With the advent of online sites and a shift towards more casinos, poker's image is changing. Reporter Mike Chipchase is invited to join the high-rollers for one fo the biggest tournaments ever in the region.

IT'S the moment every poker player fantasizes about. I am dealt a pair of aces and utter the magic words "All in", pushing all my chips into the middle of the table.

Incredibly, a young man to my left calls the bet with a pair of sevens and I win; my pile of chips almost back to the number I set out with.

It's Saturday night, and I'm at the Gala Casino, at Teesside Park, near Stockton, for the biggest game of my life.

Until now, my only experience is playing for a couple of pounds a time on the internet. But this is the real thing.

A hundred players have paid £500 each or won satellite tournaments on internet poker sites for the chance to slug it out for a first prize of more than £19,000 in the Great British Poker Tour.

Casino manager Steve Andrew says: "This is the biggest tournament we have had here, and the response has been superb. We have sold out for the main events, with tonight being the final event."

Among the cross-section of people taking part are celebrity players Norman Pace, from comedy duo Hale and Pace, and actor Doug Henshall, currently acting in the ITV sci-fi drama Primeval.

Doug says he has only been playing poker for a couple of years, and that this tournament is his biggest by far.

He says: "I like the competitive side of it. As an actor, part of my job is observation, so I also like the psychological aspect and watching how people behave."

So does he fancy his chances?

"I just don't want to go out in the first half hour and have to do that long walk of shame," he says.

Norman has been playing poker seriously for a few years, and commentates on the game for Sky TV. He said. "My strategy is to watch the table for the first hour and gauge the players I am up against.

"I try to sum up who my targets are and who I want to play hands against."

As we take our seats for the start, I see that fate has thrown Doug and myself together at the same table.

With Norman's words of advice echoing in my mind, I sit back for the first half hour or so and watch events unfold.

Most of the hands are quiet and not many chips change hands. But it's not long before Doug's words come back to haunt him. He puts all his chips in on a pair of queens, only to be beaten by a straight.

After nearly two hours, I am becoming slightly impatient and start getting involved in more hands than I probably should. It's then I am dealt the aces for my big win. Unfortunately, flushed with this success, I get unlucky a few times and, before I know it, I'm out.

Those left battled on, with the eventual winner being decided late last night.

Despite being a bit nervous, I settled down and loved every minute of the game and learnt some valuable lessons.

The adrenaline rush is so strong I was still buzzing the next day, despite finishing 93rd. It's maybe not time to turn professional, just yet.