Poker needs to undergo a serious makeover if it is to be presented to potential investors as an eSport worthy of pulling in a paying crowd.

This is it.

Iaron Lightbourne is holding pocket sevens and Craig McCorkell is holding [Ac] [Td]. The winner will receive £200,000, but it’s not about the money. This is about the title. The winner becomes a World Poker Tour (WPT) Champion. The loser is forgotten about in five cards time.

The flop is [Jc] [5d] [5h]. Both players are on their feet. They are both laughing. It’s nervousness. The turn is the [8s]. Lightbourne reaches for his jacket and slips it on. The river is the [Qc]. Lightbourne is the champion. He shakes McCorkell’s hand. The Tournament Director announces the victory on his mic, and there is a quiet applause from around the room. It sounds like the type you hear at a lawn bowls match.