Getty Image / Christopher Victorio
Anyone who plays poker even semi-seriously with a group of buddies has dreamt of playing in the World Series of Poker Main Event. But, one player went a bit too far to accomplish his dream of playing in the event, as he lied about a cancer diagnosis in order to raise money for the hefty $10,000 entry fee.
The poker player in question is Rob Mercer of Vallejo, California. Though, calling him a professional would maybe be a bit of a stretch.
According to pokerdb.com,, Mercer’s total live earnings are just over $37,500, with his largest cash at $13,494, all the way back in 2011. And, he hasn’t had a cash of $1000 or mores since November 2021. In other words, not a fantastic player.
Clearly, his poker winnings weren’t funding the $10,000 entry fee to the World Series of Poker Main Event, the annual Texas Hold ‘Em tournament that blew up in the 2000s with increased media attention from ESPN putting it on sports fans televisions all the time.
This year’s even had just over 10,000 players, with a massive prize of $12.1 million, eventually won by Daniel Weinman, to the winner.
According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, when Rob Mercer started a GoFundMe to fund his entry, using a terminal colon cancer diagnosis as an honorable reason as to why people should give money to help him pay the entry fee and cover other related costs.
And, poker players and supporters flocked to the effort, especially after he provided a note requesting his doctor confirming the diagnosis. The GoFundMe raised over the $12,000 it asked for, and Mercer and his dad were even gifted a suite at Bellagio for the World Series of Poker.
Things started to unravel, however. When people started to question the diagnosis and whether the whole thing was a fraud, Rob Mercer admitted he had lied. But, only about the type of cancer, saying that it was not colon cancer and was actually breast cancer. He said that he was too embarrassed to admit he had breast cancer, which the American Cancer Society estimates 1 in 833 men will get in their lifetime.
But, when people started to question it again, and Mercer produced another similar note, people began to get very skeptical due to the similarity of the two notes. After all, how would he not simply be able to have more proof of a diagnosis.
Once confronted by poker influencer Doug Parscal Jr., Mercer deactivated his social media accounts. He has changed his story, saying that, yeah, he lied about a cancer diagnosis, but he thinks he may have breast cancer.
“They’re making me out to be some kind of monster, like this vindictive villain who planned this months in advance,” Mercer said. “It’s just crazy. But I understand. I get it.”
Mercer has accepted his inevitable banishment from the poker community and has stopped playing because of his deteriorating health. He said he spends approximately 18 hours per day in bed.
But Mercer’s lie won’t soon be forgotten by the poker community. One of the unfortunate outcomes, according to Vertucci, is it will make people like him more skeptical and hesitant to donate without more due diligence.
“At the end of the day I lied to a lot of people because I was scared to tell the truth,” Mercer said. “And I guess I’ll have to pay for that.”
-Las Vegas Review Journal
To me, the first major red flag that he made this up was the picture in the article. He’s wearing a mask, which would be pretty normal behavior for someone who is immunocompromised due to a cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatments, or someone COVID-cautious. But, he’s not even wearing it correctly!
And, maybe this guy is battled a significant health challenge. Who is to say? But, it’s safe to say he won’t be getting any more sympathy from the poker community at large.