Barry used to supplement his income by gambling at poker, joining games wherever he happened to find himself. And he thought he'd seen it all, until he happened into a game in a little town in Tennessee and found himself seated next to a German shepherd. A few hands later, the dog drew a straight flush and collected the jackpot.

"Unbelievable," exclaimed Barry. "I've played plenty of poker in my day, but I never imagined I'd see a dog win at poker."

"Ah, we usually wipe out," said an old geezer at the table with a dismissive snort, "Every time he gets a good hand, he wags his tail."