Poker Playing Math Student Pays His Way Through University

While most University students studying in Scotland finish their courses having accrued debts of £10,000 or more, Anmol Srivats, a Maths undergraduate from India, has managed to fund his education at St. Andrews University by playing poker online. As the Bangalore, resident, now into his final year, explains of his experience so far:
“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. 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.”
The 22-year-old maths whizz started his poker career aged just 15 after his father gave him £8, which he soon turned into £240 after cashing in at an online tournament. Since then, Anmol Srivats has shown that he has all the right qualities to succeed in a game where a good grasp of mathematics is a must, and on average he has won around £20,000 ($25,000) each year.
Counted amongst Srivats’ biggest accolades is winning $20,000 playing an online tournament, while on the cash game front he once won a $7,000 pot holding pocket aces against two other opponents. Commenting on how playing the game can be considered a natural extension of his mathematical studies, Srivats stated:
“My poker benefits my math rather than the other way round. I think the same skills that make me good at poker make me good at math.”
Furthermore, while many would shy away from mentioning their poker playing antics while applying for a job, Srivats’ impressive poker CV is something that his future potential employers would count in his favor. This is especially true as he is aiming on entering the world of commodity trading, which Srivats sees as sharing many similarities with the game of poker.
“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),” explained Srivats.