Computer science • 2000 champion
A mathematically oriented poker career with a championship and a serious controversy.
Biography
Chris Ferguson’s WSOP biography describes a UCLA computer-science doctorate and a poker career that included the 2000 Main Event championship. His public image emphasized a systematic approach to the game, making his final hand against T. J. Cloutier a useful test of the difference between analysis and outcome.
His later poker record includes a 2017 WSOP Europe bracelet. Those tournament results are separate from the controversy surrounding Full Tilt Poker. A 2011 US Department of Justice civil filing named Ferguson in allegations concerning the company and players’ funds.
The legal source cited here is an allegation document, not a criminal conviction. Neither a tournament title nor a mathematical background answers questions about an operator’s handling of customer money. A balanced biography keeps competitive achievement and institutional trust as separate subjects.
| Career milestone | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| 2000 | WSOP Main Event champion. |
| 2011 | Named in DOJ civil allegations concerning Full Tilt Poker. |
| 2017 | Won a WSOP Europe bracelet. |
The game behind the story
Start with poker formats and hand rules before comparing decisions across hold’em, Omaha or lowball. The format determines what a strong hand means and how betting works.
Related biographies
Sources
- WSOP: Ferguson career profile
- WSOP: 2017 result
- DOJ: 2011 civil allegations
- WSOP archive: 2000 final hand
Source pages checked 5 October 2026. Historical results refer to the dates stated; examples marked hypothetical are Casino101 calculations.
