Gavin Spencer - a 30-year-old taxi driver from Blackpool and his friend Stuart O’Neill were over the moon when they found out that they’d won £25,771.80 at the Grosvenor Casino in Sandcastle, Blackpool.

Gavin is a regular poker player, but had never played the Casino’s progressive jackpot game before the night of his big win. By chance, both Gavin and Stuart decided to place the extra £1 bet on the game and, moments later, were thanking their lucky stars that they did!

Super Stud poker is played alongside the traditional Casino Stud Poker. Already well over £10 million has been paid out in progressive prize money by Grosvenor Casinos since the game began in 2003. Customers can win a 10% jackpot with a ‘Straight Flush’ (five consecutive cards of the same suit) and 100% jackpot with a ‘Royal Flush’ (10, J, Q, K and A of the same suit).

Gavin said, “Stuart and I have been coming to the casino together for years and we both made a pact that if we ever won anything, we’d split it. When I was dealt my hand, I was happy because I thought I’d won £50. When I realised how much I’d actually won, I was ecstatic! Stuart couldn’t believe it either and we both started crying. The feeling was hard to explain and I desperately wanted to call someone to tell them, but they were all asleep!”

With my half I am planning on paying off my loans and a couple of people have advised me to invest in an ISA; I want to put some of the money towards my future. But that’s not to say I haven’t been spending some of the money already! I’m also thinking about buying my own cab.

Nigel Collins, General Manager of the casino said, “It’s always nice to see a big winner here in our club; it creates such an exciting atmosphere amongst everyone.”

Super Stud Poker is a national game that links the Grosvenor Casino in Blackpool with all the other Grosvenor Casinos across the country to generate an everincreasing jackpot.