The WSOP Circuit Thunder Valley series kicked off this past weekend, but there's one unforgettable presence that's missing.
PokerOrg learned that WSOP Thunder Valley regular William 'Skip the Pirate' Ferguson passed away earlier this month. PokerOrg's Mike Patrick reported the news on Instant Live Friday after hearing of Ferguson's passing while reporting from the ongoing series.
Ferguson was a fixture at Sacramento-area Thunder Valley Poker Room and surrounding areas over the past two decades. He posted six cashes in WSOP events over the course of his poker-playing career, including three at Thunder Valley and two at Harvey's Lake Tahoe just across the California border.
Career-best win at Thunder Valley
One of the highlights of the January 2024 edition of the WSOP Circuit Thunder Valley series came when Ferguson won the series-opening event.
A field of 1,458 came out for Event #1: $400 NLH "The Opener" at that series, and it was the beloved 'Skip the Pirate' topping the field. The win gave Ferguson a career-high $66,782 cash and his first WSOP Circuit Ring.
The then-66-year-old Ferguson was overcome with emotion after the win.
"Words can’t describe it. Total elation," Ferguson told PokerOrg. "I’ve been studying this game for 22 years and it finally came to fruition. Everything that I’ve studied for and did, and practiced, and learned from the pros, works."
Ferguson was down to 2,000 chips at one point in the tournament but spun up the stack and eventually ended up atop the payout ladder in a breakthrough victory.
PokerOrg's Patrick was on hand for that win.
"The unbridled joy of a win along with true characters in poker are too few and far between it seems, and to see such excitement and pure emotion from Skip last fall was truly a great memory for all of us at PokerOrg," Patrick wrote on Instant Live Friday.
You can read Patrick's recap of Ferguson's victory in last year's Opener here.
