More than 200 male and female players from 12 countries competed to win the £10,000 prize of the first World Strip Poker Championship plus the Golden Fig Leaf trophy. Journalist John Young was the winner.

The event was organized by Paddy Power, an Irish bookmaker. A spokesperson for the company explained that it decided to hold the tournament due to the interest generated by an April Fool joke.

The championship took place at London’s Café Royal and contestants battled for hours while playing “No Limit Texas Hold’em”. Mr. Young promised to donate the prize to a cancer charity.