Luck prevails over skill at poker tourney

David Strow

Friday, May 19, 2000 | 11:16 a.m.

Professionals always say poker is a game of skill, not luck.

But Chris Ferguson, a day trader from Pacific Palisades, Calif., proved Thursday afternoon that a little luck -- or a lot -- never hurts.

Ferguson, who goes by the unlikely nickname of "Jesus" for his long brown hair and full beard, captured the title of 2000 World Series of Poker Champion Thursday, snaring a record $1.5 million prize.

A record 512 players put up $10,000 each to play in the four-day tourney, beating last year's record field by nearly 120.

"I'm really more of a poker theoretician than a player," Ferguson said after winning the four-day tournament. "I'm very lucky. I was blessed."

In snaring his first title, Ferguson overcame a ferocious challenge from poker pro T.J. Cloutier of Richardson, Texas, who came within a single card of overcoming a 13-1 chip disadvantage going into the final day. Still, Cloutier's second-place finish netted him $896,500 -- enough to move him ahead of Johnny Chan as the all-time tournament money leader, with more than $2.6 million in prize money over his career.

Unlike recent World Series events, both finalists were seasoned poker veterans. Neither man, however, had ever captured the championship of poker's ultimate tournament.

For their showdown, Ferguson wore a black hat with the brim drawn low, sunglasses hiding his eyes. Despite the temperature, Ferguson kept a red windbreaker on throughout the tournament.

Across the table was Cloutier, dressed less flamboyantly in a gray golf shirt. Facing long odds most of the day, Cloutier was unshakable -- his only stress relief, it seemed, came from a steady stream of cigarettes smoked throughout the final game.

The day opened with Ferguson holding an almost overwhelming chip lead, with $2.85 million in chips stacked before him when play opened at Binion's Horseshoe at noon. His nearest challenger was Illinois resident Jim McManus, with $554,000.

In the championship game of the World Series -- no-limit Texas hold 'em -- chip advantage plays a huge role. Since there's no limit on how much can be bet, a player with a chip advantage can force an opponent to make a choice between folding or going "all-in," giving the leader far more leeway to bluff.

Last among the six finalists was Cloutier with $216,000 in chips. His strategy -- survive until the heads-up showdown.

"My plan today was to let the other players knock each other out," Cloutier said.

Ferguson did that in rapid fashion, eliminating Hasan Habib of Los Angeles at about 1:30, then knocking out Illinois resident Steve Kaufman two hands later. For their finishes, Kaufman won $326,000, while Kaufman won $570,500.

Suddenly, it was Ferguson vs. Cloutier. Cloutier had built his stack to $440,000 -- but, by this time, Ferguson had accumulated $4.68 million in chips.

Still, Cloutier made it clear he wasn't going down without a fight.

"I want two things -- (a place in the Poker) Hall of Fame and this tournament," Cloutier said, tapping a finger on the table.

A buzz swept through the standing-room-only crowd as security guards brought in the tournament's grand prize -- $1.5 million in $100 bills, carried in a plain cardboard box marked "paper rolls." Following World Series tradition, Binion's owner Becky Binion Behnen stacked the bills on one corner of the table. Placed atop the cash was a prize some players say is worth more than the money -- the gold bracelet that would go to the champion.

An outsider or casual weekend player might wonder how anyone could stand the pressure of playing for so much cash. But Chan, winner of the World Series title in 1987 and 1988, says nerves never really come up during the final table. For poker's elite, it's what they do for a living.

"It's other people's money," Chan said. "I've been doing this for 20 years. It's like going to the office."

The crowd didn't have long to wait for a showdown.

Texas Hold 'em is played with each player being dealt two cards face down, and five community cards dealt face up -- three at first and the other two after the players engage in rounds of betting.

Just minutes after starting their heads-up match, Ferguson bet $75,000. Cloutier called, and the first three community cards hit the board -- a pair of 10s and a seven.

After Cloutier declined to bet, Ferguson bet $200,000. Cloutier responded by pushing in the remainder of his chips -- an all-in bet. Ferguson matched the bet, and the crowd rose as one, anticipating the showdown.

But unlike his previous two showdowns, Ferguson turned out to be the one at a grave disadvantage. Ferguson held a seven-five, giving him two pair

Cloutier revealed he was holding a 10-9, giving him three of a kind, with two cards still to be dealt. By declining to bet, Cloutier had lured his opponent into a large bet when he held the most powerful hand.

Another nine hit the board, giving Cloutier a full house and an additional $354,000 in chips.

"Way to go, T.J.!" someone shouted from the audience.

