A poker player who wanted to play in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas lied about terminal colon cancer to raise up to $50,000 on GoFundMe.
Rob Mercer says he didn’t have stage 4 cancer when he started a GoFundMe to raise $10,000 to play in the No-Limit Hold’em World Championship.
‘I lied about colon cancer. I don’t have colon cancer. I used that to cover up my situation,” Mercer said in an interview with the BBC Las Vegas Review Journal.
According to the Review-Journal, Mercer received donations estimated at between $30,000 and $50,000, including a suite at the Bellagio during the event.
Even worse, the amateur poker player says he has no intention of paying back the money because he believes he has undiagnosed breast cancer and is actually sick.
Rob Mercer (pictured) lied about his terminal colon when he launched a GoFundMe earlier this year to pay his way to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, Nevada
The GoFundMe, set up by the amateur poker player, raised more than $12,000
Speaking to the outlet, Mercer doubled down on his apology for lying, but insisted he has no plans to return the money.
‘What I did was wrong. I shouldn’t have told people I had colon cancer. I did that out of the blue when someone asked me what type of cancer I had,” Mercer said in a telephone interview.
‘I’m sorry I wasn’t honest about my situation. “If I had done that from day one, who knows what would have happened,” he continued.
In total, the man has raised just over $12,000 through his GoFundMe.
One person, identified as Benjamin Lee, donated almost half the money, a whopping $4,649. Others donated hundreds and one other person donated $1,000.
Mercer said he was contacted by a GoFundMe representative who told him the fund would not be allowed to accept additional gifts because it violates its terms of service.
In addition to the monetary donations, Mercer also received perks, including a suite at the Bellagio, which can cost several thousand dollars depending on various factors.
In a statement to the Review-Journal, a Bellagio representative said they could not confirm whether Mercer was a guest or how much the suite cost.
“There are many different factors that play a role in prices, so I can’t give you a definitive price,” the spokesperson said.
Mercer used the money he raised to play his way to the World Series of Poker
The authenticity of Mercer’s cancer diagnosis was first brought up by members of the poker community, primarily poker influencer Doug Parscal Jr.
Parscal first responded to a DM from Mercer in February in which Mercer asked Parscal for help because he had cancer.
The influencer offered to use him (fund his game) for a tournament in Lincoln, California earlier this year.
“He responded and said, ‘I’m too sick right now, but I appreciate the offer,’” Parscal told the Las Vegas store. ‘And that was it.’
However, in June, Mercer contacted Parscal again and asked him to highlight his GoFundMe to cover his buy-in to the WSOP event.
Parscal then used his own connections to help his co-star raise money, including connecting him with famed player Nick Vertucci.
According to the Review-Journal, Vertucci offered to cover the difference if Mercer’s GoFundMe ultimately didn’t reach its goal.
The fundraiser ultimately reached its goal, as did private donations and gifts.
During the tournament, Mercer was eliminated a few hours into the match and the lie began to unfold before the eyes of the world.
Vertucci said that Mercer was seen gambling at the casino after his elimination, leading many to wonder if he spent the money he raised.
When confronted, he became defensive, Vertucci told the outlet.
Afterwards, the senior poker player distanced himself from the amateur.
Mercer played in the No-limit Hold’em World Championship at the Las Vegas event
It wasn’t until another poker player and donor pulled him aside at the World Series of Poker event that they realized he might be lying about his health.
Cody Daniels, a chronically ill poker player who donated $2,500 to Mercer, said Mercer gave vague answers to his questions about his health during the conversation.
“He was very vague about the answers,” Daniels said. ‘Nobody wanted to say it. We thought it was strange, and we were clearly not the only ones.”
Parscal made the discovery after asking Mercer for proof of his cancer, providing a MyChart.org note asking his doctor to confirm his diagnosis.
Mercer presented a similar message to the poker community in June and the message was never responded to by the doctor.
Parscal began to doubt Mercer’s story after the WSOP and received several calls from donors expressing similar concerns.
After being confronted, Mercer deactivated his social media accounts.
He said he understood why it looked suspicious.
“Obviously I was just trying to keep up with my story,” Mercer said.
‘I didn’t want to be in the public eye because it looks bad. It looks bad. I lied. I’m not going to deny that. I lied. “I should have just been transparent and comfortable about what was going on with me and told people what was going on,” he continued.
A suite at the iconic Bellagio hotel was given to Mercer
Mercer claims he has cancer, but that he lied because he was ashamed to admit he may have breast cancer, which has also yet to be confirmed.
“I ended up lying to a lot of people because I was afraid to tell the truth,” Mercer said. “And I think I’ll have to pay for that,” Mercer said.
Vertucci said he hopes the man who defrauded him and others really doesn’t have terminal breast cancer.
“He’s still a human being and you have to take care of everyone on this planet, no matter what a big piece of cheese they may be,” Vertucci said.
‘I don’t want the child to get cancer. Ultimately, I’d rather he be a bad person,” the poker player continued.