NI poker ace in £450,000 jackpot

A north Belfast poker ace has won a staggering £450,000 at a four-day competition in Dublin.

Marty Smyth, who plays poker professionally, beat 708 other players at the Paddypower.com Irish Open on Sunday night.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Marty said winning the sizeable sum was a dream come true.

"I thought I had a chance of doing well but I surpassed all my expectations," he said.

"Of all the competitions this is the one I most wanted to win because it is in my home country.

"There were 708 entries and there were a lot of good players who could easily have won but I guess I just had a little bit more luck than the others."

Of all the competitions this is the one I most wanted to win because it is in my home country Marty Smyth

However, Marty who said he is "not going to rush out and buy any Ferraris or start running about in Armani suits" does not win every time.

"I've had a few days on the net where I've won and lost amounts up to $50,000," he said.

Last year, the Belfast man enjoyed a very merry Christmas after winning £51,000 in the Ladbrokes Millions tournament, although he was actually the first one out when the competition, which had a top prize of $1.2 million, reached its televised stages.

The Paddypower.com Irish Open will be shown be on RTE 2 and Challenge TV later this month.