A LITTLE white lie has landed a Huddersfield man a dream trip to Las Vegas.

Father of three Jack Somal, will fly out to the gambling capital of the world in May to take part in the finals of a major poker tournament.

And that’s a dream come true for the Brackenhall barman, who had walked into a Huddersfield pub a little over two years ago as a poker “virgin”.

“I had gone to The Spinks Nest in Birkby for a drink with a friend and noticed they had some sort of casino set up.

“I asked the manager what it was about and he asked me if I played. I told a little lie and said I could, and he invited me to join in.

“I sat down and had total beginners’ luck, which saw me win that night and get hooked on the game.”

Jack, 36, joined the regular weekly poker matches at the pub which were part of the nationwide Redtooth League.

Players play for points rather than pounds and each week, Jack’s reputation grew.

“We play a league tournament over 13 weeks and at the end of that, the top players get the chance to play in the regional finals.

“I won our league and went to the Grosvenor Casino in Leeds to play against people from places such as York, Scarborough and Hull.

“There were 200 taking part and I managed to win that, to be told the prize was a week-long trip to Las Vegas.