Two Famous Poker Players Join PPA Board

"Jesus" Ferguson and Greg "Fossilman" Raymer, the famous WSOP Champions joined the Poker Players Alliance Board of Directors. PPA is a leading organization with over 29,000 American poker players registered.

Michael Bolcerek, president of the Poker Players Alliance talks about Chris and Greg as great Ambassadors for the game of poker and is sure that their tremendous reputations as poker professionals will provide the PPA with a wealth of knowledge and commitment as we continue to promote and protect poker."

The PPA Board members also include other prominent names in the poker world, such as Linda Johnson, Howard Lederer, Greg Dinkin, Mary Magazine and Jan Fisher.

Ferguson and Raymer, along with the PPA and fellow poker professional Howard Lederer, met with members of Congress to educate them about the game of poker and why attempts to ban the game online are erroneous.

After accepted his position on the Board, Ferguson said, "The PPA's mission to protect the integrity of poker makes the organization so significant in defeating attacks by Congress and others. I plan to get more involved in educating the public and lawmakers about our great game of poker and working to ensure that this American tradition is protected."

Raymer also commented, "As a poker player, I am sincerely troubled about the attacks that have been launched against the game at the state level and the federal level. Serving on the Board of Directors will allow me the prospect to become more personally engaged in the challenges and opportunities faced by poker players as we work to guarantee that this game of skill is not defenseless."

With a background in game theory and a Ph.D. in computer science, Ferguson started his career in 1989 when he discovered the IRC Poker Network and, in the mid-1990, began to play text-only poker in this chat room styled site. Over and over again Ferguson was listed as one of the top players on the IRC network, so he soon started playing in small tournaments in Los Angeles.

In 1996, Ferguson won a spot in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and in 2000 he won the event.

A patent attorney by trade, Raymer took his career in an unquestionably different direction when he tried to use his knowledge and skills to make history at the poker table. Raymer played for a few years in online poker rooms and in 2004 he won a seat at the WSOP event through an Internet poker site.

Wearing his trademark lizard-eye hologram eyeglasses, he played aggressive poker for six days straight, besting the more than 2,500 entrants to win the main event at the WSOP, and collect the largest purse ever paid to date to a winner of a poker tournament: $5 million.