Sun's poker champ competing for life-changing cash.. here's how to follow suit
SUN reader Kyle Flucker has played his cards right and won his way to a seat in the most phenomenal poker tournament on the planet.
Now the 26-year-old law student will be joining the globe’s greatest Texas Hold ’Em professionals in the 888 Poker sponsored World Series Of Poker $10,000 (£7,900) Main Event in Las Vegas, starting on July 3.
But it hasn’t cost Kyle a penny after he won a Sun-sational satellite package in an online tournament organised by online gaming giant 888 Poker and his favourite newspaper.
Kyle, who beat off hundreds of other competitors to scoop the $12.6k (£10k) first prize, which includes his $10k tournament seat, six nights at the fabulous five-star Vdara Hotel in Las Vegas plus $1,200 (£900) for travel and expenses, admitted: “It’s absolutely amazing.”
Kyle will also join the 888 Poker Squad of online satellite qualifiers who have been invited to an 888 Poker Welcome Session where they can pick up tips from the gaming giant’s top poker-playing ambassadors.
These include Basildon-born superstar Chris Moorman, the most successful online poker player in the world, and London-based Swedish ace Martin Jacobson, who won the WSOP Main Event in 2014 when he landed a staggering $10million (£7.9m) jackpot at the age of 27.
Kyle will also get a Poker Masterclass with American Scott Blumstein, who picked up $8.1million (£6.4m) when he won the Main Event two years ago.
He said: “It’s mind-boggling, life-changing money that’s up for grabs.
“I’m so excited to be taking part and rubbing shoulders with the best of the best. It’s every recreational player’s dream.”
Kyle, who lives at home with his parents in Kirknewton, near Edinburgh, saw that the two-day free-to-enter Sun tournament was being staged and thought that he would give it a go.
He said: “I was sitting in the living room using my laptop having entered the Sun tournament and my parents, Sandra and David, were watching TV.
"They knew what I was doing, but not paying too much attention. They don’t play poker and my mum is one of those people who thinks it’s always other people who win things
"Life-changing money"
“We all started with 3,000 chips and I got off to a cracking start by doubling my chips very early on. From that point, I sat back and just played the premium hands. It was all about getting in the last 15 players who would go through to Day Two of the tournament along with another 30 players from the two remaining starting days.
“I made it through to Day Two when once again we all started with 10,000 chips. This time I actually won the first hand and never looked back. When we got to the Final Table I had three times as many chips as everyone else and felt very comfortable.
“The only problem came when there were just two of us left. I had lots more chips but then I suffered my first setback. The other player raised with 2-2 and I had two Aces – the best starting hand in poker. But as the five community cards were shown the last card was another 2, which gave him the winning hand.
“For a minute I thought maybe it wasn’t going to go my way. But I won the very next hand with Ace-9 of diamonds and it was all over. I was a bit dumbstruck.
“I just remember sitting forward and picking up my laptop. Mum and dad looked at me and I just said, ‘I’ve won.’ Mum was gobsmacked and couldn’t believe that I had won the trip of a lifetime.
"Dad, who had earlier recorded that night’s Scotland v England Women’s World Cup game, turned to me and said, ‘Well done, son’ – and then went back to watching the match.”
Kyle then phoned his 25-year-old actress girlfriend, Rhian Gill, who lives in London. Now she will be going with him when they head to Las Vegas next month– 24 hours before he takes part in the 13-day tournament which last year attracted more than 7,500 players from all over the world.
Kyle started playing poker with pals in social games in each other’s homes about eight years ago. He only started playing live tournaments and dabbling online last year. He has cashed in seven live events in Edinburgh with his winnings ranging from £30 to £810 when he finished runner-up in a £13 competition last September.
He joked: “It’s peanuts compared with what’s at stake now."
American John Cynn won last year’s WSOP Main Event and picked up $8.8m (£6.9m) and a coveted Gold Bracelet.
Kyle accepts that this is the ultimate challenge in the game. But he said: “I grew up playing all sorts of strategy games and I relish the problem-solving, competitiveness and the opportunity to outplay an opponent.”
A keen sportsman, Kyle is set to start the final year of his law degree course at Stirling University. He plays rugby for Linlithgow Rugby Club and Edinburgh Eagles. He also enjoys snowboarding and skiing.
But Kyle hopes he won’t be on the slippery slopes when he takes to the poker tables.
And before he sits down, he is looking forward to picking the brains of the 888 Poker Ambassadors – especially 28-year-old Dominik Nitsche, who has won more than $18m (£14m) from poker, including $4m (£3.2m) for a single event.
German-born Dominik lives in Edinburgh after falling in with love with the city a few years ago.
Kyle added: “If we both do well in the Main Event maybe I’ll invite him round to one of our social games at my home!”
For more information about the 888 Poker sponsored World Series Of Poker visit: https://www.888poker.com/
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