Poker Player Profiles

Here are some original player profiles you are free to use these profiles as long as you link to http://www.bigtourneys.com/forum with the anchor text “poker forum” or “poker talk” at the bottom of the articles.

1. Chris “Jesus” Ferguson

One of the most recognizable poker faces in the world this long haired bearded figure is always accompanied with sunglasses and a cowboy hat. The nickname Jesus arose from his looks and has stuck with him at the table. Beating out TJ Cloutier at the 2000 World Series of Poker was a memorable event for Chris. The hand was A 9 and TJ held a AQ, Chris caught his lucky nine on the river and the rest is history.
Chris stated in one interview that the final table was his home and his favourite place to play. This is apparent as he does not travel the circuit like he used to. Instead he enjoys the finer things in life such as Swing Dancing in his home in California. Do not let the dancing fool you as Ferguson holds five World Series of Poker titles including two of them in 2003.
Born on April 11th 1963 in L.A. Ferguson resided in his birthplace to attend UCLA in 1999. Focusing on artificial intelligence Ferguson earned a Ph.D. in computer science. This field was nothing out of the ordinary as his parents both have degrees in mathematics. Ferguson began to play in poker tournaments in 1994 still in California. In 1995 he made his first trip to the World Series of Poker. This is where he conquered the renowned T.J. Cloutier in 2000 to win the 1.5 million dollar prize.
It should be noted that Chris has other abilities with cards and not just to play the game. He has been recorded throwing cards at the speed destined to cut through bananas and pickles! Ferguson may not appear in the circuit as often as he used to but he is still in the poker world as much as ever. Chris is part of the design team for a successful poker website called Full Tilt which opened in 2004. In fact, you can go there and play Chris at his very own private table. As of 2005 it is recorded that his tournament winnings alone total over 5 million dollars.

Some of his Accomplishments:

5/02/00 2500 Stud 1 151,000
5/09/00 1500 Razz 8 3,875
5/13/00 5000 Omaha/8 7 17,325
5/18/00 10000 NLH 1 1,500,000
4/23/01 1500 Omaha/8 1 164,735
4/24/01 2000 NLH 12 10,265
4/30/01 2500 Stud 12 5,530
5/03/01 2500 PLO 12 5,355
5/05/01 2500 Stud/8 5 19,885
5/08/01 3000 PLH 24 3,945
5/05/02 3000 PLH 2 98,700
5/11/02 2000 SHOE 6 10,760
4/19/03 2000 Omaha/8 1 123,680
4/25/03 2000 H/S 1 66,220
4/28/03 5000 DeuceTo7 4 32,820
4/30/03 1500 OmahaHi 12 2,700

2. Johnny Chan – The Silent Sniper A.K.A. The Orient Express

Aside from Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan is the most well-known poker name in the world. Just like his predecessor Doyle, Chan holds currently ten World Series of Poker bracelets. As well just like Brunson Chan became famous for winning two back to back championship events in 87 and 88. Nicknamed the Orient Express Chan can be found in the most famous poker movie of current times “rounders”. In this movie there is footage of Johnny Chan’s victory over Eric Seidel in the 1988 World Series of Poker. Also note that Chan finished second in 89 loosing to another famous name Phil Helmuth.
In approximately 1968 Chan moved to the United States from Hong Kong with his family. At first arrival they owned some restaurants little did they know they would not have to work hard to earn money. It has been said Chan started playing Texas Hold-Em in the early 80’s and the rest is history. According to fact at the age of 21 Chan dropped out of college in Houston to become a professional gambler.
Known for keeping a lucky orange in front of him, Chan says he likes the smell, Chan has aspirations of opening his own casino. With ten bracelets and six children under his belt Chan used to hide his poker addiction by claiming he was bowling!
It is no secret that he is the first Asian to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. Johnny is regarded as one of the best all-around players in the world, and he has excelled at the highest-stake cash games for a number of years. It should also be noted that Johnny Chan has trail blazed the way for Asian poker players. Nowadays an Asian at the poker table is expected. However, this was not the case twenty years ago. Thus he is idolized by the old and the new generation of Asian players.
Considered a living legend at the table Chan’s accomplishments are never far from impressive. When he won back-to-back titles the owner of the Lakers Jerry Buss promised him a NBA championship ring if he could win the third. Chan has rose from an emotion kid to a consistent mature winning adult. As one of the most feared competitors at the table Chan and his orange will always be seen as a threat.

Accomplishments:
• 2005 – WSOP Winner – Pot Limit Holdem Event
• 2003 – WSOP Winner – No Limit Holdem Event
• 2003 – WSOP Winner – Pot Limit Holdem Event
• 2000 – WSOP Winner – Pot Limit Omaha Event
• 1997 – WSOP Winner – Deuce To Seven Draw Event
• 1994 – WSOP Winner – Seven Card Stud Event
• 1988 – WSOP Winner – No Limit Holdem Main Event
• 1987 – WSOP Winner – No Limit Holdem Main Event
• 1985 – WSOP Winner – Limit Holdem Event

3. Doyle Brunson – The Grandfather of Hold-Em A.K.A Texas Dolly

Doyle Brunson is the back to back champion of the first two world series of poker. Born in Texas in 1933, Brunson was always competitive as he was drafted to the Minneapolis, now the Los Angeles, Lakers. Although a knee injury ended his basketball career the NBA would not be the way Doyle would provide food for his family. Brunson graduated with a Master’s Degree in Education and hung up his basketball jersey for good, replacing that passion with another – poker.
According to legend, Brunson was the first rounder making trips from one poker game to the next collecting money. Doyle found a way to make a living meeting other large names along the way. One in particular was Johnny Moss who was infamous for large betting respectively in his era.
Doyle married in the sixties and had four children with his wife Louise. Brunson was finding that invitations to the poker games he needed were lacking. Thus he decided to pack it up and head out to Vegas with his family. It is said that he won all of the money in Texas and therefore nobody wanted to play with him. Establishing himself in Vegas he won the back-to-back World Series of Poker ironically with the same finishing hand now his trademark the “Doyle Brunson” which was 10-2.
Other professional poker players were not as happy as the rest of the world with the release of “Super/System”. They felt that Brunson was not right in giving away his secrets to the game. Although it can be argued that this book gave rise to a new wave of popularity for the sport and increased the competition as well. His next book “According to Doyle” was a collection of the best columns he felt he wrote for an old magazine named the “Gambling Times”. This book was also considered revolutionary as Doyle was showing the world that gambling could be considered a profession and a high-paying one at that.
He may have left the gambling circle publicly around the eighties but it has been noted that he would play golf for ridiculous sums of money. Legend has it he once commented that he played for more money than the pro golfers. It was not uncommon in those days for Brunson to have close to a quarter of a million dollars in sports bets at any given time. A true gambler Brunson helped to popularize the sport of hold-em which he will most notably be remembered for.
At the current time Doyle Brunson holds ten bracelets from the World Series of Poker. Although the underground ring is still what he has been famous for in the amount of five to six decades. One of the first three inductees to the Poker Walk of Fame Doyle is still living large at seventy-plus. Doyle has total winnings of almost 5 million dollars publically known and has won and lost average persons annual income in a single hand and that is why he is the Grandfather of Hold-Em.
Accomplishments:
• . 9 WSOP Braclets, Two World Championships 1976 and 1977
• Poker Hall of Fame
• Seniors of Poker Hall of Fame
• Casino Legends Hall of Fame
• Legends of Poker WPT Winner
• WPT Poker Walk of Fame

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