Jacob Ferro

Jacob Ferro, often called Jake, was born in 1989 and grew up in Syracuse, New York. He first entered live poker tournaments in December 2008, cashing in a No-Limit Hold'em event in Verona, New York. His first tournament victory came in May 2011 at the East Coast Poker Championships, where he won over $5,000. Ferro continued to build his resume with a deepstack win at the Rio in Las Vegas in June 2012, earning nearly $55,000. For the next several years, he focused on smaller events and online play, gradually honing his skills before breaking through on the major stage.

Ferro's big breakthrough came in 2021. He cashed for $15,690 at the WPT Tampa stop in June, then in November he finished runner-up in the $3,500 WPT Rock 'N' Roll Open at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, collecting a career-best $573,605. He followed that with a 14th-place finish in the prestigious $10,400 WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic at Bellagio for $80,245. These three cashes totaling $669,540 earned him the Season XIX WPT Player of the Year title, edging out defending champion Brian Altman by 100 points. Ferro said, "I’m thrilled to have won WPT Player of the Year for Season XIX and am definitely looking forward to playing more World Poker Tour events in 2022." In March 2022, he placed third in a Wynn Millions event for $230,000.

Ferro continued to perform well in high-stakes tournaments. At the 2022 World Series of Poker, he made 11 cashes, including a sixth-place finish in Event #58: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better for $53,288. He also final-tabled the PokerGO Tour Championship in 2022, finishing fifth for $184,000. In 2023, he cashed in the WPT World Championship ($28,900) and several WSOP events. At the 2024 WSOP, he placed 127th in the $10,000 Main Event for $85,000. His total live earnings stand at over $2.6 million, placing him among the top American players on the all-time money list.

Jacob Ferro, often known as Jake, was born in 1989 in Syracuse, New York. He grew up in the area and began playing live poker tournaments in December 2008, cashing in a No-Limit Hold'em event in Verona, New York. Despite a modest start, he won his first tournament at the East Coast Poker Championships in May 2011 for over $5,000. Over the next decade, he played smaller events and online poker, gradually building his skills. Before 2021, Ferro had never cashed in a World Poker Tour event and his total live earnings from 2008 through 2020 were just $190,000, according to The Hendon Mob.

Ferro's Season XIX WPT Player of the Year title was a breakthrough achievement. He accumulated 1,550 points from three cashes, narrowly beating defending champion Brian Altman's 1,450 points. His run began with a 39th-place finish at WPT Tampa for $15,690. The highlight was a runner-up finish in the $3,500 WPT Rock 'N' Roll Open in November 2021, where he earned $573,605, his largest career cash. He followed with a 14th-place in the $10,400 WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic for $80,245. Combined, these results earned him $669,540 in WPT events, and his total live earnings in 2021 reached $1,050,000—a dramatic increase from his previous $190,000 over 12 years. Ferro became the first player since Season VIII to win POY without a WPT title.

Beyond the WPT, Ferro has posted strong results in other tournaments. In March 2021, he finished second in the bestbet Spring Series Main Event for $120,000. At the 2022 Wynn Millions, he took third place for $230,000. He final-tabled the 2022 PokerGO Tour Championship, finishing fifth for $184,000. At the 2022 World Series of Poker, he made 11 cashes, including a sixth-place finish in Event #58: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better for $53,288. His first WSOP cash came in 2019, when he placed 555th in the Main Event for $24,560. As of 2025, his total live earnings exceed $2.6 million, ranking him 1,092nd on the all-time money list.