Amateur wins top poker prize in Sydney

A 34-year-old insurance worker from Sydney has become the latest amateur to walk away from the poker tables with a million-dollar prize.

Martin Rowe, who took up the game as a hobby just a few years ago,

scooped the seven-figure jackpot at the recent Asian Pacific Tour grand

final, held at Sydney's Star City Casino.

On his way to the prize, the father-of-one saw off 475 amateurs and

professionals from across the globe before beating Melbourne pro Jason

Gray in an epic two-hour final.

Celebrating his remarkable victory, Mr Rowe told reporters: "I'm not a

professional I'm just an interested amateur.

"It's just fantastic, it is life-changing."

One player not so lucky at the Sydney tables over the weekend was former Westlife singer Brian McFadden, who also revealed that his partner Delta Goodrem is a fan of the game, though the singer didn't take part in what he called the poker equivalent of the Australian Open.