Poker Player Admits To Lying About Cancer Diagnosis After Accepting Donations To Play In WSOP

Defend Mercer has admitted that he lied about having colon most cancers after accepting about $40,000 in donations to play within the WSOP Foremost Occasion. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Feel-appropriate turns in actuality feel-inferior

Once a year at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), there are in actuality feel-appropriate experiences about gamers who overcame complicated eventualities to be there and dwell their dream of competing on poker’s supreme stage. Defend Mercer seemed like he might perchance need been a spread of, having permitted round $40,000 in donations from the poker community after claiming he had stage 4 colon most cancers and in actuality wanted to play within the WSOP. But now he has admitted it modified into as soon as all a lie.

I did lie about having colon most cancers. I don’t procure colon most cancers.”

In a phone interview with the Las Vegas Evaluation-Journal, Mercer confessed: “I did lie about having colon most cancers. I don’t procure colon most cancers. I aged that to quilt my space. What I did modified into as soon as corrupt. I shouldn’t procure told of us I truly procure colon most cancers. I did that appropriate as a spur-of-the-moment factor when someone asked me what more or much less most cancers I had.”

“I’m sorry for now no longer being unswerving about what my space modified into as soon as. If I would procure executed that from Day 1, who’s conscious of what would procure took inform,” he added.

Ominous signs

There were suspicions in regards to the veracity of Mercer’s legend a month within the past, nevertheless it wasn’t till this week that Mercer himself confirmed that he made up the prognosis. He first and indispensable bought the eye of poker influencer Doug Parscal, Jr., who goes by “SnoopDoug” on-line, by a post on X in February asking for support as a result of he had most cancers.

Quickly forward to June and Parscal, who had equipped to determine on Mercer into tournaments, bought Hustler Casino Stay producer Carve Vertucci to attend out. Vertucci bought the notice out and Mercer raised $12,000 on a GoFundMe, permitted extra non-public donations, and modified into as soon as given a collection at the Bellagio for he and his father.

acted ungrateful for the Bellagio pause

In Las Vegas for the WSOP Foremost Occasion – he modified into as soon as eradicated on Day 1 – Mercer gave off inferior vibes to of us fascinated in regards to the fundraising. Vertucci said Mercer acted ungrateful for the Bellagio pause and observed him playing casino pit games. His father also bought into an incident that required the involvement of security.

Textual remark confession

After which there modified into as soon as Cody Daniels, a poker player who in actuality does procure a terminal illness and modified into as soon as appropriate launched from one other stint within the nicely being facility a pair days within the past. He met Mercer by Vertucci and bought alongside with him in individual at the WSOP. After a brief conversation, he came away with an uneasy feeling, saying: “It modified into as soon as fishy to us, and clearly we weren’t the supreme ones.”

has now no longer long past to a physician

The previous day, Parscal posted screenshots of a prolonged textual remark message from Mercer to Daniels, apologizing for lying about having colon most cancers. Mercer said he has been ailing for over a year with signs which procure led him to deem that he has breast most cancers, nonetheless has now no longer long past to a physician out of wretchedness that he would win the most cancers prognosis and it can well become true. Mercer also said he has suffered from despair, which has presumably contributed to now no longer searching out for medical therapy.

Mercer said he told of us he had colon most cancers out of embarrassment that, as a male, he might perchance procure breast most cancers. After which he saved going with the lie, accepting donations and Las Vegas comps.

He added that he has permitted being shunned by the poker community and that “I introduced a range of it on myself.” No topic the apology, Mercer said he’s now no longer repaying the cash as a result of he is on the total ailing, with out reference to the truthfulness of what illness he said he has.

On his YouTube prove, Vertucci said: “He’s mild a human being and you need to to care about every person on the earth with out reference to what a mountainous piece of cheese they’re going to also simply be. I don’t desire the kid to procure most cancers. Within the ruin, I’d rather him appropriate be a inferior individual.”