. Up to that point, play at the final table had been
very conservative, and Williamson knew Prahlad was not making a power
play on a draw, or bluffing. Despite his worst fears, Williamson finally made a
crying call and was caught drawing dead when a 2 fell on the turn.
Williamson must have reasoned that he wouldn't be able to come back from
being down to just under 100,000 in chips (especially against the level of
competition), and decided he had to gamble. Indeed, Williamson has a
mentality which makes him focus on one thing only - first place. Any other
disciplined player would have folded in that spot under the conditions, and in
this case Williamson's ambition cost him dearly. Robert Williamson, a former
Dallas businessman turned tournament pro who won a Pot-Limit Omaha
WSOP gold bracelet in 2002, received $79,420 for 7th place.
6th Place - Prahlad Friedman continued his reign of terror as he eliminated
Keith Sexton a short time later. Sexton, a 45-year-old real state investor who
is now a poker pro and sports bettor living in Las Vegas came in low on chips,
but did manage to leap up four spots in the prize money. On his final hand,
Sexton had A-10 and raised before the flop. Friedman was in the blind and
had enough chips to call. The final board showed 7-7-6-8-4 and Friedman
with 8-5 made the straight. Sexton took home 6th place prize money --
$99,275.
Note: Play at the final table played very much like a pot-limit game. Because
the blinds and antes were so low in proportion to the amount of chips in play,
players had a chance to maneuver. It was arguably the final table with the
most 'post flop play" in WSOP history. Unlike many No-Limit events where
two players push 'all in' and five cards are dealt, players bet very
methodically, and were faced with multiple decisions during the course of the
hand. This made for a very long night, but also provided witnesses with one
of the greatest strategic poker displays on record.
5th Place - At 7 pm, Prahlad Friedman became the first player to cross the
million-dollar threshold. He dealt a crushing blow to Alex Prendes on one
hand, making a Jack-high straight. After a dinner break, Chad Brown doubled
up on a big hand when he had 9-9 against Chris Ferguson's 4-4. When a
Nine came on the turn, Brown was second in chips and Ferguson was
staggered and on the ropes for the first time, with less than 200K. That
would prove to be Ferguson's low point at the final table. Prendes, however,
was unable to recover from his low point. He was getting low on chips and
made his final stand with A-6 against Ferguson's K-Q. The flop came A-J-6
giving Ferguson two pair. Prendes had a chance to put a beat on Ferguson if
a 10 fell, but it wasn't to be. Alex B. Prendes, Jr. the youngest player at the
final table (age 24) was the 5th place finisher, good for $119,130.
Remarkably, Prendes has played in three major tournaments and has now
made it into the money in all three.
4th Place - The "Krazy Kanuck" James Worth became a crowd favorite. Clearly
the least known of the four finalists, the Canadian player mostly plays online
and has not played in many live tournaments. He certainly played well over
the four-day period. But in the end, Worth failed outfox or catch the final rush
of cards it took to become a serious contender. He remained around the
250K mark most of the day, but was gradually blinded down and made his
final stand with 4-4. Chris Ferguson was dealt 6-6, which held up - knocking
out the crazy Canadian. James Worth, from Toronto, received $158,840 in
prize money.
3rd Place - The final three players - Brown, Friedman, and Ferguson -- meant
it was an 'All-California' trio of finalists. Brown, from Los Angeles had about
250K. Friedman, originally from the Bay Area but now living in Los Angeles,
had 875K. By knocking out Worth on the previous hand, Ferguson, from
Pacific Palisades near LA, rocketed up into the chip lead with about 950K.
Unfortunately, the final half hour was not a pleasant experience for Chad
Brown. He ran card dead at the worst possible time of a tournament and was
down to about 100K when he was dealt his final hand of a very long night.
Just after midnight, Brown tried to make a stand with K-9 on a bluff, but Chris
Ferguson had A-Q and decided to call Brown's final bet with Ace-high. The
board showed 7-6-2-5-10 giving neither player a pair. So, Ferguson's Ace
played as the high card. Chad Brown, who has worked as an actor and poker
color commentator has many impressive tournament finishes on his poker
resume. He could certainly be proud of this one, as well. Brown collected
$198,550 for 3rd place.
