Poker aces hoping to get flush at high stakes challenge

THE chips will be down as nine poker players battle it out for €500,000 in Dublin tomorrow.

Irish-born Andrew Black, Europe's top earner after grossing a reported €1.6 million last year, is among the favourites for a big pay day as poker professionals gather from around the world.

Up to 350 people qualified for the opening rounds. They were joined by keen poker players and celebrities such as snooker professionals Alex Higgins who was dumped in the preliminaries last night.