Meet the Edinburgh medic who makes £25,000 playing poker in his spare time

He’s one of the youngest professional poker champions in the country

9 years ago

Yas Rana | Guides

Whilst most medic students find academic work challenging enough, second year Tommy Le balances his life studying medicine alongside being a champion poker player.

In September, Tommy became the youngest ever winner of the Grosvenor UK Poker Tournament, taking home a mammoth £25,000, to establish himself as a serious poker player on the professional scene. You’d think that his poker might jeopardise his academic work, but actually it’s quite the opposite – Tommy is well known for taking his revision notes to tournaments so he can work as he plays. Impressive. Here’s what Tommy had to say:

How long have you been playing poker?

I’ve been playing poker for a couple years now. Before I came to uni I’d only been playing casually with a couple friends at high school and not for any real money. I’ve only really picked it up seriously here at uni whilst playing with the Edinburgh University Poker Society.

How often do you play it whilst you’re at uni?

I play the weekly university tournament but I also go to the casino to play some big tournaments from time to time.

How often do you win?

I made that big score over last summer but I’ve also earned a couple of grand from some smaller tournaments. I also make a good steady earning playing some high stakes cash games at the casino against players who are looking for more of a gamble then actually playing the actual maths.

How old are the people you play?

They can range from 25 to even 75. You get all kinds of people – the older tend to be more experienced with reading bluffs and stuff like that whilst the younger players are more mathematical and aggressive.

Do you want to do it as a full time career?

I think I’d be able to do it as a full time career but right now my still main focus is University and becoming a doctor. I treat poker as just a hobby where I get to earn some extra money and enjoy my student life and get to travel around during my free time.

How did you get so good?

Over last summer I practiced a lot playing small tournaments and online by just gaining experience from playing many hands. I would have to say that I am quite the talker at the table and since this is a game of incomplete information, I usually try to make the most I can out of my funny personality to get as much info as I can from the other players.

What do you do with your winnings?

I use the money for general living costs, travelling and being quite the foodie, trying out all sorts of places in Edinburgh. I’m also planning to buy a car once I get around to getting a license.

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What are the Edinburgh casinos like?

There’s a Genting casino in Fountainbridge which is always buzzing in terms of Poker and it’s always possible to find action there. It’s not too far away and I sometimes see some students there playing a bit of Blackjack and Roulette. I’m not a big fan of those games as I wouldn’t like to play against the casino but don’t mind playing against other players. There’s another one near the airport called the Maybury where I won that big (it was fucking huge) tournament. The same tournament ran again later in the year, and this time I came 17th to make £1250.

How do you balance it with being a medic?

I’m notorious at the poker tables for carrying my iPad with lecture slides and notes which I revise from while I play. I used to do that throughout the year to keep up with my work. But generally, I will always prioritise finishing work before playing. It’s a nice stress reliever and hobby to have and I feel that it helps me have a good work-life balance.

And finally, why do you wear shades when you play?

I wear shades because the first couple times I played I was a bit nervous and to keep a better poker face so the opponent will find it harder to make decisions based on by “tells” such as where I look

I just remain as still as possible

(Photography credits: Grosvenor Casinos)