Negreanu Strikes Out at Chris ‘Jesus’ Ferguson

Daniel Negreanu has reacted to the shock return of Chris ‘Jesus’ Ferguson at this year’s World Series of Poker by lambasting the former Full Tilt pro and co-owner’s decision in a series of Twitter messages online.

The Canadian, who has been an outspoken critic of both Ferguson and Howard ‘The Professor’ Lederer, two of the main men behind the debacle which saw $400million+ of players’ funds disappear back in 2011, has become the first of the big names at this year’s WSOP to publicly attack Ferguson. Negreanu tweeted on the day that Ferguson cashed for the first time since 2010:

Chris Ferguson returns to WSOP issuing no apologies, no remorse, as if nothing happened. Feels like a giant slap in the face to players.

— Daniel Negreanu (RealKidPoker) June 7, 2016

Ferguson’s appearance on Saturday night to play the $10,000 Seven-Card Stud Championship - his first live event since the disastrous ‘Ponzi scheme’ downfall which defined poker’s Black Friday – was a huge surprise to poker players and fans everywhere.

Ferguson, along with co-founder Howard ‘The Professor’ Lederer, and Full Tilt CEO Ray Bitar, have been ostracized by the poker community since the site was shut down by the US Department of Justice and player funds were discovered to have been used to pay out massive sums to the men and other owners of the company – nothing being left over to recompense the site’s customers.

Having never admitted wrongdoing nor apologised for his role in one of the darkest days of online poker, Ferguson has been absent from the biggest event of the poker scene for years, but yesterday he walked into the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino to take his place among the thousands of other competitors.

Negreanu followed up his first tweet by calling out the 2000 Main Event champion, who barely spoke to reporters in the Aria Casino.

"I'm just here to play poker" Ferguson's only comment dismisses the damage he caused the poker community while hiding under the covers.

— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) June 7, 2016

Few of his followers online disagreed. One who did, however, was Shaun Stapleton who replied:

RealKidPoker but since you posted Howards apology he's okay? #cmonman

— Shaun Stapleton (@shaun_stapleton) June 7, 2016

In reference to the statement by Lederer, first released by Negreanu on his website two weeks ago.

“I am writing to apologize to everyone in the poker community, especially to all the players who had money on Full Tilt Poker on April 15, 2011,” wrote Lederer, his first apology since the affair broke five years ago.

He continued:

In a move thousands of players had been waiting five long years for, Lederer stated:

Many believed that Lederer’s apology was a precursor to HIS re-appearance at the World Series, and were stunned when Ferguson strode up instead.

I just don't know how after 5 years he doesn't think he owes the players any sense of apology. It's so smug and absurd.

— Daniel Negreanu (RealKidPoker) June 7, 2016

Eric ‘efro’ Froehlich, a two-time bracelet winner himself, tweeted back:

@RealKidPoker while I agree it's ridiculous, I also don't care about him issuing an apology at this point 5 years later. It would be hollow.

— eric froehlich (@efropoker) June 7, 2016

Negreanu replied:

@efropoker even so, any human with a shred of decency would have "something" to say upon return

— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) June 7, 2016

Negreanu wasn’t finished there, however, adding a later tweet saying:

I'd like to know if Ferguson has any remorse, but it seems that his actions are speaking louder than his words. He doesn't seem to care.

— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) June 7, 2016

Ferguson’s return has upset many players, even those who did not suffer personally from the financial disaster caused by Full Tilt’s demise but who have had to watch friends and the game of poker suffer because of the actions taken by Ferguson, Lederer and others.

Although many players were re-imbursed years later after PokerStars repaid much of the debt, a condition of their buy-over of the Full Tilt brand, some 5% of players will still receive nothing – and many had their poker careers and dreams shattered or put on hold because of the unholy mess caused by the ‘mis-management’.

The last couple of days have seen many discussions about what players should do and how they should react to Ferguson if they meet him at the WSOP, a point brought up by PokerTube writer Florian Gheorghe yesterday.

Gheorghe wrote:

Whether Ferguson will continue to appear at the Rio is unknown, but given Negreanu’s latest attack on him, the attitudes of the masses may not be quite so friendly in days to come.