When you think of the all-time greats in the world of poker, Fred “Sarge” Ferris has to be at the top of your list. Ferris played poker and was good at it. Realizing that some people play poker for fun and others play it as a hobby, few of them had what it takes to make a living playing. Fred “Sarge” Ferris knew it was.
Fred “Sarge” Ferris grew up in the Great Depression and his father did his best to put food on the table. Living in poverty, his brother enlisted in the Navy and later became a well-known watchmaker and jeweler. I wanted to choose a different path. So he started gambling. He didn’t call it a game. He was a consummate professional, never showing his cards or revealing any information.
Although it was not much for publicity, Ferris began to attract the attention of the other players and media as well. He began to win big jackpots and high-stakes cash games by earning the respect of his peers. His first major victory came in a 2-7 tie in 1980 for $ 10,000. He then won $ 150,000 and a gold bracelet in the World Series of Poker. After collecting his winnings, Fred Ferris was approached by a man named Stu Ungar.
Ungar did everything he could to convince Ferris that he could win the World Series of Poker, but he needed Fred’s help to pay for the buy-in. Fred was not convinced at first to help him, after Ungar told him that he had never played in a tournament before. Yet here was a man so convinced that he could do that Fred gave him a chance. Fred approached it as if it were no different than playing cards; for him it was just another gamble. Ungar played masterfully, dueling Fred’s arch rival Doyle Brunson to win the World Series of poker.
On April 22, 1983, IRS agents approached Ferris in the game room and seized $ 46,000 in tokens. He made headlines on the news circuits while sitting in Binion’s Horseshoe in high-stakes games. The money was reportedly later seized due to back taxes that Ferris owed to the federal government. One of the agents told Ferris to use the remaining money and buy a taco.
Fred “Sarge” Ferris and his scandal outrage local Hispanic communities. Protesting that one of the agents mocked the Ferris ethnic group. His parents were born in Lebanon but somehow mistook him for a Mexican. This was all a misunderstanding. Ferris said the agent was trying to be nice. The incident finally ended.
For most of his life, he spent all of his time at the poker table. It seems fitting that his tombstone is made from a poker table, he died there. On March 12, 1989, after playing a high-stakes cash game, he suffered a massive heart attack. His funeral took place in Las Vegas. Many people attended his funeral. People came to show their condolences, some were glad that he had died.
However, after all that Ferris brought to the game, he became the 18th member of the poker hall of fame. Later that year, after a lengthy investigation by the Las Vegas casinos and the Indian gaming commission, Ferris would be linked as one of five men who were in debt to the mob. To Fred’s credit, the mob would never see his money.
He will be remembered for his accolades and achievements in the world of poker. His intelligence for the game and his techniques have earned him the respect of future poker players. Fred “Sarge” Ferris was called an “consummate professional” for a reason.