Nothing little about Jonathan's big win

The six figure payout numbers ran right the way down to position six on the final table of this week's World Poker Tour Mirage Poker Showdown, but it was the winner's cheque - for a blockbuster $1 066 295 - that the tough aces fighting it out were all aiming for.

Jonathan Little finally took the big money, but only after some hard poker action against the likes of internationally respected Phil Ivey, Cory Carroll and Darrell Dicken. On only his second World Poker Tour final table, Little showed skill and a cool head to defeat them all and become an instant millionaire.

Little faced Cory Carroll in the big heads up, with the latter way ahead at one point, but Little kept his cool and played precision poker to the last hand and, aided by a measure of good fortune he prevailed. Little's A-6 was dominated by Carroll's A-9 on the last but one hand, but the board showed Q-J-8-8-2 for a split pot.

In the final hand Little held A-2 and Carroll A-7, but this time the worst hand prevailed. A deuce on the flop and another one on the turn made it a truimph for Little, giving him the big check and the champion's title for this year's Mirage Poker Showdown.

Carroll's very creditable performance earned him a second position placing and a payday worth $561 966, while third placed Dicken took home almost $260 000.