Chris Ferguson Challenge
In September of 2007 Chris finally achieved his $0 to $10,000 goal. Always true to his word, he donated $10,000 to the Save the Children Foundation upon reaching the $10K mark.
NEW: Chris Ferguson Challenge Video Interview
Chris looks back at the Challenge in this November 2010 interview talking about the early days, strategy, and advice for managing your bankroll.
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Here's how he did it:
Starting with nothing but a Full Tilt Poker account, Chris played in Freerolls until he earned enough to graduate to games with real-money buy-ins. From that point on, he adhered to a strict set of guidelines to build up his bankroll:
- He never bought into a cash game or a Sit & Go for more than 5 percent of his total bankroll; the only exception was at the lowest limits: he was allowed to buy into any game with a buy-in of $2.50 or less
- He didn’t buy into any multi-table tournaments for more than 2 percent of his total bankroll; the only exception was $1 MTTs
- If at any time during a No-Limit or Pot-Limit cash-game session the money on the table represented more than 10 percent of his total bankroll, he had to leave the game when the blinds reached him
Getting started wasn’t easy. In fact, it took more than seven months of steady play until he got his bankroll to stabilize above $100, turning a $1 tournament buy-in into $104 when he finished second in a 683-player tournament. From there, it took Chris eight more months to reach $10K.
The Next Year
After completing his original $0 to $10,000 Challenge, Chris continued to adhere to the guidelines whenever playing at Full Tilt Poker. His next challenge was to add a zero to the end of his original target, building on the $10K he had already won.
The five-time WSOP bracelet winner reached $30K before a downswing knocked him back down to $10k.
From $0 to $10k to $100k+
Undaunted, Chris maintained his disciplined approach and began a steady upward trend, before reaching his target in spectacular fashion. In Event #13 of FTOPS XVII, Chris finished in fifth place to earn a $68,854 prize, taking his bankroll past the $100K mark.
The Challenge Continues
Chris Ferguson continues to build his bankroll based on his guidelines for bankroll management. Look out for Chris playing at Full Tilt Poker as he goes for his next target.
To learn more about how you can turn good play and patience into thousands of dollars, check out Chris’s Pro Tip on bankroll management. Remember that when you play in a game or tournament that is above your head, you are putting your entire bankroll at risk. If you plan ahead and play smart, you'll be able to survive any bad beat or tough run without being crippled. Chris Ferguson knows this – he's done it.