When it comes to selling beer on television, companies have hired the likes of Bob Uecker and John Elway among others to pitch suds, but nobody sells beer like "Jesus."

Sporting a resemblance to that famous fellow in the miracle business with his long locks and well-kept beard, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson is the pitchman for Milwaukee's Best Light beer. Ferguson stars in a series of ads that hit the new high-water mark for mainstream companies using poker players for endorsements.

If you haven't seen his television spots yet, they are hilarious. Usually shown during ESPN's World Series of Poker broadcasts, the ads focus on a group of guys playing poker when a key decision surfaces between the players.

One guy gets up and heads to the fridge to grab a beer, where Ferguson sits stuffed inside to tell the man whether the correct thing to do would be to hold or fold in that particular situation. The cards are then shown to see if Ferguson's read was correct, and a comical quip from the poker great ensues to end the commercial.

While not all endorsements are as lucrative as Ferguson's latest gig, the opportunities are plentiful in the poker circles, and the popular players are starting to take advantage of it.

Almost every player that does well in a television event has some sort of deal in place with an online poker room.

Daniel Negreanu is set to have his own video game "Stacked" released any day now, and was hired on as the official poker ambassador to the posh Wynn Las Vegas resort on the Strip prior to its opening last April. He also endorses a vitamin geared to help poker players focus during long sessions if you can believe that.

Upper Deck trading cards plans to release a collectible set featuring poker players and it has inked players such as Antonio Esfandiari and Hoyt Corkins to a deal. Erick Lindgren and Howard Lederer endorse Knob Creek whiskey, although you won't see them sipping that at the table.

Then there is the Elvis of poker pitchmen: the one and only Phil Hellmuth Jr. Hellmuth seems to be more focused on being the greatest poker businessman now than its greatest player. Nicknamed the "Bad Boy of Poker" for his outlandish and taunting behavior at the table, Hellmuth has his own clothing line, instructional DVD's and books. Hellmuth even hosts pricey fantasy camps where players can pony up $3,000 to spend a week with the nine-time World Series of Poker champion and other pros.

"I love being the 'Bad Boy of Poker,'" Hellmuth said. "It's an image that has made me a lot of money, and it has kept me at the forefront of the poker craze and opened up a tremendous number of business opportunities."

Currently affiliated with ultimatebet.com and greentiepoker.com, Hellmuth is now promoting a series of free online tournaments from state to state where the winners can win a free pass to his Camp Hellmuth with cash to boot. This weekend they are staging tournaments for Texas residents (visit sanantoniopokerchallenge.com for more details).

So far, players have been fiercely protective of their endorsement companies, and the actual dollar figures associated with them. It's easier to get a child to eat sardines than try to pry out the details of Negreanu's financial deal with the Wynn.

Despite the perceived riches that many folks associate with high-stakes poker players, the money goes fast when you are posting a $5,000 to $10,000 buy-in every week to play in the tournaments. It's not uncommon for a player to bomb out of 10 or more tournaments in a row without cashing, putting a dent of $100,000 or more in their bankroll.

The endorsements don't offset these loses, but they at least alleviate a little bit of the sting.