Poker player who drew donations for Las Vegas event lied about dying from cancer
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A poker player who said he had terminal cancer and accepted thousands of dollars in donations so he could play in a World Series of Poker tournament in Las Vegas now admits it was all a lie. Rob Mercer told the Las Vegas Review-Journal he made up a stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis for his GoFundMe page in June. Mercer, of Vallejo, California, was trying to raise enough funds to meet the $10,000 buy-in for the No-limit Hold’em World Championship. He received contributions worth at least $30,000, including a stay at a suite in the Bellagio. However, the 37-year-old says he won’t be refunding anyone because he believes he has undiagnosed breast cancer.