A 28-year old Sydney man is still in a state of shock after managing to beat a field of over 500 players in the Asia Pacific Poker Tour this week.

Grant Levy, a physical education teacher, had an amazing streak of luck and, combined with his cool demeanor, managed to grab the title and an amazing prize of no less than $1-million.

His win came after several hours of play on Monday December 17th.  "It's disbelief, I don't think it will sink in for a few days," Mr Levy said in an interview to the Sydney Morning Herald.

What makes this win even more significant is that Levy, who has only been playing for two and a half years, managed to take out a playing field that included four world champions. In the starting field were Scott Nguyen, world champion in 1998, Chris Moneymaker, 2003, Greg Raymer, 2004 and Joe Hachem, 2005. 

"To be honest I am still taking it all in, but it's unbelievable to think that I have taken on some of the world's greats and come out on top," said Levy.

Grant Levy started his poker playing career at online sites, after proving his skill at informal games between friends. In the interview, his wife admitted that Levy was not invited to play among his friends anymore because he would always win. 

The Asia Pacific Poker Tour was only Levy’s third live tournament and while he admitted to enjoying the action and social contact of live events, he further said, “it's easier for me to play online because it's so convenient." 

The game was watched by Grant Levy’s brother and wife, Sharon. "I'm just shell-shocked to be honest," she said. "I mean who wins a million dollars playing cards?" 

Sharon Levy recalled that the last few hours of the tournament were torture and that she hated watching them. "Every big pot, I was shaking and had tears in my eyes." The game reached a stage of one on one by 1.30 am. and it took a further two hours for Levy to grab the pot with a full house, beating his opponent’s one pair of cards. "I knew, I just knew I had the best hand," Levy said of his win.

The couple, who live a modest lifestyle in the Sydney suburb of Penrith with their two young children, have just bought a house and will most likely use a big part of the $1-million winnings to pay for the mortgage. Levy said that he would definitely be returning to his job at St. Dominic’s College, while his wife would be returning part-time next year to her job as a solicitor.

News Source:  Renee Kingsley