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Wrexham Man Walks Away With 65,000 UK Pounds Poker Backing

Steve Bellis, a Wrexham businessman, tried on the Thursday BBC show Dragon's Den to convince a panel of five tycoons to invest 50,000 UK Pounds in his venture and ended up walking away with 65,000 UK Pounds.

The panel was so impressed by Bellis' proposal that they offered him an unprecedented extra 15,000 UK Pounds.

"I was totally unprepared, but it certainly paid off. With hindsight, I think I should have asked for more," Bellis said. Bellis has given up his own business in the chemical industry to focus full time on setting up a poker league.

Bellis started the Nuts Poker League in Wrexham in November 2005 after being inspired by seeing how the idea worked in Canada. He had been on a trip to visit his father.

At present, the idea is being touted across the UK, including Deeside, Manchester, Watford and London. Bellis said that he has been asked to start a similar system in France.

"It's really taken off. More than 50 pubs, sports clubs and even a restaurant have signed up and we've got 2,500 players registered," he said.

"I just dipped my foot in the water, but now I'm right up to my neck in it," he added.

The show Dragons' Den has entrepreneurs pitching their ideas to secure backing from the show's "dragons", a team of business entrepreneurs.