Poker Player Lies About Cancer Diagnosis To Get Into WSOP Main Event, Apologizes

A poker player who lied about having terminal cancer in order to raise funds to get into the World Series of Poker Main Event is now apologizing for his fib ... saying this week, "What I did was wrong."

Rob Mercer -- a 37-year-old Vallejo, Calif. native -- came up with the tale back in June, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, in an effort to gather the $10,000 he needed to buy in to the world's most prestigious poker event in July in Las Vegas.

Mercer created a GoFundMe with the hopes of gathering the cash -- and it touched so many, it reportedly led to him earning between $30,000 and $50,000 ... allowing him entry into the tournament.

But, the Review-Journal reports several in the poker community became suspicious of Mercer over the way he had acted at the event. Mercer had reportedly provided vague responses to questions about his illness and failed to share concrete proof of his alleged terminal colon cancer diagnosis as well.

The outlet also reports several people saw him gambling in a casino, and when he was approached about the poor optics of that ... he was said to have been defensive.

Eventually, Mercer fessed up about everything, telling the Review-Journal on Tuesday, "I shouldn't have told people I have colon cancer. I did that just as a spur-of-the-moment thing when someone asked me what kind of cancer I had."

Mercer, however, said his story wasn't without at least some merit. He told the outlet he believes he does have undiagnosed breast cancer -- and he made up the colon cancer story because he was embarrassed to say he was dealing with a disease not as commonly found in men.

"I did lie about having colon cancer," said Mercer, who ended up getting eliminated from the Main Event early on. "I don't have colon cancer. I used that to cover my situation."

Mercer said due to his belief that he does have breast cancer, he has no intentions of returning the money he obtained through his GoFundMe.

As for his future on poker tables, Mercer told the Review-Journal he has quit playing due to "his deteriorating health." He told the news organization that he now spends around 18 hours a day in bed.