Qualifying for a Poker tournament in an online freeroll is not unusual – but Patrick Smolenaers qualified for the WSOP main event without even looking at a card.

Patrick beat a number of hopefuls in an online pool tournament at PoolStars.com – a new online pool site – with the prize for winning a seat at the main event in Las Vegas.

“There were some online qualifying tournaments at PoolStars in which eight players came through,” said Patrick. “We all played in a final tournament and in the end I won the tournament to win the seat at the WSOP Main Event.”

Smolenaers had to beat top Dutch pool player Nick van den Berg en-route to victory, and said even though his pool was better than his poker, he would give it his best shot. “I've played for a few years so I think I can give some lads a real hard time,” promised Patrick. “I'm going to try to make it through day one and then I'll shift up a gear.”

Patrick also got the opportunity to play pool against Steve Davis, the six-timer World Snooker Champion and Mosconi Cup Pool player, before taking to the Poker table. Davis is an ambassador for PoolStars, the online pool community which is the brainchild of Poker legend Tony G.

“It’s the online equivalent of a poker room, with the ability to play each other over the internet,” Davis explains about PoolStars. “At the moment you don’t play for money but for prizes but eventually you will be able to play for cash.”

Unlike most pool games that you can find on the Playstation or Xbox, there are no cheat lines to help you so it’s tough – really difficult,” said Davis. “It’s a three-dimensional virtual pool game so you have to get used to the perspective of the table. I understand the mechanics of the game which definitely comes into the equation, so if a lot of good pool players played on PoolStars, they would rise to the top because they understand the physics of the game.”

While Patrick mastered the online pool table, he failed to make it beyond the first day at the poker equivalent, finding himself all-in with QQ against AK, with a King on the river busting him out. Davis fared better though, cashing to the tune of $28,950 after making it to Day 4 and finishing in 389th place.