<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=sectiontitle>U.S. National - AFP</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=article width=420>http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/nws/th/afp_lo_1.gif (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/afp/brand/SIG=ofqlv2/*http://www.afp.com) US movie star Ben Affleck becomes poker champ
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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Movie star Ben Affleck may be unlucky at love, but he is lucky at cards, winning 356,000 dollars and a place at the World Poker Tour Championship in April, officials said.
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The gambling screen heart-throb, whose much-feted romance with Jennifer Lopez ended abruptly earlier this year only to see her marry another man this month won a California State Poker Championship late Sunday.
Affleck outlasted a field of 90 players in the 10,000 dollar buy-in event, including fellow film actor Tobey Maguire, who bowed out on the first day of the three-day tournament at Commerce Casino, near Los Angeles.
Coming in second was poker pro Stan Goldstein, who collected 204,930 dollars, while movie executive Chuck Pacheco, who founded Castle Rock Entertainment, pocketed 106,920 dollars an third place.
Affleck, 31, used a couple of pairs -- two jacks in the case of Goldstein and two fives with Pacheco -- to knock the competition out of the tournament, according to casino executives.
Among the players the Oscar-winner outlasted at the final table was former World Champion John Esposito.
Affleck played "a very strong game" and was relaxed and enjoyed himself immensely, according to the casino's Nancy Friedman.
After beating out Goldstein, the famously self-depreciating actor said he was pleased with his own play that at proved he wasn't "a complete donkey" at poker, a game he plays avidly, she said.
Affleck fought his way to victory after starting the final table with the second-to-lowest chip count among the nine players, Friedman said.
The victory earned Affleck a 25,000-dollar seat next year at the World Poker Tour Championship at Las Vegas' Bellagio hotel, the first movie star to do so, according to the casino.
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