Betting on glory Bid for poker haul No2

BRITAIN’S Mr Poker is going back to Las Vegas hoping for a pair – of megabucks paydays.

John Hesp raked in £2million in the World Series of Poker 2017.

Now he is aiming to turn it into a run at this year’s main event, which starts tomorrow and ends on July 14.

He will ignore his wife’s advice not to wear his trademark straw trilby with snazzy jacket and shirt.

Amateur player John, a caravan salesman, said: “Mandy told me I should not draw any attention, saying all the others would want to knock me out.

“But I will wear the lucky jacket, shirt and hat as they’re a trademark now. That’s my persona.

“Anyway it’ll be different this year because most people in the poker world will recognise me in them. Also the focus will be more on me than last year, at least in the early stages.

“That could put more pressure on me to perform, whereas in 2017 I was under the radar a bit – apart from the clothes of course.”

John, 65, reached the top table and came fourth last year. He jets out to Vegas this weekend, having registered and paid his buy-in fee of 10,000 dollars – £7,500. “My aspirations are really no higher than last year,” he said. “My aim is the top 1,000. By doing so I will cash, as they say in poker. If that happens, it will be by week two.” John, of Bridlington, East Yorks. celebrated last year’s win by taking Mandy on a caravan holiday – but plans to tour the US if he is knocked out in the first week this time. “Week two would then be spent with the family,” he said. “We would visit the Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam.” He will be with his son James for the first four days. Mandy and other relatives will join them in week two, staying at the Trump Hotel. “If I’m still in the tournament by then they won’t be seeing much of me,” he said. John recently signed a deal with a Hollywood producer for a film about him. “I’d agreed one with a UK company but they unexpectedly pulled out in January,” he said. “Happily the Americans were still interested. “I’ll be meeting the producer and his scriptwriter in Vegas this Sunday. “These are exciting times and it’s all go at the moment. I’m so looking forward to returning to Vegas and the WSOP. It’s an amazing experience.”