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Tycoon offers full house to a poker ace
Tyson given chance to win back his Vegas mansion
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David Parkin
Business Editor
THE Yorkshireman who bought Mike Tyson's house is planning to give it away in a multi-million dollar poker tournament in which the former world heavyweight boxing champion will be given the chance to win it back.
Self-made businessman Dominic Marrocco, 32, who paid $4m (2.3m) for Tyson's former Las Vegas estate last year, wants to make the poker game the centre of a reality television show in which hundreds will battle it out to win the ultimate piece of boxing memorabilia.
Four people will win through to a grand final which will be held in a vast marquee on the basketball court in the grounds of Tyson's former home.
However they will not be the only ones with a chance of winning the house as there will be two extra places in the final – one for Mr Marrocco, the other for Tyson.
"Poker is really popular in both the US and UK and reality TV is massive too," said Mr Marrocco.
"We have the chance to combine the two and, in a great twist, give Mike Tyson the chance to win back his home."
He has already held talks with US TV executives and is now considering whether to run the event himself or to sell the rights to a major broadcasting network.
As part of the deal that saw him buy the Tyson house, Mr Marrocco acquired a derelict mansion next door that he has refurbished.
He said his plan was always to sell the Tyson house once the other property was completed.
"People might think I'm some kind of crazy English eccentric giving away Tyson's house but contestants pay thousands of dollars each to enter high stakes poker tournaments plus there are the rights to the reality TV show. I have the chance to keep the house if I win the tournament but, if I don't, I will walk to my house next door, shut the door behind me and have still made money."
Mr Marrocco said he gets on well with the now bankrupt, former undisputed heavyweight champion, who lives in a small, two-bedroom home in Phoenix, Arizona.
He said: "When I bought the house I gave Mike back quite a lot of his personal items including the grand piano he had been given by Stevie Wonder. Mike said it was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for him."
He added: "I think Mike would appreciate the chance to take part and win back his home – as long as he doesn't bite anyone's ears!"
Mr Marrocco said he has also considered putting the mansion up for sale on the eBay internet auction site but he hopes to move ahead with plans for the televised poker tournament in the New Year.
Mr Marrocco also has a 13-bedroom home in Rawdon, Leeds, but now spends much of his time in Las Vegas, where he has a variety of business investments including property, 'extreme' motorbike shops and a soon-to-be launched chain of coffee shops. He also sponsors a female boxer.
He left school with few qualifications and started selling computers from a market stall before launching a computer games shop in Leeds' Merrion Centre.
He made his first million by the time he was 21 and founded internet service provider Firstnet, eventually selling it for more than 10m.
Last year he bought Leeds-based business broadband company 186k and he also owns Idesta Solutions, which provides hand-held computer systems to customers like BSkyB.
david.parkin@ypn.co.uk
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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