Amateur Poker Player Disappointed With Second Place

Poker player banks $100,000 at championship after qualifying online.

An amateur poker player from Hertfordshire outlasted several professional card sharps and celebrity players to take second place at the 888.com Poker Open V earlier this month.

However, Craig Young has said that he was disappointed not to go the whole way and win the tournament in Maidstone, despite taking home a cash prize of $100,000 (£64,844).

Young, a 35-year-old hardware store manager from Watford, ultimately lost out to German poker professional Michael Keiner in heads-up play after qualifying for the event at 888.com.

"I qualified, then managed to beat a few pros in the opening round, then I beat a few more in the semi-final and beat a few more in the final," he told the Watford Observer.

"But I am a bit disappointed really because I came so close."

Keiner pocketed $250,000 for outlasting a field which included esteemed professionals such as Neil Channing, Tony G and Roland de Wolfe.

Celebrity poker players such as Shane Warne and Dennis Taylor also took part in the Kent tournament, which is due to be broadcast on Sky Sports in January.