Note: After his elimination, Chad Brown offered some interesting personal
observations. Although he was naturally disappointed not to win, Brown
stated he was "so proud" of the way he played in this tournament. Brown
took a number of crushing beats over the four-day period, which he says
normally would have caused most players to steam and give up. Brown
stated that he kept his emotional equilibrium and fought on, each time
regaining those lost chips through intense skill and focus. "It's a strange
feeling to be satisfied with third place," he said afterward. "But as I look back
on several of the beats I took, I really believe I went as far as I could under
the circumstances." Most in the audience who watched agree that had Brown
had a gust of good cards at the closing levels, he very well might have won
the event.
The heads-up duel between Prahlad Friedman and Chris "Jesus" Ferguson
started with the two players about even in chips. They went back and forth
for over an hour, never deviating more than 200,000 or so from the chip lead.
Then, the biggest hand of the tournament came out of nowhere.
After a long series of stealing antes and few showdowns, both players were
dealt a hand, and after Ferguson raised and Friedman called pre-flop, there
was about 150,000 in the pot. They both watched as the flop came A-A-K.
Neither showed much of a reaction. The crowd, which by this point was
emotionally drained, suddenly came to life. Both players checked. A third Ace
fell on the turn. Again, both players checked. A King fell on the river - and the
final board showed A-K-A-A-K. Friedman checked and Ferguson bet 345,000.
From Friedman's point of view, it appeared that with the large bet Ferguson
was trying to push his opponent off the hand. Ferguson made a perfect play -
overbetting the pot by just enough to cause doubts in Friedman's mind that
Ferguson had the dreaded Ace for four-of-a-kind. Expecting to play the board
and split the pot, Friedman tabled his hand playing the board, and was
horrified to see Ferguson roll over an Ace - good for quad Aces. That was a
blast that not only ripped away half of Friedman's stack, but perhaps more
importantly it helped Ferguson to completely seize the momentum at the final
table. With all due respect to Friedman who played remarkably well and
demonstrated an intimidating and powerful table presence for the duration,
the tournament was effectively over at that point.
The final hand came just a short time later. Friedman was dealt 5-4 of
spades, normally not much of a hold'em hand. But heads-up, just about any
two cards are playable, even worth calling a standard 3X-the-big-blind-sized
raise. The flop came K-J-10 with two spades. Friedman moved 'all in' on the
semi-bluff with a spade draw. Ferguson didn't take long to call and Friedman
was now on his last gasp of hope. Ferguson held Q-J for second pair and a
straight draw. It all came down to Friedman catching a spade or a running
two pair or better. Such a catch would have allowed Freidman to draw back
to even with Ferguson, and had that happened, the remaining spectators
might have been there until breakfast. But the spade failed to come for
Friedman and one of the World Series of Poker's longest final tables ever
came to a close. Ferguson won with a pair of Jacks.
Prahlad Friedman is one of the game's most talented young players. He has
already mastered high-limit poker, and plays $200-400 limit stakes and
higher. He is also a terrific No-Limit player, whether in tournaments or live
action. Friedman, a Cal-Berkeley dropout now living in Los Angeles can be
counted on to appear at many more final tables and is likely to win his
second WSOP gold bracelet before long. But on this night, he would have to
settle for bridesmaid status. Second-place prize money of $361,365 helped to
soften the sting of defeat.
By the time it was over, the stands at the Harrah's Rincon Pavilion resembled
a Montreal Expos' baseball game. They were empty, except for a few
die-hards. But those who were there, numbering about 75 or so of Chris
Ferguson's most ardent supporters more than made up for the noise level.
Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, normally stoic and serious when playing, waved and
took a victory lap around the final table. He was clearly ecstatic with his
victory. Of all his poker accomplishments, this had to be among the most
satisfying, as Ferguson consistently made the right moves at the right time,
bet the right amounts, came back from a few beats, and ultimately triumphed
against nine very tough competitors.
"I didn't win any tournaments at last year's World Series of Poker," Ferguson
said afterward. "I did have a second, but now winning this one kinda' makes
up for that."
When ESPN's Norman Chad sat down and with cameras rolling asked
Ferguson what strategic advice he would give Prahlad Friedman and others
next time they play in order to beat him, Ferguson didn't miss a beat.
"Buy my book when it comes out," he said.
Report by Nolan Dalla - World Series of Poker Media Director
World Series of Poker Tournament Director - John Grooms
World Series of Poker Circuit Director - Ken Lambert
'Jesus' Chris SuperStar!
