Collins Triumphs At Deaf Poker Event

Deaf poker player takes home prize of around $5,800 (£2,900) after winning National Deaf Poker Tour (NDPT) event.

Poker player Jonathan Collins won the final NDPT event of the 2007-08 season at the Venetian in Las Vegas on Friday.

As a result, he took home around $5,800, which was close to the amount picked up by second-placed player Matthew Erickson.

Following the tournament, one of the founding members of the Tour, James Rydstrom, explained what it means to be able to play in a NDPT competition.

He said that by allowing deaf players to compete against one another, there are "no barriers of communication".

"We wanted to be able to have a deaf-only tournament to provide us the privilege of playing in a tourney where we can talk to anyone around us," he added.

Explaining further, Mr Rydstrom remarked that there may be communication issues for deaf players at major events like the World Series of Poker.

The NDPT was set up two years ago by six men who wanted to unite deaf card players from across the US.