A PUB poker player from Sale could win £25,000 in a high-stakes poker tournament in Las Vegas next month.

Steven Bloor is heading to the bright lights of Las Vegas to compete for the jackpot and the chance to be crowned the UK Pub Poker Champion.

Steven usually plays with his mates at the Buck Inn on Green Lane, Sale, but last week he was told that he had qualified for the prestigious VEGAS100 tournament in the United States.

The big-time VEGAS100 is organised by Redtooth Poker, and it's the UK’s largest live pub poker league with more than 1,000 venues and over 200,000 registered players.

Martin Green, managing director of Redtooth Poker, said: “We are delighted to finally secure our 100 players for the trip to Las Vegas.

"All have done remarkably well to reach this stage, progressing through from their local pubs to numerous regional and national tournaments.

“These are the best pub poker players in the UK so they fully deserve this once in a lifetime trip to America.

"You never know, Steven Bloor may be the next UK poker star to hit the professional stage."

Attention now turns to Las Vegas as Steven and 99 other qualifiers travel to 'Sin City' on May 24 for a trip of a lifetime.

If he plays his cards right, Steven could be coming home to Sale £25,000 richer and boasting a sponsorship deal for the year ahead.

He could also win the title of Player of Year and earn himself a return trip to Las Vegas with a seat at the World Series of Poker event in 2019.