Poker ace back from Las Vegas

5:29pm Monday 21st July 2008

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A WINCHESTER poker player proved he is among the best after competing in the sharp end of a global tournament.

Mark Crocker, 52, flew to Las Vegas earlier this month to compete with nearly 6,900 other players.

He emerged in a creditable 352nd place, and was one the highest-ranked British entrants.

The trip cost him the nominal sum of $11, thanks to winning several qualifying rounds to reach the final.

A keen on-line poker player, he entered a tournament run by Ladbrokes using his pseudonym, Balou.

He started with the equivalent of £5.50 in chips. After surviving several matches, collecting the spoils of fallen rivals, he amassed $14,000 - around £7,000 - and reached the final.

He said: "You need to have lady luck on your side at times like this, but that was what happened, and I managed to win a seat at the final in Las Vegas."

The poker games took place at the Rio Hotel and Casino, with competitors dropping out as their cash ran dry.

Mr Crocker survived longer than most, competing for four days until his chips were finally exhausted.

Finishing in 352nd place, he narrowly missed the cut for the leading 100 players, who will return to Nevada in November to play for a $1m jackpot.

Mr Crocker, who was part of a 120-strong party backed by Ladbrokes, was one of the team's top performers. The squad also featured a couple of celebrities, including six times world snooker champion, Steve Davis, and Canadian darts player, John Part.

Said Mr Crocker: "I got to know Steve Davis quite well while I was out there. He played well and was very unlucky, going out just shortly before I did. John Part was also a nice guy as well.

"Ladbrokes provided a players' enclosure for us, which was good. It was a lot of fun being in Las Vegas, especially getting down to the thin end of the wedge in a major tournament."

Mr Crocker, an executive director in technologies, who lives with his wife, Elizabeth, in Sarum Close, now hopes to compete in more major contests in the future.