Barings Bank rogue trader Nick Leeson has become a professional Internet poker player with Celebpoker.com.
Last week alone he won $25,000 in a No-Limits cash game on the Celebpoker site and now on-line poker has become his main source of income, the Web site reports.
Leeson was introduced to the game by Vinnie Jones about six years ago, and after mastering the game on the celebpoker.com play-money tables, now competes at the highest-level big money games.
Nick said: “What started out as a hobby has now become a lucrative side-line for me. I generally don’t gamble big money and go into tournaments with a $250 entrance fee, so I know that’s all the money I can lose. However with the $25,000 win I was playing a more high-risk No Limits cash game, and the gamble paid off.”
And he added: “The returns on the money can be phenomenal but I am well aware that I can lose too, so I won’t be repeating the mistakes I made in the past.”
In addition to his poker playing, Nick runs the after-dinner speaking circuit and he has a day job as commercial manager of Galway United Football Club in the Republic of Ireland, where he now lives.