POKER-FACED businessmen will converge on Harrogate later this year with all the gung-ho verve of riverboat gamblers.

They will be coming to see Phil Hellmuth, 41, arguably one of the most successful tournament poker players of all time, a man who has won more than $4 million in tournament prize money alone.

Wisconsin-born Phil will pass on some of his experience and tips to delegates at this year's Yorkshire International Business Convention, which is being held in June at the Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate.

Phil, who now lives in California, clinched his first world championship event in 1989 when he was only 24 years old, and the prospect of his presence had excited the interest of some of the region's biggest corporate characters.

Len Cruddas, chief executive of the York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, which has more than 800 members, said: "A poker-face is a definite plus in negotiations, or even when presenting your accounts to the VATman or taxman.

"It helps your sales presentation to look positive even when you don't feel it. There's a gambler in every entrepreneur who backs their ideas in the same way as a poker player backs his hand.

"Like him, you have to know when to hold and when to fold."

Mike Firth, the convention's chief executive, said: "Phil is a great character. He can be a bit wild at times, in fact on the poker circuit he's known as the John McEnroe of cards because of his temper tantrums, but the way he plays is something that I believe will be of value to every one of our delegates.

"Phil says that any great poker player must not only have a solid strategy and be able to read people well, but also be able to make quick judgments about how to respond to developing situations, and above all he wins more than he loses! If that isn't something that will strike a chord with any business leader, I will be very surprised."

Former US President George Bush has already agreed to be the convention's keynote speaker. American business "guru" Dr Justin Menkes will talk about his formula for evaluating executive intelligence which has resulted in the development and hiring of some of the world's leading business figures.

The Bank of Scotland has confirmed that it will be the event's lead sponsors.

Updated: 11:26 Wednesday, January 18, 2006