Professional poker player Layne Flack caused some flak Friday when he was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, for drunken driving.

According to media reports, Flack was driving home from a party late Friday night when he was pulled over by Las Vegas police, arrested and charged with drunken driving, speeding and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle.

Flack spent the night in a Las Vegas jail and was released the next day.

Flack on Saturday was to be one of 64 participants in the fifth annual NBC Heads-Up Poker Championship, a made-for-TV poker tournament involving one-on-one play that was held at Caesars Palace in Vegas.

Because of his arrest, Flack had to miss the event.

He was replaced by David Oppenheim.

On Sunday, Flack released a statement to the media about his arrest.

“I was pulled over for speeding and refused a breathalyzer test, as I have been instructed to do,” he said in the statement. “I have no idea why I was written a ticket for failing to yield to an emergency vehicle. There were no emergency vehicles around besides the police car. A test given by the Las Vegas Police Department later revealed that I had a blood-alchohol content of zero.

“I also took a blood test, as I have nothing to hide. I was held the mandatory six hours and released. I always go out of my way not to drink and drive. I regret that I was not able to play in the NBC Heads-Up and hope to be invited next year to play in this prestigious event.”

He did not specify who instructed him not to take a breathalyzer test.

Flack, 39, who was born in Rapid City, South Dakota, USA, and resides in Las Vegas, is one of the top poker pros in the world.

He was won six World Series of Poker (WSOP) championship gold bracelets and has finished in the money in 19 different WSOP events in his career.

His career earnings from tournament poker is almost $4 million, according to tournament records.

Flack’s arrest for drunken driving is not his first brush with substance abuse.

Five years ago, he spent a stint in a drug rehabilitation facility for abuse of recreational drugs.

(E-mail Tom Somach at tomsomach@yahoo.com.)