Noble Poker, the online casino famous for its $1 million (£569,000) jackpots, has literally upped the stakes, claiming it can now offer a staggering $100 million (£56.9 million) prize.

Noble, which has been recently taken over by gambling giant Empire Online, has announced it will hold the $100 Million dollar Mega Tournament in April 2006 at Las Vegas and is currently accepting applications to play.

While direct entry into the tournament comes with a $10,000 fee, many professionals are currently competing to qualify in smaller rounds, starting at $2.50 entry.

One poker professional told Noble the tournament was a good opportunity, as the World Series of Poker "is getting way out of hand with entry numbers"".

The Mega tournament has a prize pool of $2 million