This masterful performance is then interrupted by a croupier offering him his winnings.

BBC: Finding joy in the hypocrisy of others

As well as Doherty, Monday's matches also feature 1995 runner-up Nigel Bond taking on part-time croupier Martin Gould and Judd Trump facing Tom Ford.

BBC: Steve Davis wins qualifier for World Championship

The ploy meshes with the cynical story that follows, of a poor boy with a Machiavellian streak who takes to heart an apprenticeship as a croupier in decadent Monte Carlo and becomes a first-class cardsharp.

NEWYORKER: The Story of a Cheat