Feb 21, 2017 | Sam Tonkin

A student has paid his way through university by earning £80,000 playing poker and winning up to £6,000 on a single hand.

Maths undergraduate Anmol Srivats spent the past four years putting his numeracy skills to work online and at tournaments during his studies at the University of St Andrews in Scotland.

And while the average Scottish student emerges with debts in the region of £10,000, Mr Srivats, 22, has earned an average of £20,000 a year.

The final year student from Bangalore, India, won £50,000 in his first year and banked almost £6,000 in a single hand.

He started his poker career aged 15 after being given the equivalent of £8 by his father. He then won £240 in an online tournament – kickstarting his earning spree.

Mr Srivats said: ‘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 halls food, or take taxis instead of walking.’

Talking about his biggest wins, Mr Srivats said: ‘I once won £5,700 in one hand,when I had a pair of aces and went all in with two other players. I also won $20,000 (£16,000) in an online tournament as well.’

Mr Srivats also feels that his poker benefits his degree.

He said: ‘My poker benefits my maths rather than the other way round. I think the same skills that make me good at poker make me good at maths.

‘I’m planning to work as a trader after finishing university, it’s a natural transition, and I think there are a lot of similarities between it and poker.

‘They want people who think mathematically under pressure.’

Canadian six-time World Series of Poker winner Daniel Negreanu has pocketed $32 million (£26 million) in prize money since starting his career in the mid-1990s.