A local poker player gave some of the top names in the high stakes game a run for their chips when he made it to the final table of the US Poker Championships.

Bermuda Industrial Union vice-president Chris Furbert finished in sixth place in the No Limit Texas Hold?em event held in Atlantic City ? winning a whopping $76,387.

He was one of nine players to survive from the starting field of 225 who were all playing for a first prize of $831,532.

Lady Luck seemed to be on Mr. Furbert?s side as he took seat number three at the final table on October 9 with a starting chip count of 443,000.

But despite some spirited play, he was knocked out by the eventual tournament winner, James Caporuscio.

Both Mr. Furbert and the eventual winner went ?all in? ? committing all their chips to the outcome of the hand ? before the flop while each holding Ace-King.

In Texas Hold?em, each player is dealt two cards before a ?flop? of three community cards is turned. Rounds of betting follow and two more community cards are turned over in order for players to make their best five-card poker hand from the community cards and the cards they are holding.

Tension was high as Mr. Furbert and Mr. Caporuscio looked set to split the pot ? keeping both of their tournament lives in the process ? until the final card, ?the river?, was turned and Caporuscio hit a flush. A flush consists of five cards all of the same suit and is the fourth highest hand in poker.

Mr. Furbert was forced to leave the final table and collect his winnings but apparently many spectators did not know what had happened as the tournament announcer had failed to state that Mr. Coporuscio had the chance of a flush draw.

Before heading to the final table, Mr. Furbert ? who refused to speak to about his win ? told ESPN correspondent Steve Rosenbloom he had won a $225 satellite event at the Trump Taj hotel to get into the event.

?I didn?t sleep,? Mr. Furbert told ESPN on the morning of his big day. ?Oh, I was in bed, but I was looking at the clock every two hours.?

Mr. Furbert also told ESPN it was the first time in five tries that he had got into a $10,000 buy-in poker event.

?Furbert, who knocked out Day Four chip leader Mark Seif, has been a thrillride, finishing the first day with 61,000 chips, the second day with 127,000, the third day dead last with just 25,000, and heading into the final table with 443,000. Not bad for a guy who says he plays most of the time for points in a bar league on his island,? noted Mr. Rosenbloom.

Mr. Furbert shared the final table with several well known poker names including Men ?The Master? Nguyen, who finished in the fifth spot, and John Juanda, who finished eighth.

The tournament will eventually be broadcast on ESPN TV.