A PUB poker player is celebrating taking top spot in a high-profile tournament in Las Vegas.

Mathew Sherreard, 47 from Leigh, beat 99 other top poker players to take the UK Pub Poker Champion title at the Redtooth Poker Vegas100.

He secured an £8,000 share of prize pool as well as a £5,000 sponsorship deal.

Mathew qualified from his pub league at the Zach Wilsherr pub, in Castle Road, in Benfleet, before winning at the final qualifying event in Southend, which secured his ticket to Vegas - the home of gaming.

He said: “I’d qualified for the regionals a few times before, but never got further than that, so to qualify alone was an amazing achievement for me.”

He added: “Realising I had won felt spectacular but even if I hadn’t got anywhere, just getting to sit down with the other 99 best players in the country was a satisfying experience enough – one I thought I’d never achieve, and it felt really special.”