2000 World Series of Poker Champion Chris 'Jesus' Ferguson triumphs in
13-hour final table marathon, outlasts Prahlad Friedman in heads-up duel.
For the first time ever, the World Series of Poker came to the golden state of
California as the Harrah's Rincon Casino and Resort hosted WSOP Circuit
event number two. The luxurious coastal mountain resort was the second of
five stops on this year's national Circuit, which began last month in Atlantic
City. The Rincon Native-American Tribe proudly welcomed thousands of poker
players who came from all parts of the United States and abroad to compete
in the world's most prestigious poker tournament. How appropriate that
"Rincon" which means 'roadrunner' in the native tribal language, hosted
poker's longest-running tournament, which dates all the way back to 1970.
At the finale, hundreds of spectators filled The Pavilion arena at Harrah's
Rincon. Those who came and lasted the ordeal were treated to an epic
marathon, a grueling slugfest of dexterity and willpower that lasted a
whopping 13 hours. At tournament's end there was but one man left
standing - make that sitting at the final table. Chris "Jesus" Ferguson
mercifully raked in the final pot of the night just a few ticks shy of 3 am,
leaving even the most enthusiastic poker fans mentally and physically
exhausted.
It was hardly a surprise that this ended up being one of the longest and
most hard-fought final tables ever in memory. Consider the talent. The final
table included one former world champion (Ferguson), three former gold
bracelet winners (Ferguson, Williamson, Friedman), and two players who
made it to the final table of the main event at the inaugural WSOP Circuit
event (Ferguson finished 9th and Brown finished 7th). The depth of final table
experience would be illustrated at this finale as three players -- Ferguson,
Friedman, and Brown all made it down to the final trio.
The tournament's main event started three days earlier (actually four days
earlier, considering the length of the final table). Day One started the
previous Sunday with 209 players. The final 18 were paid, in amounts
ranging from $19,855 up to $655,220 - the prize for first place. ESPN, the
leader in sports television was on hand to film the championship event, which
is expected to be broadcast in July.
After Tournament Director John Grooms introduced Harrah's executives and
the final ten participants, the players were eliminated in the following order:
10th Place - Naseem Salem arrived desperately low on chips with just 21,500
in his paltry stack and desperately needed to win his first confrontation. He
managed to do exactly that and doubled up early to nearly 50,000, but then
exited a short time later when he moved 'all in' with 7-7 and was called
instantly by Alex Prendes, with 10-10. When a 10 flopped, Salem was all but
eliminated. Salem, a 36-year-old Iraqi-born business owner from San Diego,
collected $27,795 for 10th place.
9th Place - Mark Hanna (a.k.a. "Big Daddy from Cincinnati") also arrived with
a short stack. The big man managed to last a bit longer, nearly two hours
into the finale. On his final hand, Big Daddy took a horrible beat when he was
dealt pocket Kings, normally a terrific chance to double up and get back into
contention. Trouble was, Hanna caught the Kings at the worst possible time
as Robert Williamson III looked down and saw pocket Aces. When an Ace
flopped, Big Daddy's last vestige of hope vanished. Hanna, who has spent
the last eight months doing what many poker players dream -- traveling
around North America in a motor coach playing poker along the way,
accompanied by his wife and three pet terriers - made some extra gas
money, $39,710 for 9th place.
8th Place - Lonnie Alexander hung around for three full hours, staying in the
100K-200K range most of the day. Then, Alexander lost most of his chips with
A-Q when a Queen flopped as the high card. Alex Prendes was 'all in' and
happened to be holding A-A. Alexander called out for a Queen, hoping to put
his version of a bad beat on Prendes. The poker Gods were not listening.
Alexander watched helplessly as two blanks fell on the turn and river, which
left the 47-year-old poker pro with only a few thousand in chips. Alexander
went out on the next hand. This marked Alexander's biggest tournament
payday to date. He collected $59,565 for 8th place.
7th Place - Crowd favorite Robert Williamson III went out next on a hand that
he is sure to remember and strategists will discuss. Williamson was dealt K-Q
and was delighted to see the flop come Q-10-8 giving him top pair.
