Another sports star left Britain bound for Vegas this week to join the more than 6 000 players vying for the top prize in the World Series of Poker.
The multi-millionaire Scots snooker champion Stephen Hendry (36) is aiming for the top position and a different kind of pot – the lucrative prizes offered by WSOP to the skilled, the daring and the fortunate. Hendry’s $10 000 buy-in has been sponsored by betting group BetFred.
Hendry, a poker player for the past 18 months said: “You can talk about all the biggest sports events in the world but there is more money in this event than anything else. It’s just incredible.”
“I just enjoy the game so much. The skill factor is what really appeals to me. I’m going there to enjoy myself and I know, win or lose, that it’s going to be a fantastic experience.”
One of Hendry’s opponents in Las Vegas will be fellow Scot Stuart Beaton, 36, who has never played a game face to-face with other players. He won his $10,000 buy-in in an online poker tournament after mastering the game in six months.
The IT operator, who has won hundreds of pounds playing on the internet, jetted out to America on Saturday. But experts have warned him he will find playing face-to-face much tougher than online gaming.
Seasoned card players are notorious for their ability to bluff and play mind games with their opponents
The Las Vegas contest involves over 6000 players, who will be whittled down to a final nine after five days of play.