A poker participant lied about having most cancers and obtained hundreds of {dollars} donated to play in a match

(CNN) — A California man who donated hundreds of {dollars} to play within the World Sequence of Poker lied about his terminal most cancers, the Las Vegas Evaluation-Journal reported.

Robert Mercer, who claims to have stage 4 colon most cancers, satisfied folks to donate to his GoFundMe marketing campaign to pay for his participation in a Las Vegas pageant.

Now, the 37-year-old Vallejo resident tells the Las Vegas Evaluation-Journal that’s a lie.

“I lied about having colon most cancers. I didn’t have colon most cancers,” Mercer advised David Schoen of the Las Vegas Evaluation-Journal. “I used it to cover my situation. What I did was improper. I shouldn’t have advised folks I had colon most cancers.”

Based on the newspaper, Mercer began the GoFundMe in June.

However after just a few months, members of the poker neighborhood turned suspicious of Mercer’s place, in accordance with Doug Parscall Jr., who donated to Mercer.

“It was a mixture of feelings as a result of, on the one hand, I wished him to lie,” Parskal Jr. advised CNN. “As a result of I don’t need anybody to die from it.”

The objective of the GoFundMe is to satisfy Mercer’s dream of taking part in within the WSOP’s US$10,000 buy-in No Restrict Maintain’em World Championship. Las Vegas Evaluation-Journal.

Mercer obtained donations by means of private transactions, together with a bundle paid for on the Bellagio Lodge throughout the match. In complete, he obtained between $30,000 and $50,000 in donations, the newspaper stated.

Based on the Evaluation-Journal, she has no intention of returning the cash to anybody as a result of she “believes she has undiagnosed breast most cancers and that the donations have been made as a result of she was sick.”

CNN has reached out to Mercer for remark.

A “horrible” act

Cody Daniels additionally competes within the World Sequence of Poker, however says he’s legitimately battling a persistent sickness. She is a 2015 Make-A-Want recipient who used her want to meet former President Barack Obama. Studying of Mercer’s misdiagnosis was “terrifying,” she advised CNN.

“When questions got here up about his sickness, I didn’t know who to show to,” Daniels advised CNN. “I advised myself, ‘Lie or die.’”

“I’ve spent half my life within the hospital and it’s loopy to do what he did,” Daniels stated. “It’s a disgrace and one of many saddest issues I’ve ever seen.”

Parscal Jr., for his half, says he misplaced a good friend to colon most cancers. That’s why, he says, he’s an enormous promoter of Mercer’s fundraising. Though he calls the state of affairs “twisted,” he says it’s extra vital than cash.

“We spent a number of time and emotion,” Parskal Jr. stated.

Many individuals within the poker neighborhood texted Mercer to supply their help, and Mercer cried on the cellphone, Parscal Jr. says.

GoFundMe spokesman Jeff Platt says the web fundraiser has been suspended since Mercer’s confession.

“GoFundMe has zero tolerance for abuse of our platform and takes swift motion towards those that exploit the generosity of our neighborhood,” Platt stated in an announcement to CNN. “All donors have been refunded in full, and Rob Mercer has been banned from utilizing the fundraising web site sooner or later.”

Based on Platt, the GoFundMe is cooperating with police investigations.