Williamson bet out with about half of his 200K stack and was raised 'all in' by
the chip leader, Prahlad Friedman. On the hand, Friedman had 8-8 and
flopped a set of 8s. The next three minutes of deliberation were grueling for
Williamson. He knew he was very likely beat, and would have to commit his
last 100K to make the call. Trouble for Williamson was, he had a vulnerable
kicker and reasoned that Friedman probably had A-Q or better, making
Williamson a significant dog. Up to that point, play at the final table had been
very conservative, and Williamson knew Prahlad was not making a power
play on a draw, or bluffing. Despite his worst fears, Williamson finally made a
crying call and was caught drawing dead when a 2 fell on the turn.
Williamson must have reasoned that he wouldn't be able to come back from
being down to just under 100,000 in chips (especially against the level of
competition), and decided he had to gamble. Indeed, Williamson has a
mentality which makes him focus on one thing only - first place. Any other
disciplined player would have folded in that spot under the conditions, and in
this case Williamson's ambition cost him dearly. Robert Williamson, a former
Dallas businessman turned tournament pro who won a Pot-Limit Omaha
WSOP gold bracelet in 2002, received $79,420 for 7th place.
6th Place - Prahlad Friedman continued his reign of terror as he eliminated
Keith Sexton a short time later. Sexton, a 45-year-old real state investor who
is now a poker pro and sports bettor living in Las Vegas came in low on chips,
but did manage to leap up four spots in the prize money. On his final hand,
Sexton had A-10 and raised before the flop. Friedman was in the blind and
had enough chips to call. The final board showed 7-7-6-8-4 and Friedman
with 8-5 made the straight. Sexton took home 6th place prize money --
$99,275.
Note: Play at the final table played very much like a pot-limit game. Because
the blinds and antes were so low in proportion to the amount of chips in play,
players had a chance to maneuver. It was arguably the final table with the
most 'post flop play" in WSOP history. Unlike many No-Limit events where
two players push 'all in' and five cards are dealt, players bet very
methodically, and were faced with multiple decisions during the course of the
hand. This made for a very long night, but also provided witnesses with one
of the greatest strategic poker displays on record.
5th Place - At 7 pm, Prahlad Friedman became the first player to cross the
million-dollar threshold. He dealt a crushing blow to Alex Prendes on one
hand, making a Jack-high straight. After a dinner break, Chad Brown doubled
up on a big hand when he had 9-9 against Chris Ferguson's 4-4. When a
Nine came on the turn, Brown was second in chips and Ferguson was
staggered and on the ropes for the first time, with less than 200K. That
would prove to be Ferguson's low point at the final table. Prendes, however,
was unable to recover from his low point. He was getting low on chips and
made his final stand with A-6 against Ferguson's K-Q. The flop came A-J-6
giving Ferguson two pair. Prendes had a chance to put a beat on Ferguson if
a 10 fell, but it wasn't to be. Alex B. Prendes, Jr. the youngest player at the
final table (age 24) was the 5th place finisher, good for $119,130.
Remarkably, Prendes has played in three major tournaments and has now
made it into the money in all three.
4th Place - The "Krazy Kanuck" James Worth became a crowd favorite. Clearly
the least known of the four finalists, the Canadian player mostly plays online
and has not played in many live tournaments. He certainly played well over
the four-day period. But in the end, Worth failed outfox or catch the final rush
of cards it took to become a serious contender. He remained around the
250K mark most of the day, but was gradually blinded down and made his
final stand with 4-4. Chris Ferguson was dealt 6-6, which held up - knocking
out the crazy Canadian. James Worth, from Toronto, received $158,840 in
prize money.
3rd Place - The final three players - Brown, Friedman, and Ferguson -- meant
it was an 'All-California' trio of finalists. Brown, from Los Angeles had about
250K. Friedman, originally from the Bay Area but now living in Los Angeles,
had 875K. By knocking out Worth on the previous hand, Ferguson, from
Pacific Palisades near LA, rocketed up into the chip lead with about 950K.
Unfortunately, the final half hour was not a pleasant experience for Chad
Brown. He ran card dead at the worst possible time of a tournament and was
down to about 100K when he was dealt his final hand of a very long night.
Just after midnight, Brown tried to make a stand with K-9 on a bluff, but Chris
Ferguson had A-Q and decided to call Brown's final bet with Ace-high. The
board showed 7-6-2-5-10 giving neither player a pair. So, Ferguson's Ace
played as the high card. Chad Brown, who has worked as an actor and poker
color commentator has many impressive tournament finishes on his poker
resume. He could certainly be proud of this one, as well. Brown collected
$198,550 for 3rd place.
