A gem of a win for Danny

Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but poker works just fine for New York jewelry store owner Danny Yousefzadeh, who has just taken the Atlantic City World Series of Poker Circuit title and the top prize of $488 828.

In an exciting heads up with newbie tournament player John McMahon that took almost 3 hours to finalise, the 40 year old New Yorker prevailed after a tough contest at Caesars Casino. McMahon's bold and unpredictable playing style was difficult to gauge, and at times the newbie player looked as if he may pull it off and cause one of the biggest surprise wins in WSOP circuit history.

The beginner's pay check of $268 858, and the experience gained of highly competitive and pressurised poker made the trip worthwhile for MacMahon, and the six figure paydays enjoyed by the four top survivors in the event sent them home smiling, too.