While most students have their parents pay for college or apply for student loans or grants, India’s Anmol Srivats used his poker-playing skills to fund some of his tuition and pay for his living expenses, according to a story in the Daily Mail.
The Bangalore, India resident, who is studying math at St. Andrews University in Scotland, has averaged almost $25,000 annually for the past four years partnering what he learned in class with his Texas Holdem skills.
“I cover my living expenses each year, but I know it’s possible to lose money very quickly, and I don’t spend lots of money on flashy things,” Srivats told the UK newspaper. “It’s about making my life a little better. I sometimes eat at restaurants instead of eating [dorm] food, or take taxis instead of walking.”
Poker Prodigy Profits Promptly
Srivats started playing when he was 15, getting staked $10 from his father. The talented student quickly converted the small investment into $300. The pastime soon turned into serious business and in his first year at the university he made $62,000.
The 22-year old once won a $7,000 pot with pocket aces and earned nearly $20,000 in an online tournament. It seemed logical for him to employ his math skills when he played cards.
“My poker benefits my math rather than the other way round,” he said. “I think the same skills that make me good at poker make me good at math.”
Taking It to the Limit
The plan after school is to work in a field that utilizes what he’s studied so far.
“I’m planning to work as a [commodities] trader after finishing university, it’s a natural transition, and I think there are a lot of similarities between it and poker,” he said. “They want people who think mathematically under pressure. In fact a lot of the interviewers for the jobs I’m applying for play poker and I do put it on my (resume).”
