Canadian teen wins big at poker

Waterloo, Ontario -- An 18-year-old Canadian man with just six months background playing poker has earned $1.4 million in a German tournament.

Mike McDonald of Waterloo, Ontario, northwest of Toronto, is too young to legally play in most Canadian provinces and the United States, but since turning 18 in September, has racked up some impressive wins in London, Prague, Macau and Aruba, his mother told the Waterloo Record.

Saturday night was the biggest win for McDonald, who saw through repeated bluffs by German poker veteran Andreas Gulunay in Dortmund, the report said.

Speaking to the newspaper by telephone, the teenager said he'll continue playing until he's had enough.

"I see these guys who are playing 60 hours a week when they're old, and none of them seem very happy," McDonald said. "I don't want to make this my long-term career ... I might like to go back to school and get a real job."

He said he'd also like to buy a used car, although he hasn't got his drivers license yet, the report said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.