Cloutier then struck again. Before any community cards were revealed, Cloutier bet $85,000. Ferguson responded with a $200,000 raise. Without hesitating, Cloutier raised $950,000 -- his second all-in bet in less than an hour.

The move broke Ferguson's poker face for the first time. Ferguson removed his hat and sunglasses, stood, and began pacing back and forth, staring at Cloutier. Cloutier calmly began counting out the chips in his bet.

Ferguson finally tossed in his cards, giving Cloutier more than $1 million in chips. Slowly but surely, Cloutier was cutting into Ferguson's lead as the players took their first break.

Could Cloutier actually pull off such a huge comeback? Absolutely, Behnen said.

In 1982, Behnen recalled, Jack Straus began walking away from a tournament table, his last chips gone, when he discovered a $100 chip under a rail. From that one chip, Behnen said, Straus got back into the game, rebuilt his chip stack and made it to the final showdown.

During the conclusive all-in showdown for the championship, only a 10 would give Straus the win -- and there was only one left in the deck. But the 10 hit with the last card, giving Straus the title.

"Expect the unexpected," Behnen said. "Some things are just meant to be."

It proved to be a remarkable prediction of what was yet to come.

Over the next half-hour, Cloutier pressed his offensive, forcing Ferguson to fold out of several large pots. Before long, he passed the $1.5 million mark.

With a $1 million pot at stake, Cloutier then beat Ferguson's two pair with three kings. Ninety minutes after their heads-up battle began, Cloutier fought back to take a $100,000 chip lead over Ferguson. The crowd cheered Cloutier's comeback.

Ferguson came back to claim a slight lead. But more than two hours into their heads-up match, Ferguson admitted he was starting to get frustrated, as what seemed to once be an overwhelming lead melted away. Twice in the last hour, Ferguson went into all-in showdowns with Cloutier, only to find the Texan held stronger hole cards. Tremendous luck with the community cards led to ties each time, saving Ferguson from elimination.

That apparently led Ferguson to let his luck ride one more time.

Cloutier opened with a $175,000 bet, to be met with a $600,000 raise from Ferguson. Without hesitating, Cloutier went all-in -- a $1.6 million raise.

Ferguson had to decide if his ace of spades and nine of clubs were enough to win the pot.

Time seemed to slow down to a crawl, as Ferguson peered for a long time at his cards, then began folding and unfolding his hands. His hat and sunglasses now gone and forgotten, Ferguson stood up and stared at Cloutier, mouthing a few words to himself. Cloutier calmly counted his chips.

If Ferguson folded, he would surrender more than $700,000 in chips to Cloutier. The way the Texan is playing, that could give Cloutier a chip advantage that would be nearly impossible to overcome. If Ferguson matched the bet and lost, he would be on the brink of elimination.

"I knew I was in trouble," Ferguson said.

Cloutier said he knew what to expect.

"I knew he was going to call, and I knew he had the worst hand," Cloutier said. "He said to me, 'I'll gamble with you."'

More than five minutes after Cloutier's raise, Ferguson finally pushed all of his chips toward Cloutier. Ferguson knew he probably didn't have the best cards, but had decided to turn over his fate to Lady Luck.

"I didn't think I could outplay him, so I just took my chances," Ferguson said. "I knew I had to hit my ace or nine. Calling is probably the wrong move. But everything was going for him. I felt I had to gamble with him."

Ferguson's instincts were correct -- Cloutier showed an ace-queen. At this point, Ferguson stood up, figuring his gamble had failed, and the tournament was over.

The first three community cards didn't help Ferguson, as the dealer turned over a four, a king and a deuce. The fourth card was a second king.

Only a nine could stop Cloutier from completing his improbable comeback -- and there were just three nines left out of 43 cards.

But one, the nine of hearts, hit the table. That final card -- a $1.5 million nine -- gave Ferguson two pair to Cloutier's one and the world championship of poker.

Ferguson thrust his arms in the air with a shout of joy, as the crowd cheered and applauded.

"Way to go, Jesus!" an audience member shouted.

"When that nine hit, I just freaked," said Cathy Burns, Ferguson's girlfriend of five years.

Those in the small circle of poker's elite come by to congratulate the new champion, while photographers, camera crews and reporters from around the United States and the world interviewed Ferguson. Chan joked, "Enjoy it while you can."

Ultimately, poker is about skill. But Ferguson just added another chapter to the World Series of Poker's list of legends with an incredible display of luck.

"Unfortunately, T.J. lost with the best hand," Chan said. "But that's part of the game."

And that's part of Las Vegas.

David Strow is a business and gaming writer for the Sun. He can be reached at (702) 259-4069 or by e-mail at strow@lasvegassun.com.

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