Note: After his elimination, Chad Brown offered some interesting personal
observations. Although he was naturally disappointed not to win, Brown
stated he was "so proud" of the way he played in this tournament. Brown
took a number of crushing beats over the four-day period, which he says
normally would have caused most players to steam and give up. Brown
stated that he kept his emotional equilibrium and fought on, each time
regaining those lost chips through intense skill and focus. "It's a strange
feeling to be satisfied with third place," he said afterward. "But as I look back
on several of the beats I took, I really believe I went as far as I could under
the circumstances." Most in the audience who watched agree that had Brown
had a gust of good cards at the closing levels, he very well might have won
the event.
The heads-up duel between Prahlad Friedman and Chris "Jesus" Ferguson
started with the two players about even in chips. They went back and forth
for over an hour, never deviating more than 200,000 or so from the chip lead.
Then, the biggest hand of the tournament came out of nowhere.
After a long series of stealing antes and few showdowns, both players were
dealt a hand, and after Ferguson raised and Friedman called pre-flop, there
was about 150,000 in the pot. They both watched as the flop came A-A-K.
Neither showed much of a reaction. The crowd, which by this point was
emotionally drained, suddenly came to life. Both players checked. A third Ace
fell on the turn. Again, both players checked. A King fell on the river - and the
final board showed A-K-A-A-K. Friedman checked and Ferguson bet 345,000.
From Friedman's point of view, it appeared that with the large bet Ferguson
was trying to push his opponent off the hand. Ferguson made a perfect play -
overbetting the pot by just enough to cause doubts in Friedman's mind that
Ferguson had the dreaded Ace for four-of-a-kind. Expecting to play the board
and split the pot, Friedman tabled his hand playing the board, and was
horrified to see Ferguson roll over an Ace - good for quad Aces. That was a
blast that not only ripped away half of Friedman's stack, but perhaps more
importantly it helped Ferguson to completely seize the momentum at the final
table. With all due respect to Friedman who played remarkably well and
demonstrated an intimidating and powerful table presence for the duration,
the tournament was effectively over at that point.
The final hand came just a short time later. Friedman was dealt 5-4 of
spades, normally not much of a hold'em hand. But heads-up, just about any
two cards are playable, even worth calling a standard 3X-the-big-blind-sized
raise. The flop came K-J-10 with two spades. Friedman moved 'all in' on the
semi-bluff with a spade draw. Ferguson didn't take long to call and Friedman
was now on his last gasp of hope. Ferguson held Q-J for second pair and a
straight draw. It all came down to Friedman catching a spade or a running
two pair or better. Such a catch would have allowed Freidman to draw back
to even with Ferguson, and had that happened, the remaining spectators
might have been there until breakfast. But the spade failed to come for
Friedman and one of the World Series of Poker's longest final tables ever
came to a close. Ferguson won with a pair of Jacks.
Prahlad Friedman is one of the game's most talented young players. He has
already mastered high-limit poker, and plays $200-400 limit stakes and
higher. He is also a terrific No-Limit player, whether in tournaments or live
action. Friedman, a Cal-Berkeley dropout now living in Los Angeles can be
counted on to appear at many more final tables and is likely to win his
second WSOP gold bracelet before long. But on this night, he would have to
settle for bridesmaid status. Second-place prize money of $361,365 helped to
soften the sting of defeat.
By the time it was over, the stands at the Harrah's Rincon Pavilion resembled
a Montreal Expos' baseball game. They were empty, except for a few
die-hards. But those who were there, numbering about 75 or so of Chris
Ferguson's most ardent supporters more than made up for the noise level.
Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, normally stoic and serious when playing, waved and
took a victory lap around the final table. He was clearly ecstatic with his
victory. Of all his poker accomplishments, this had to be among the most
satisfying, as Ferguson consistently made the right moves at the right time,
bet the right amounts, came back from a few beats, and ultimately triumphed
against nine very tough competitors.
"I didn't win any tournaments at last year's World Series of Poker," Ferguson
said afterward. "I did have a second, but now winning this one kinda' makes
up for that."
When ESPN's Norman Chad sat down and with cameras rolling asked
Ferguson what strategic advice he would give Prahlad Friedman and others
next time they play in order to beat him, Ferguson didn't miss a beat.
"Buy my book when it comes out," he said.
Report by Nolan Dalla - World Series of Poker Media Director
World Series of Poker Tournament Director - John Grooms
World Series of Poker Circuit Director - Ken Lambert
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