Vision drove him to Vegas, and luck was a lady indeed

As a real estate agent, Jon Maren does a lot of driving, and last summer he had a vision. The North Andover resident saw himself in a dark room in a casino sitting on a stage, surrounded by TV cameras, playing with the best poker players in the world - and winning.

Nearing 50, Maren held onto that goal. Instead of spending his 50th birthday with friends and family, he would follow his dream: He would go to Las Vegas and enter the World Series of Poker.

On June 24, he sat down with 719 other card players to play Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-low, a poker tournament variation of Texas Hold ‘em, where the pot is split by the winners of the best and worst hands. Two days later, his vision came true - he had defeated 715 other players and was surrounded by TV cameras, poker pros, and a gallery of fans. He had finished fifth in the tournament, and was going home with $56,019 in winnings.