Poker stars feeling flush as tournament heads to city

ONE of the world's most renowned poker players is heading to the Capital to take part in a major tournament.

The PokerStars UK & Ireland Poker Tour, the region's largest tour with a 200,000 prize pool, will be held at the Corn Exchange over four days in August.

Among the stars on show will be Chris Moneymaker, who shot to fame in 2003 after entering a tournament on Pokerstars.com with a $39 stake and winning a seat at a tournament in Las Vegas, where he claimed top spot, a coveted gold bracelet and a grand prize of $2.5 million.

His story sparked a huge wave of interest in the game and encouraged thousands of people to start playing poker online.

Also taking part will be the leading players in the tournament.

The PokerStars UK & Ireland Poker Tour will be held from August 11-14, and players can either qualify through online heats or register online at www.ukipt.com.