Poker league is flushed with success
It's a full house in Chorley as poker fever takes over the town.
The town's newest club has opened in a garage and is now struggling to cope with spiralling demand.
Interest has boomed since Chorley poker pro, Jonathan Kalmar, won $1.25m at the World Championships in Las Vegas earlier this year.
Fan David McDermott was bitten by the bug and converted his garage into a fully loaded poker den in September last year when he wife bought him a poker table for his 50th birthday.
But since then interest in his poker games has really taken off.
With his friends, he formed the Chorley Poker League which started its first season in June 2006 with eight members.
But now, as the popular league approaches its second full season, David is struggling to cope with the demand.
He said: "I've got over 50 people who now want to play and I don't have room for them all. I'm having to turn away players every week."
David's son Terry also hosts poker nights.
But a change in the law means more and more poker venues could soon start to appear. The 2005 Gambling Act, which came into effect on September 1 this year, allows small stakes poker games to take place in pubs.
David said: "The money we play for is quite small. If anything, it's more of a social event."
Professional poker player Jonathan Kalmar said: "What David has done is fantastic. It's the sort of thing I love to see and hopefully more venues like this will start to pop up."
The second season of the Chorley Poker League is due to start in October. Anyone who wants to get involved or find out more about setting up their own league can contact David via www.chorleypokerleague.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk
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Weather for Preston
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -3 C to 3 C
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