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Father and son win a good deal

James Ducker
20/ 9/2004

A FATHER and son who have not seen each other for eight months are preparing to take on the world's best poker players - after defying the odds to win places on a cruise.

Brian and Jason Medley will pit their wits against each other and a host of household names in a special Las Vegas-style tournament held during the Mediterranean cruise. About '400,000 of prize money is up for grabs.

As their partners will be joining them aboard the ship it promises to be a special family reunion.

The coincidences started when Brian, from Tyldesley, near Wigan, and his wife Sandra visited their son in Spain earlier this year.

Jason had just emigrated with girlfriend Isabelle and two-year-old son Thomas after quitting his job as a caterer and was earning a living playing online poker.

Brian took a keen interest after discovering Jason had scooped a place on the cruise after winning an online tournament run by Ladbrokes.

So when he returned home he bought a computer, began playing and three months later won a spot on the same cruise.

Now they are relishing the chance to compete in a series of "live" games against 200 of the world's best, including Britain's greatest poker player Dave "The Devilfish" Ulliot and Irish legend Donnacha O'Dea, recent winner of the Poker Million.

Retired chef Brian, 62, said: "I don't think either of us can believe what's happened.

"I don't know what odds you'd get on it but I imagine they'd be pretty high. It's the equivalent of playing football with the whole of the Manchester United team."

Jason, 34, said: "We may be father and son but our styles couldn't be more different. He's a very aggressive player, while I like to be patient. I'm making a nice living out of online poker, but it will be a dream to play against the top names.

"It's all about the experience for me. I don't expect to win, but I could and if that happened it would be life-changing."

The Medleys will set sail aboard the Costa Mediterranea from Venice on October 10.

The Ladbrokes organised cruise lasts seven days with hundreds of games expected to be played during that time.

The top prize is a minimum of about '140,000.

Jim Winder, a spokesman for Ladbrokes, said: "We are delighted to be bringing families back together. Not only have the Medleys a chance to win big money but they also get a nice family holiday on the cruise."

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