Poker player heads to Las Vegas, LA

Poker player AJ Bertenshaw with his fiancée, Kristy Weaver, in Auckland before heading off to Las Vegas. Photo / Doug Sherring

AJ Bertenshaw is living the dream. The Auckland entrepreneur is Las Vegas-bound to compete in the marathon that is the World Series of Poker.

But don't make the mistake of calling his favourite game "gambling".

"Oh no, it's more like a sport. There's an element of chance in it, but there's an element of chance in lots of sports," said Bertenshaw, who made his fortune through audio software used by DJs worldwide.

He heads for Sin City on Friday and will play in five or six build-up "bracelet" games for an entry fee of US$1000-US$1500 apiece. Each of those early games lasts for three days, but the main event, with a US$10,000 buy-in, lasts a week. He hadn't yet decided whether to play in that round.

"If I enter a US$1500 one and I come out with US$50,000, I'll just go for it."

His philosophy is: "If you're not having fun then you're completely missing the point."

That meant his month-long trip to the US wasn't all about poker; he'd also take a week out to attend "Kandyland", a big Los Angeles party dubbed "an evening of decadent dreams". He'd met fiancée Kristy Weaver at such a bash and she'll be joining him there.

Bertenshaw hoped he'd be dealt better hands this year than last, when he bowed out in the first round of his debut on the competitive scene in Las Vegas.

He said the skills that made a good poker player were also assets in life and business.

"Poker is a game of patience and life's a bit like that."