A poker player from Vallejo, California, has apologized for lying about having terminal cancer to raise funds for entry into the World Series of Poker Main Event. In June, Rob Mercer created a GoFundMe page to gather the $10,000 needed for the tournament. His story touched many, and he reportedly earned between $30,000 and $50,000, allowing him to participate.
… Suspicions arose in the poker community due to his vague responses about his illness and the lack of concrete evidence for his alleged colon cancer diagnosis. Witnesses also claimed to have seen him gambling in a casino, which he defensively denied. Finally, Mercer confessed, admitting that he had lied about having colon cancer on a whim and that he actually believed he had undiagnosed breast cancer. As a result, he does not plan to return the money obtained through GoFundMe
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