In a bizarre turn of events, a fifty-nine-year old American professional poker player has been allowed to play poker to avoid serving a jail sentence for fraud.

Samuel McMaster Junior plead guilty to 26 felony counts of defrauding the elderly at a New Mexico court, but in a unprecedented ruling the judge will now allow McMaster to travel outside the state to play poker as part of a plea deal.

McMaster was convicted of scamming his victims of $444,000 and it is this money that the New Mexico judge has now given him a chance to win back. McMaster's final sentencing has been postponed for six months while he makes the effort of paying back monthly installments of $7,500, money which is to come directly from his winnings at the tables. If he fails a single installment, McMaster will in turn be sentenced immediately and could face as much as 12 years of prison.

"We do have a unusual case here where we are agreeing to delay sentencing for a period of time to allow Mr. McMaster to set a track record as to whether or not he can pay back $400.000 in restitution" said New Mexico state prosecutor Phylis H. Bowman and added:

"There is nothing to indicate that he is a violent threat to society, so based upon those factors, that's what determines conditions of release".

McMaster himself has had no comments to the unusual deal.