The moment TV presenter Victoria Coren Mitchell won £400,000 in poker tournament - bringing her total winnings to £1.43 MILLION

• Coren Mitchell has become first two-time winner of European Poker Tour
• The 41-year-old, from London, made history at the event in Sanremo, Italy
• She fought back from eighth place to win £391,932 cash and £4,000 watch
• Victory means she is fast becoming one of the world's best female players
• She is now ranked ninth internationally - with total winnings of £1.43million
• Coren Mitchell married British comedian David Mitchell in November 2012

By Sophie Jane Evans

Television presenter Victoria Coren Mitchell has become the first ever two-time winner of the European Poker Tour - bringing her total winnings to a staggering £1.43million.

The 41-year-old, who is married to comedian David Mitchell, made history on Sunday as she scooped the first place title at the prestigious poker tournament in Sanremo, Italy.

She fought back from eighth place to win a cash prize of £391,932 - and a watch worth more than £4,000. 

Success: Victoria Coren Mitchell, 41, has become the first ever two-time winner of the European Poker Tour

Delighted: Coren Mitchell, who is married to comedian David Mitchell, made history on Sunday as she scooped first place at the poker tournament in Italy.  Left, she kisses her husband and, right, reacts to her success

Trophy: Shel fought back from eighth place to win a cash prize of £391,932 - and a watch worth more than £4,000. She beat an impressive 555 competitors. Above, Coren Mitchell kisses her trophy following her victory

'I WON!': Just hours after the prestigious event, the TV presenter took to Twitter to share her good news

Joyful: The presenter and journalist quickly added: 'Sorry for that language on Easter Sunday. But I WON!!!!!!

Her victory means she is fast becoming one of the world's best female players - and is now ranked among the all-time top 10 of female poker players.

Just hours after the tournament, Coren Mitchell, who lives with her husband in London, took to Twitter to share her good news, saying: 'I WON! I bloody WON!'

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The presenter and journalist quickly added: 'Sorry for that language on Easter Sunday. But I WON!!!!!! That is at least partly thanks to the amazing support, God bless everyone.'

And she even claimed she had been drinking alcohol as she triumphed over 555 competitors during the Tour, a week-long international tournament. 

Couple: Her success means she is fast becoming one of the world's best female players - and is now ranked among the all-time top 10 of female poker players. Above, Coren Mitchell and her husband, David Mitchell

Different professions: Coren Mitchell is pictured as a TV presenter (left) and playing poker professionally (right)

She tweeted: 'I wish my own hangover was down to drinking after the tournament. Rather than during. #backtofront.'

Coren Mitchell, who writes for The Guardian and The Observer and hosts BBC4's quiz show Only Connect, is the daughter of the late broadcaster, Alan Coren.
She is also the sister of journalist, Giles Coren, who is a columnist and restaurant critic for The Times

Supportive: The British presenter is the daughter of the late broadcaster, Alan Coren, and the sister of journalist, Giles Coren. Above, she is pictured with David Mitchell on their wedding day in November 2012

Hungover: Coren Mitchell claimed she had been drinking alcohol at the table during the week-long tournament

Coren Mitchell first started playing poker as a teenager in a bid to fit in with her brothers' friends, according to The Guardian.
She became a member of the elite Team PokerStars Pro, before rising to poker fame in 2006 as the first female winner of the European Poker Tour.

EUROPEAN POKER TOUR PAYOUTS

Below is a list of the top eight payouts from the European Poker Tour: 

1. Victoria Coren Mitchell, Britain, £391,932
2. Giacomo Fundaro, Italy, £245,336
3. Jordan Westmorland, U.S., £175,645
4. Andrea Benelli, Italy, £136,890
5. Andreas Goeller, Italy, £107,369
6. Bruno Stefanelli, Italy, £84,335
7. Andrija Martic, Croatia, £62,956
8. Emmanuel Pariset, France, £43,605

Following her second win, she said she felt 'a sense of vague bafflement and joy' - adding that she hoped her success would inspire millions of other Britons to play poker.
'The big thing for me is trying to fly the flag for people who are playing poker primarily for fun and have another job. I want those people to feel they have a chance at winning,' she told the newspaper.
'It's an incredibly inclusive game, for men and women, for old or young.
'I want women to feel encouraged and not be put off but the bigger thing is everyone should feel very welcome.'
Coren Mitchell, who describes poker as a 'strange game' in which competitors are both enemies and friends, celebrated her success with her husband in their hotel room by ordering room service. 

Launched by PokerStars 10 years ago, the European Poker Tour is now a major event in the international poker calendar alongside the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour.

Top player: Vanessa Selbst, from New York, is currently the number one female poker player in the world

In the Sanremo leg, the total prize fund was £2million - of which, Coren Mitchell won £391,932, with four others - Gaicomo Fundaro, Jordan Westmorland, Andrea Benelli and Andreas Goeller - scooping six-figure sums.

Coren Mitchell is now placed ninth in the list of all-time female poker stars - just one place behind TV presenter Liv Boeree, 29, from Kent.

Vanessa Selbst, from New York, is currently the number one female player in the world - with total winnings of more than £5.74million.