I’m a top darts star who took $12,000 to blow in Vegas – I smoked $200 cigar and guzzled $900 Dom Perignon

HIGH-FLYING Michael Smith has defended his cigar-smoking, champagne-guzzling, money-spinning trip to Las Vegas.

Bully Boy, 32, eyed a small gap in the congested PDC darts calendar and flew to the party capital of the United States.

It was the first holiday he and wife Dagmara had taken together without their two kids.

Social media videos and pictures of Smith relaxing in a Jacuzzi and smoking a cigar in front of bikini-clad holidaymakers has been seen more than 2.2MILLION TIMES.

The lucky St Helens man also won a $12,000 jackpot on the slot machines in the casino.

Despite the obvious jet-lag after a 10,400-mile round-trip, Smith justified the break because he says he had been mentally knackered since winning the world title in January.

World No.1 Smith said: “I had five days in Vegas to relax and chill. I literally haven’t had any time before that to enjoy being world champion. 

“The day after winning at the Ally Pally I had the media, the next day out to Germany for a pro-celeb event and then to Bahrain for the World Series.

“If you’re in the top eight in the world, you just don’t have any downtime whatsoever. But if I wasn’t doing that I’d be moaning as well!

“In August we’re in Australia and New Zealand for the World Series.

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“And when I get back we go to Tenerife for 10 days with the kids. That’s when I’ll get to properly celebrate.

“I took 12 grand with me to blow to Vegas. The cigar I smoked was $200 and the Dom Pérignon champagne was $900. I decided to blow two grand gambling and spend the rest on shopping. 

“It’s definitely been a good six months for me since winning the Grand Slam. You know that your luck is in!

“I put a picture up of me with the cigar and people said I was smoking it wrong, I was trying to puff it in. 

“I’ve given up smoking though. I can’t see me lighting up $200 cigars in my back garden!”