Many poker players out there act like the game is a matter of life and death. Damon Ferrante knows better.

Just 47-years old, Ferrante has already been forced to confront his own mortality. After being diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in 2011, Ferrante – who was born in New York City but calls Mine Hill, New Jersey home – found that losing a hand on the river meant rather little when compared to the prospect of losing his life.

Ferrante is a man with much to live for, as the proud father of two daughters, a happy husband and a successful business owner, which made his unexpected diagnosis such a shock to the system. As Ferrante tells PokerNews in the latest entry to our ongoing Local Spotlight series, playing the game he’s always loved as a hobby soon became integral to the ongoing process of restoring his health.

“I went for a routine visit to my doctor and had blood work done,” Ferrante told us. “One week later my life was turned upside down when I was diagnosed with CLL”

“Soon I found myself crying suddenly, just thinking that the worst was yet to come. It seemed like cancer was nearly impossible to overcome, and I still go through that today here and there. The one thing that I found capable of keeping me from thinking bad thoughts all the time was poker. All my worries over my health seemed to disappear while I was at the table playing poker.”

Ferrante attributes his ability to use poker as therapy to the understanding and patience of his wife, who he readily calls his best friend.

“I’ve been married for 22 years, and my wife has always been very supportive in anything I've done, standing behind me 100% win or lose,” Ferrante told us. “My wife, my rock, my best friend, convinced me that I should enjoy doing the things in life that make me happy and keep the stress away. I became a strict Vegan, began taking supplements, and of course, played a lot more poker. My wife and friends encouraged me, to do what I do best and to do whatever made me happy, which was poker. Today, I run a weekly home game tournament with 20 or so of my good friends, which runs every Monday night for the last 2 years or so. The camaraderie among most poker players is something words cannot express, when it comes to helping and supporting friends. I'm blessed to have so many friends and such a strong supporting family.”

When asked why poker meant so much to him while successfully keeping his CLL in its lowest stage – Ferrante is currently in Stage 0 of the disease and shows no signs of remission – Ferrante was open in his love for a game that many consider to be a cutthroat pursuit.

“Like most guys my age I began playing cash home games at an early age, and the allure of winning money was very attractive to me even at that time,” he told us. “I became of student of the game, winning more than I lost and learning each time I played. Then, like millions of others, I watched Chris Moneymaker win the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event as an amateur. That kicked off my tournament poker career. I started playing local home game tournaments a year later and eventually graduated to casino tournaments.”

Like anybody else, Ferrante loves poker more when he wins, and fortunately for him he happens to do that quite frequently. Raised in Parsippany, N.J., Ferrante calls Atlantic City home when it comes to cards, and all seven of his recorded scores have come on the shore. We first noticed Ferrante on Day 1a of the Borgata Winter Poker Open's first event, when the exuberant player caught our attention celebrating a win on the river.

“When I played a $65 tournament at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City early on and took first place for $2,725, I was immediately hooked,” he said. “I began travelling to AC once every couple weeks and playing low fee poker tourneys. I became extremely good at employing an aggressive tournament style, and I won more than my fair share of first place payouts and final table chops. My biggest win was a five-handed chop for $16,000 in a WPT event in 2008 (the Borgata Winter Poker Open’s $350 NLHE event), and from there the game has been an important part of my life.”

“I was feeling guilty about being away for a couple days at a time in Atlantic City while raising children and being married,” Ferrante told us. “So, I started online play at home instead. I won a $1.00 satellite seat to the World Series Of Poker Main Event in 2007, which was offered by Golden Palace Poker, who sponsored me at that time. I had a great time in the Main Event and learned a lot about the game.”

In addition to poker, Ferrante has found second lifeline as he struggles to keep his leukemia in its lowest stage, with the state of New Jersey’s legalization of medical marijuana enabling him to explore one of the most viable alternative options on the market today. As Ferrante explains, the combination of poker as a pastime and permissible pot has proven to be invaluable to his ongoing effort to keep the incurable blood disease at bay.

“I recently became a verified medical marijuana patient in the state of New Jersey, which also helps with my stress relief and pain management,” he told us. “When combining the two forms of therapy together, my problems feel like they disappear, even if that feeling is only for a short time.”

Trying to beat both cancer and the toughest games in town, Ferrante has a message for fellow members of the poker community who may encounter adversities that make one-outers pale in comparison.

“I would love to see more people with life threatening ailments enjoy life and do what makes them happy, rather than simply staying home and feeling sorry for themselves,” he said. “We only get one go around in this world, so make it a happy one folks. I'm not saying to commit all your time to poker, but do whatever it is that makes you feel like you’re having fun and not stressing all day about your problems.”

“And I just want to thank each and every person I've ever played poker against, both recreationally and professionally, because each of you helped me to get through this. It’s an ongoing battle but I hope one day they will find a cure. Until then, it pays to remain optimistic.”

Tags: Damon Ferrante